Traditional job hunting (you, know– signing up to popular job portals like Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Monster, etc., searching for open jobs with relevant keywords, and then applying to scads of companies, putting yourself in competition with everyone else who is using the same techniques and lowering your chances of getting noticed by a potential employer) can sometimes feel like an exercise in futility. But take heart– with some creative thinking you can emerge from the crowd and get yourself noticed by the right people.
Let’s look at a few creative ways to improve and expand your job search beyond the traditional online methods.
Using LinkedIn Creatively to Search for Jobs
It’s time to explore the various features that LinkedIn offers and how you can tap into them to find jobs not found on regular job portals, get referrals, and improve your job application response rate. Here are a few ways of going about utilizing LinkedIn to help you land the job you want:
1. Find Alumni on LinkedIn
Find colleagues, college friends, classmates, lecturers, and students who went to the same educational institutions as you, looking in particular for people who studied similar subjects. Connect with these people on LinkedIn, sending a connection request even if you do not know them personally. Most people on LinkedIn like to have extensive networks, and an alumni association is always a point in your favor.
Once you’re connected to these people, look through their profiles, especially their ‘Experience’ sections. Make a note of the places they’ve worked or are currently employed. See if these firms, companies, or start-ups are currently hiring or have job openings that fit your skill set.
If there are open job posts, ask your contact(s) for a referral for the position before applying directly. If anyone agrees to refer you, congratulations! because you’re already way ahead of the other candidates. If not, it’s just another “no,” which will eventually lead to that “yes” so don’t take it personally. Apply directly, and your network will still work to your advantage. Getting into the hiring queue through a referral increases your chances of garnering a positive response.
2. Find and Connect with Professional Associations In Your Field
Expand your networking activity by looking up professional associations in your field. For example, if you work in accounting, look up the CPA Society, SHRM for human resources, Financial Planners Associations for folks working in the field of finance, and so on. Then pay attention to the chatter in the Association that may reference other related groups, pages, and online clubs and, if possible, join those too.
Most of these associations will have a LinkedIn business page. Follow these pages and join the groups and clubs. This will help you expand your professional network to include folks you do not know.
3. Look at the Associations’ Job Boards
Just joining professional associations or following their LinkedIn business pages may not be enough. These associations usually have job boards or one-off posts advertising job roles you’re probably looking to apply to. Keep an eye out for these posts, and subscribe to the job boards or newsletters, if any, to keep yourself up-to-date regarding the latest job openings in your field.
4. Connect with Peers and Mentors
Every field has a few well-known inspirational speakers, mentors, and experts who you can follow, connect with, and reach out to for professional advice in rare cases. Besides benefiting from their free or paid seminars, workshops, and learning videos online, you can connect with them one on one if you seek advice on a niche topic.
Experts in the field like to mentor up-and-coming people and share educational anecdotes. Your experiences on the ground help them create fresh content and address the current problems in the system. The worst that could happen if you reach out and get no response is just that, not getting a response.
Another perk of having a mentor in the system is that you can tap into their expertise to guide your career, fast-track your growth, and get to better-paying positions with more autonomy quicker than you would on your own. They’ve already figured out many things that might take you many hours of hands-on experience to figure out. Using their experiences as a guide can help you avoid getting into a career funk, make quick moves, and have a more fulfilling career journey.
Mentors and peers also provide referrals and recommend their mentees for job roles that are niche, not advertised generally, and command better pay than jobs marketed via online portals. A recommendation from an expert can provide that extra boost you need to get to the next level in your career.
Get Creative With Your Job Search!
So there you have some creative ways to find the job that you want. LinkedIn is extremely helpful in allowing you to find alumni, references, people who work for the companies you’re interested in and so much more. It’s time to set aside traditional job-hunting methods and adopt a creative approach to your successful career journey!
