According to a LinkedIn survey, 85% of jobs are obtained through networking. That’s a really high percentage so Jobtrees tested out this statistic to our own employee job search histories. Our company has a variety of employees with backgrounds in various industries (finance, teachers, college advisors, career counselors, engineers, writers, project managers, website architects, designers, parents, student interns….the list goes on). We discussed our former employment and found most of us have used multiple strategies when job searching for our former roles and that we in fact obtained most of our employment through connections. Networking. (This was really fun and enlightening by the way -  you should ask your family members and friends if they have ever landed a job through a connection. That task in itself is networking - why wouldn't you ask?)

 

Networking should be your top job search strategy, but there are multiple strategies that can and should be used together when job searching. Let’s dive into some other strategies to pair up with when job searching.

 

Networking

Start by creating a list of contacts and talking to everyone you know. Family. Friends. Co-workers. Neighbors. The person working out next to you at the gym? (Sure, just don't be creepy). What should you inquire about? Each conversation will probably be unique but some questions to think about getting answers for are:

 

Who do they work for? What’s their company culture like? What do they do for their job? What are some qualities that are most important to have to be successful at their job? (This is especially important if they are working in a role that you are interested in pursuing). If you could go back in time and give yourself advice about your career path, what would it be? Do they know of any internships or jobs that may be available? What professional groups are they part of? What’s the mission of these organizations and how can you get involved? (“Who is your daddy and what does he do”? - Kindergarten Cop Circa 1990)

 

Keep notes and add contacts to your list. Expand your circle using social media and social networking sites. Invite others to connect with you and send them messages about who you are, how to know other connections and why you are seeking to connect.  Join professional groups/clubs you relate to and ones recommended to you. (These can be online or in person!) You should also strive to always make connections, even if you are not actively looking for a job. This can be scary at first for some - start small. Join LinkedIn and start adding connections. Start casually talking to people at school, social events, work….you never know what could form from making a connection (this is where we remind you 85% of jobs are obtained through networking). Networking doesn't mean you have to always dress in interview clothes - you can and should network in your day to day lives.

 

Career Fairs

Career fairs are a common job search strategy. Most cities or at least counties hold career fairs. You can find information on fairs through all your local schools (high school - college). Career fairs are held both online and in person. Once you find a career fair to attend, plan ahead. Review a list of companies in advance and make a list of the top places that you want to talk to. It is likely that well known companies may get busy so rank your top list and arrive early to try to talk to everyone on your list. You should plan to dress in business attire even if the event is taking place online. Practice what to say and bring copies of your resume with you to hand out as well as something to take notes and collect information for the recruiters you meet at the event. Remember, this is a great networking opportunity and you will want to connect and follow up with your leads. Follow them on appropriate social media platforms and networking sites. Be sure to ask about the internship and job positions they have available. Making face to face connections with recruiters is a great job strategy and way to land a job. Hopefully you can make such a great connection that you can meet them at their company headquarters and get a tour of the company and learn about events you can attend. 

 

Target Emailing

Target emailing is sending a message or emailing those with influence or hiring power. It’s a strong job search strategy. Why would you target email? To stand out among a potentially large batch of candidates who also applied to the same job as you. It’s important to reach out to show your interest and we all know the importance of making connections. 

 

If you have not yet applied to any roles, create a list of companies that you are most interested in working for. Group these companies into smaller lists according to jobs with similar roles that you can easily use the same resume and similar email message for. 

 

Note: You should always have a resume and cover letters that is tailored to each specific job in which you want to apply to. This does not mean that you need a whole new resume for each job you are applying to! When searching for similar jobs, you can create a generic resume that you can use as well as a generic cover letter that you can easily edit with each company’s information. Depending on the different types of roles you are searching for, you should have multiple versions ready at hand to use.

 

Send emails or messages through networking sites to the person in charge of the area you want to work. (Here are 3 example templates you could use for emailing. The examples from this website are a few years old but still very relevant and useful which is why we recommend them). 

 

In-Person Visit

Visiting in person is time consuming but is a great way to get known and get a glimpse at the company culture. Remember to dress professionally. 

 

If you have a contact at the company, reach out before you apply and schedule to meet (you can always offer to bring them a coffee or lunch). Ask for a short tour!

 

If you have already applied to the company, you can ask to speak to someone from the department in which you wish to work and bring copies of your resume. You should mention that you have applied and the role that you applied for as well as express your interest. 

 

Print & Electronic Search

You can look for jobs in print sources like newspapers or other help wanted ads and flyers. However, electronic search or online job board sites are the most common method of hiring for open roles. There are several electronic search job board sites that are tailored to specific industries as well as generic job board sites with millions of job postings. 

 

When you get to the point where you are applying for jobs online, make sure to stay organized and keep track of your applications and contacts. Jobtrees.com has a free application tracker that you can use to keep all of your information in one place as well as sync important stages and dates into your personal calendar. You need to create your free account in order to use this feature.It’s quick and unlocks all the career resources Jobtrees.com has to offer. 

 

There are multiple job search strategies you can use to search for and land your next role. The best tips for job searching are to use multiple job search strategies and always try to network within each strategy when possible. Jobtrees.com has career resources to help you on every step of your career journey from job searching discovery to accepting a job.  

 

To see a short video version of this article, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTAg3IZFWkw 

 

For more career resources and advice articles, visit https://www.jobtrees.com/articles