Unconventional Job Search Strategies
Do You Feel Stuck In Your Job Search? Try These 4 Unconventional Strategies
Are you sick and tired of applying on Indeed and hearing absolutely nothing back from the employer? Tired of constantly seeing “urgently hiring” tags while getting ghosted in the application process?
First of all, we’re sending you a pat on the back and a hug. We know how discouraging it is to feel like your qualifications aren’t good enough. That you haven’t done enough. That you don’t have enough experience to be accepted into new ones.
But, to find a job, sometimes you can’t “just keep swimming.” The school of other fishes might be applying to common job boards - Indeed, Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter - so if you want to stand out and get noticed, you need to work differently - not harder.
If typical search strategies aren’t working for you, try some of these.
1. Your Maps App Is Your Friend
Do you know who’s hiring in your area? If you think it’s only the companies posting on job boards, you are missing out on all employers who can’t afford them. Did you know that job boards cost employers? On Indeed, employers can host a “free” job that gets buried in the search results after two to three days. Sponsoring a job, which gets it in front of more users, costs at least $5 per day, translating into hundreds per month. (And that’s just for one job!) (Bottorff & Organ, 2024).
The TL;DR is, if you want to find employers who don’t have the budget to rank top in the job boards, do some searches in your area; go onto your maps page and look for companies nearby. Look up their websites and see if they have a careers page. Or, give them a call, give a great elevator pitch, and let them know you’re in the job market. Who knows, maybe they’ll refer you to another company that’s hiring.
2. Ask Your Network
When you think about the people you know, and the people they know, and the people that those folks know… someone in that network is bound to be able to introduce you to an employer or refer you to their place of employment. Plus, 70-80% of jobs are “hidden” positions that never make it to formal job boards (Feldmann, 2023). Put your message out there: “I am a job seeker! These are my skills and what I can bring to your business!”
3. If it’s financially feasible, look into internships or volunteering
Interns are top picks to be hired. Especially in the nonprofit sector, employers are looking for motivation and passion alongside skills and qualifications. If you are in a position to volunteer while you’re job seeking, you’ll gain new skills and experiences for one thing. And for another, you’ll learn the behind-the-scenes of the company and have contacts there, if employment becomes available.
Look up your local charities or search volunteer opportunities on VolunteerMatch!
4. Make a personal connection
If you’ve applied for a job, follow up. And not just through an email. Make a phone call, share your interest in the company, and name-drop anyone you have a personal connection with or who has referred you to the company. You want to be at the top of people’s minds when you’re in the application process. Showing that you take the initiative and are eager to learn more makes you stand out - especially considering that 92% of people who start job applications don’t finish them in their entirety! (Maurer, 2022).
References
Bottorff, C., & Organ, C. (2024, Jan 5). Indeed Job Posting Cost (2024 Guide). Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/indeed-job-posting-cost/
Feldmann, F. (2023, March 21). Job seekers: Four reasons to embrace the hidden job market. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2023/03/21/job-seekers-four-reasons-to-embrace-the-hidden-job-market/?sh=24b510316a65
Maurer, R. (2022, Feb 16). Most people—92%—never finish online job applications. Society for Human Resource Management. https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/talent-acquisition/people-92-never-finish-online-job-applications.