Where do you find jobs? Most job seekers look online on one of the large job search sites but there are other places to unearth positions often over-looked.
Job seekers can prevent from missing great opportunities by putting together a job search strategy. A job search strategy is a written, formal plan for locating positions and hiring employers. Below is a list of tools you can use:
Maps – how far are you willing to drive? Make a list of all the smaller townships or cities in your circle. Visit each webpage for the city and find out the name of the local chamber of commerce; each chamber will have a list of their members. Cincinnati is
http://www.cincinnatichamber.com and Northern Kentucky has its own site listing at
http://www.jobs-nky.com. This is a great place to start locating hiring organizations. Instead of assuming that a location is too far to travel, use
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl and check the distance.
Company Listings – make a list and bookmark websites the companies and organizations where you might want to work.
http://www.yellowpages.com is a super place to begin finding places in your field where you may want to work. Get creative with your company listings; have you checked local hospitals, universities, nonprofits and arts organizations? Make a list of all the company headquarters that are located in your area. Cincinnati has Procter & Gamble, General Electric, White Castle, Kroger, Amazon, Frisch’s, and many others that job seekers often overlook either because they do not realize they are located here OR because they are not in their industry.
Professional Organizations – these are great places to network, get specific openings, locate industry employers, and gain valuable information about your field. For example, the Paralegal industry has
http://www.cincinnatiparalegals.org and Human Resources industry has
http://gchra.shrm.org. Join the associations and attend the meetings on a regular basis.
Social media: Online networking is connecting people and jobs like never before. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn all have the ability to connect job seekers with available openings or increased networking to learn about opportunities.
Stay positive, focused and consistent in working on find that job! Good Luck.
Julie Stockman
Corporate Director of Career Services
Beckfield College