How to Find 60-80% More Job Listings
Networking is the primary way people find and get jobs. Only ~20% of the available jobs out there are advertised. The rest of the open positions will be found through networking or direct application.
Therefore, if you haven’t started to network, tell your friends, tell your parents, tell your friends’ parents, and your parents’ friends about what you are looking for. Everybody has a friend who has a friend who has a friend, and that friend could be the person in your ever-growing professional network that leads you to or gives you a job. Also, make a list of helpful contacts, introduce yourself to the organizations you value most, and follow up on job leads in a timely manner by using the following resources:
- Prepare your “elevator pitch” (aka “elevator speech”)
- Network Contact Tracking Sheet (See p.2)
- Using Social Media for Professional Networking
In addition to including current contacts on your network list, identify employers you are interested in working for, and ask yourself:
- Do you know people who work there who you could talk with?
- Is the employer involved with any public events you could attend?
- Is the business open to the public? Could you go in person and check it out?
This an effective and pro-active approach to building a professional network, which is often the way people find a job – sometimes before the job is even posted!