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INSANITY CHECK

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November 06, 2009
Finding jobs outside of the boards

So you want to find a communications job. You search the job boards, remove all the references to telecommunications, sales and programming, and find perhaps two positions open. Perhaps.

A recruiter who spoke to my networking group this week said those who rely only on the job boards and aggregators (Simply Hired, Indeed) are missing a lot of opportunities. Her suggestions below are as suitable for internship hopefuls as they are for long-term professionals.

1. Join relevant associations. Yes, some of the dues are crazy expensive when you're living on unemployment or less. But these are people who KNOW people. Volunteer for committees, get your face and name out in the crowd. The more you mingle, the greater the opportunity that someone will be impressed with your skills. If you're broke (like me) and can't pay the fees, find a member who is willing to take you as a guest to a key function or two.

While we're on the subject, I am addressing the board members of these great associations: Give unemployed members a break on the fees! It would hurt less to offer discounts than to lose them entirely.

2) Use Hoovers, Crain's magazine, Fortune, etc. listings of "best companies" to compile a target list. Check those companies' web sites regularly. A lot of companies are cutting their recruiting costs by posting only on company sites and letting employee word of mouth do the trick.

3) Read industry-specific blogs and get to know the bloggers. They have lots of contacts, too. Comment on their articles, share ideas with them, and get a feel for what they can use. They have their ears to the ground and usually are glad to share that info with a friend in need.

4) Attend workshops and seminars that attract people in your target industries. Don't just think "communications" either. Human Resources workshops on state and federal laws or Marketing workshops are useful no matter where you land. Ask your new acquaintances what you can do for them, and they'll often return the favor down the line.

Final note: I explained Facebook to my 70-year-old father-in-law. He's been thinking about it, and told me today he finally understood it all. "Facebook is the party line for the 21st Century!" he said proudly. I think he nailed it.

comments, Post A Comment!

RMFiske posted 12/03/2009:

To address point #1, for those who are PRSA members, the organization does have a hardship plan in place for professionals who may need a "break" on dues (http://www.prsa.org/JoinUs/Documents/PRSA%20Hardship%20Plan.pdf). Additionally, PRSA is offering free teleseminars at least once a quarter to its members. This is really great professional development to go along with the always useful publications and priceless connections that you make if you do get involved at any level -- locally or nationally. Every single job I've been lucky to secure in the last 20 years has come as a result of my networking within PRSA.

giselle2020 posted 11/11/2009:

Thank you for the post. I'm thinking that social media may become a major forum (if it's not already) where job seekers can meet their potential employers. You don't have to pay expensive fees to associations and social media is free! Website http://www.giselleconyette.com Blog http://giselleconyette.typepad.com/about.html Follow me on twitter http://twitter.com/giselleconyette

NavahHochstein posted 11/11/2009:

I can relate to the aspect of having to pay money for job hunting activities and the challenge of not having money when you are not working. Thank you for sharing your experience Navah

JudiWunderlich posted 11/10/2009:

A couple more tips for job seekers: Use the powerful Google search engine to find job postings on job boards you might have never heard of. For instance, let's say you're a bilingual CPA in Chicago with an MBA. Here's a search string you can do on Google: chicago AND jobs AND mba AND bilingual (accountant OR CPA) Or if you're a web designer you might try this search: "Chicago jobs" AND ("web design" OR "interactive design" OR "interaction design" OR "user experience design") And don't forget social media! Jobs are now listed, mentioned or posted on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and many other sites, and there are free tools to help you manage multiple social sites plus get alerts when certain keywords are posted there. Last, but certainly not least, use the FREE services of recruiters at staffing firms who specialize in your line of work. While they aren't exactly in business to find you a job (they are paid by companies to find specific candidates and if you match one, great), they are nonetheless a great free resource as they often place people in jobs that aren't advertised anywhere. And yes, I am one of those recruiters who find talent for companies in the Marketing, Communications, Advertising and Creative fields. (shameless plug over) Judi Wunderlich The WunderLand Group

DeeReinhardt posted 11/09/2009:

Our agency deals with workforce development and your suggestions would be applicable to any industry. Another source is the newspaper. Paid ads placed in newsprint are never more than 7 days old.

DonJ posted 11/09/2009:

Fantastic Article! The advice of checking individual companies on a periodic basis is daunting, but necessary in this environment. Great! I also have to say a number of associations I work with have given consideration to the current situation, which many people are grateful for! I would like advice on how to befriend bloggers. Anyone have advice? Thank you, Don

cindystarks posted 11/09/2009:

This is excellent advice. Thanks for sharing. I am a freelance speechwriter working to jumpstart my career and wrote on this topic on my blog, www.starkscommunications.com/blog. You may want to take a look. Again, thanks for this very helpful post. Cindy Starks

mmamsden posted 11/06/2009:

I was on our local radio station two weeks ago explaining how we are utilizing Facebook...the host said, "This sounds like Party Line, which by the way, will be on after our show." I started to laugh and said, "Yup, you got it."