Where to Look for the Job Market?
Where to Look for the Job Market?
A lot of people quit looking for work as soon as they find a job.
– Zig Ziglar
Introduction
A good job means nothing if you don’t know where to find it. This module will give insight into sources to consider when searching for employment opportunities. Some people say looking for a job will be the hardest job you will ever have.
The Explicit Locations
Employers make their positions and job openings known many times through classified ads in local newspapers. They also post openings on web sites such as www.workopolis.com and www.monster.com. These easy access advertisements are a good place to start. Because of their obvious nature they also attract a high volume of responses and make the competition for these positions even more intense.
The Untapped Job Market
While the classified ads and other mass media provide a place where companies can draw a large sample of lower skilled workers from the labor pool, many more desirable positions are not publicly advertised. Companies seeking highly skilled workers to fill specific areas of responsibility may employ recruiters and headhunters to find talent.
By contacting the Human Resources department of companies in the industry you would like to work, you can gain access to the internally communicated list of job openings. You may ask to send your resume directly to the HR department of a company for whom you would like to work.
Cold Calling
Some job seekers in order to keep active in the job search resort to cold calling companies and ask if they are hiring. This practice is highly ineffective and should be discouraged as a part of a successful job hunting strategy. For the company receiving the call it costs them time and money to answer your question whether they may be interested or not. It makes you appear desperate and less desirable of a candidate. Your time is much better spent networking with people in the industry and building up social contacts that will lead to a job more naturally when one opens up.
Which of the following ways would be more effective in starting a new relationship with you?
- A person of the opposite sex calls randomly and asks if you are single.
- You get an e-mail from a stranger asking to meet for coffee.
- You receive a package in the mail with a video from a stranger talking about themselves, their favorite activities and what they are looking for in a partner.
- A friend introduces you to someone who he believes you would be interested in.
Companies are no different. A referral from a friend is the best way to get an interview. Cold calling rarely ends in a lasting professional relationship.
The Power of Connecting
Networking is clearly better than cold calling when searching for a job.
Here are some advantages of networking.
- Increases your confidence
- Saves time and energy going to interviews with low potential
- Helps you find a job with the kind of people you already know and enjoy
- Helps you get more interviews in less time
- Multiplies your efforts by having a team of people looking out for your interests
Practical Application
Maude searched and searched but was not seeing and great leads for a new job. With her thinking cap on, she scrolled through page after page of job openings. Eagle eyed Christine opened up her laptop and joined in on Maude’s search and offered to help her in the job search. Maude agreed that two heads would be better than one. They both sat there for hours but still could not really find anything promising.
Christine then suggested Maude to just call businesses in her area. Maude thought about it and decided all she had to lose was the time, and she had lots of that. To her surprise, she ended up gaining three promising leads and was setup for three interviews next week.
