Searching for a new job can be tedious at best, but thankfully technology has given us a variety of ways to mix things up. By using social media, networking sites, and good old-fashioned searching, you can find a variety of job opportunities to fit your needs.
A new approach by Lou Adler, HR and job search expert suggests a 20-20-60 approach, where 20% should be spent searching/applying on job boards, 20% spent getting the attention of recruiters, and 60% should be spent networking.
"The best way to do this is to find people who can fully vouch for you to refer you to some of their close associates. You'll need to meet these people, and ask them to refer you to their associates. If you do this a few times you'll soon have about 40-50 people on your network. Once your network gets this big you'll start hearing about job opportunities in the hidden job market."
The good thing about this approach is that you can apply it just using LinkedIn. That's because LinkedIn can give you all three; easy access to job postings, direct communication with employers and last but not least, a strong network. Being able to rely wholly on LinkedIn is a rather optimistic thought, going through job boards to apply for jobs or checking out employers' sites remains a popular choice for job candidates.
If you do end up finding your dream job on a job board but know the competition will be fierce, applying via a backdoor can help you stand out from the pack. If you have connected with someone from within organisation, a referral from them may increase the chances of your resume getting elevated to the top of the pile. If you are not a perfect match for the role on paper, doing something left of centre such as illustrating how you solved a problem in the past that is comparable to a problem facing the organisation, can help get your noticed.
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