What are the best ways to find a new job?

Here are the five best ways to get a job:

1. Expand your network and work your network – Make a list of everyone you know.  Your network consists of all the people in your life including family, friends, alumni, former colleagues, doctors, personal lawyers, accountants, trainers, professional associations, clubs, and gyms.  Include all your first degree contacts on LinkedIn.  Reach out to each of them and tell them you are looking for a particular position.  Ask them for referrals to other people in your field.

2.Write directly to a company.– Make a list of 200 places you would like to work and find out the name of a person two levels above your job title.  Write directly to the person you don’t know, not asking for a job, but asking for 15 minutes of their time to  learn more about their companies and the challenges they face..  Ask your professional contacts if they know anyone at those companies they can introduce you to.

3. Work with search firms and recruiters -Know that the search firm or recruiter is working for their clients to find them a perfect match to the job description. Get to know one or two specialty recruiters  in your field so they think of you when a client comes to them with an opening.  By working with recruiters you can get interviews that may or may not get you a job offer.

4. Job Boards – Answer ads on the internet;  Do take advantage of many sites that list job openings.  This may include, but not be limited to, Monster.com; Indeed, Idealist or professional associations that list openings.  Follow up with a phone call to the hiring manager.  Just don’t spend all your time on this because only 10% of people get their jobs this way.

5. There is no 5th way...anything else is a subset of the above four methods.  If you can think of another method to getting the job of your dreams that does not fall into one of the above categories, let me know, and I will write about it!