8 Places You Didn’t Think to Look for a Job

8 Places You Didn’t Think to Look for a Job

When people are on the job hunt they often make the mistake of assuming that all the jobs that are available to them are on giant job boards. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, speaking as a recruiter, I can tell you from firsthand experience that spending all your time on job boards is a waste of time. The big ones in particular have less lenient rules for job postings so you may find yourself spending a lot of time wading through less than spectacular job opportunities.

The good news is that there are a ton of other places to look for a job. Use our list below of places you didn’t think to look for a job to help you expand your search.

Twitter

Yes, you can find a job on Twitter. Companies have started using the power of social media not just to do background checks, but also to recruit individuals.

One way you can use Twitter for your job hunt is to make a targeted list of industry, individuals and companies you are interested in. You can also search according to hashtags and company handles.

LinkedIn Groups

You probably knew about the LinkedIn job board, but did you know you can also find a job in the groups? Recruiters are spending more time in the groups looking for the perfect individuals to fill their open positions.

The bottom line is you need to make sure you’re adding some time in LinkedIn groups to your online job hunt. This will require more than just browsing around looking for jobs, but the effort is worth it. Make sure to check out one of our previous articles on how to use LinkedIn groups effectively.

Facebook Groups/Pages

You can also use Facebook pages/groups in the same way, as you do LinkedIn Groups. This may require a bit more digging since Facebook is typically used for more personal stuff, but don’t make the mistake of thinking that recruiters aren’t looking around.

Another way to use Facebook pages/groups is to see if the geographic location you are targeting/live in or the company where you want to work has a hosted Facebook group, i.e. Finance Jobs or Chicago Marketing Jobs or Procter & Gamble Careers.

Company Websites

It amazes me how many people completely forgo looking at a company’s corporate website for jobs. Chances are that you’ll have to apply through their website anyway, so might as well go straight to the source and see what jobs they have posted.

In fact, you’re probably more likely to find all of their listings on their website than you are to find them on a big job board. One of the reasons this is the case is because HR may not know how to write an ad so that it shows up on job board search results. This means you may not even find their ad. Meanwhile, on their own corporate website they don’t have to worry about that and you won’t miss an opportunity.

As an extra hint, you can also check the websites of your desired company’s competitors. They may not be your first choice but you’d be surprised at the opportunities that may be available.

Google Plus

Google+ is a little known gem for the job hunt. Thanks to their Google Hangouts you can network and participate in discussions with people in your industry. At the end of the day making connections is key when on the job hunt, so why not take advantage of Google Hangout events and start getting to know people?

Attend conferences/conventions

Finding and attending conferences, conventions and professional meetings in your industry space can be seriously high-quality contact making. Check out www.lanyrd.com to find specific events in your industry, profession and/or location that can help you network with employed and/or engaged leaders within your space.

Support Groups with Employed and Unemployed Members

Aim to attend employment support groups that are equally attended by non-working job seekers and employed individuals. I suggest mixing it up with different attendees with both employment statuses. If you attend groups with mostly employed individuals, and you are not working, you may see your confidence shake. If you are attending groups with mostly unemployed individuals, you may not be connecting with enough people directly at companies that can be in a better position to affect your search. Find groups on MeetUp.com and EventBrite.com.

Corporate and College Alumni Connections

Run a LinkedIn advance search list of corporate alumni and education alumni and reach out to appropriate individuals leveraging the “alumni connection” asking for exploratory conversations