Whether you’ve lost your job or are looking to start fresh, the prospect of looking for a new one can be daunting. What you’re looking for will depend on your situation, too. We’ve pulled together a list of tips for job hunting that can help you out now and in the future.
Look Beyond Online Postings
While many jobs are posted online, not every business is quite so tech-savvy. Keep an eye out for openings on physical bulletin boards (yes, they still exist in places).
Let Friends Know You’re Looking
A friend might not mention that a spot has opened up at the place they work if they don’t know you’re actively looking.
Look at the Companies
Depending on the type of career you really want, it can be smart to make a list of companies where you’d have upward mobility instead of just looking at individual jobs.
Check Often
You’ll want to make sure you’re looking at job postings regularly. Not only will you catch new ones as they come up, you’ll also get a feel for the job market as a whole.
Make Sure a Job Listing is Still Active
If you’re going to do all this work, make sure it will be worth it. While a company can be smart enough about technology to make the posting, they might not be great about taking it back down in a timely manner.
Check Internal Hiring
Larger employers will often post jobs internally, sometimes before they ever even open it up to the public. If you’re job hunting while still employed, consider looking at some of these.
Be Open About Job Hunting
We mentioned talking to friends above, but you can also casually mention that you’re looking to neighbors and other acquaintances. You never know who might have a great lead.
Double Check Your Public Persona
If the type of jobs you’re looking at might be in an industry that uses LinkedIn, make sure you at least tidy up your profile. You may also want to make sure other social media platforms are set to private.
Be Confident In What You Can Offer
So many people go into a job hunt desperate to get what a company can give them (a paycheck). While it’s impossible to ignore that aspect of things, try to make room in your head for thinking about what you can offer them.
Continue Looking
You don’t have to take the first job you’re offered, necessarily. Just because you’ve received an offer doesn’t mean you’re now stuck with that company for the rest of your days.
