TRADITIONAL JOB CHANGE METHOD

Step 1 is to begin your search through reading the Want Ads

This traditional step gives you an overview of who is hiring and what types of

Positions they have available. Remember Want Ads account for less than 20% of all job openings.

Want Ads show:

• Position openings listed by employers in local and national newspapers, professional association journals, newsletters, and trade journals.
• Respond by indicated deadline[1] with cover letter[2] and resume[3].
• Highlight your qualifications, give examples, and justify that you meet every qualification[4] sought.
• Subscribe to a major newspaper in your geographical preference area. ( Sunday editions have the largest listings.[5])
• Good source for trends and position descriptions.
• Keep in mind that 80% of jobs that exist are unadvertised.

The Next, seldom used method is:

Cold Calls

• Door-to-door approach to make contacts with hiring personnel.
• Very time consuming and results in high rejection.
• Effective in small towns or federal and political offices.
• Make cold calls when energy level is highest.
• Avoid Mondays and Fridays.
• Don't ignore support personnel, dress well, and notice bulletin boards for trends, contacts and openings.

Few job-seekers use:

Mass Mailings

• Involves sending large volume of letters (usually 100 or more) to employers in geographic area and/or career field of interest.
• Least effective method with low return rate of 3%.
• Limits your presentation.
• Necessary to market yourself well, individualized letters, and send resume/cover letter to specific person in the organization.
• Keep records of to whom and when letters are sent for follow-up purposes.
• Follow-up letters with phone calls.

Telephone contact with:

Personnel Offices

• Can provide annual reports, prospectus, and information on organizational structure, products and services, job titles and descriptions, and internship opportunities.
• Usually make "no" decisions, but not "yes" decisions[6].
• Apply directly to managers and supervisors[7] of desired division or department in addition to personnel.
• In person, dress well, be pleasant, and present a positive image.

On line or in person visits to:

Government Listings/Agencies

• Listings are posted with governmental personnel or employment agencies.
• Agencies represent primary source for finding governmental positions.
• They register, classify, and refer individuals to hiring officials.
• Coordinate aptitude testing[8] and screening programs, and provide information on local employers and trends.
• Application process is lengthy and detailed, long waiting lists and stiff competition exist, and personnel offices screen but do not hire.
• Agency lists are obtained via telephone or internet directories under federal, state, and community headings, and in other governmental reference books.
• Find out where agencies list their position vacancies.
• Do not rely upon posted positions only-use contacts and networks to locate positions.

Most state labor departments have:

Career Development Centers[9]

• A resource center to learn job-search techniques[10] you can use throughout your life.
• Prepares you for the job search with resume critique sessions and videotaped mock interviews plus other informational workshops and individual appointments.
• Recruitment program offers on-campus interviews and job fair access.
• Directories of companies and individuals to contact[11], company literature, job vacancy bulletins, and position openings are on file.
• Become acquainted early with resources, services, and personnel.

Sometimes you have to pay someone to market you, so you go to:

Employment Agencies and Executive Recruiters

• Provide placement services for clients and employers for a fee.
• Can cost as much as 15-20% of your first year salary.
• Important to research agencies thoroughly before applying since quality of service varies widely.
• Check with local Chamber of Commerce to find out if agency is a member of a national employment agency association.
• Some agencies place you quickly to receive payment without assessing your interests and aptitudes.
• Employers can also absorb charges.
• Suggest firms you want to interview with, stay in frequent contact, follow-up on referrals, and review positions carefully.
• Be prepared. Know what type of position you want and what you have to offer.

Becoming more popular, but not always very effective are:

Internet/Web-based Services[12]

• Matches an individual's qualifications via computer with employers stated needs.
• Some specialize in certain job categories.
• Candidates may or may not be charged a fee.
• Can conduct a long distance search without traveling.
• Minimum time and effort are required.
• Can conduct job search at any time of the day or night.

In addition to the foregoing traditional steps there are also:

NON-TRADITIONAL STRATEGIES

This non-traditional strategy is misunderstood, but still becoming more popular:

Referrals/Networking/Informational Interviewing

• Most widely used and most effective method among the hidden strategies.
• Make contacts with those who can hire and those who can direct you to others in a position to hire.
• Contact professionals for advice, information regarding job duties, field trends, openings not published, and for additional contacts.
• Develop a list of people, professional groups, and existing groups you can contact including friends, relatives, alumni, influential leaders, colleagues/peers, faculty, present, past, and potential employers, and people in informational roles.
• Learn about career fields and companies and get to know professionals that can identify potential positions and the people who can hire.
• Conduct informational interviews in your targeted area.
• Attend organized networks, introduce yourself to as many individuals as possible, serve on committees to gain exposure and display your abilities, tell others of your interests and plans, and carry extra resumes.
• Keep contacts informed of your progress and follow-up on all job leads.

Many people have great success using this method:

Internal Campaigning/Internships/Volunteering

• Marketing yourself within a company or agency through a paid position, field experience, internship, volunteer position or through temporary services can help you obtain a permanent paid position in a firm.
• Solicit parents, colleagues, alumni, etc. to serve as references and help you obtain these positions.
• Get to know those in position to hire or promote.
• Demonstrate your capabilities, talents, and skills.
• Volunteer for new projects and gain information about the field, available positions, and trends.
• Obtain referrals from the contacts you make.
• Be visible and do excellent work.

This method is somewhat like the 24 Hour Job Search method, but with significant differences:

Targeted Mailings and Telephoning

• Market yourself with a limited number of employers within you specific career field and geographic areas of interest.
• Capitalize on influential references.
• Indicate your interest, communicate your qualifications using specific examples, and demonstrate how you can fulfill their needs.
• Contact a specific person who is in a position to hire you.
• Obtain accurate names, titles, and addresses via directories[13] and phone calls.
• Send quality materials[14] and follow-up with phone calls.
• Consider using the telephone for initial contacts and introduce yourself in a professional manner.[15]
• Be aware of changes in time zones.
• Contacts can often be made early in the morning or shortly after business hours begin.
• Good communication skills and follow-up[16] are essential.

This too is a reactive posture:

Positioning[17]

• Requires hanging around people and places where important trends are discussed and/or job opportunities are identified.
• Gain information about unpublished job opportunities and acquire names for personal referral and networking by watching job posting boards of companies, attending professional meetings, and walking around reception areas of airports, travel agencies, and stock brokerage firms.
• Opportunities usually exist where social interaction occurs on a regular basis.
• Find out when and where professionals in your career field of interest "hang out" and listen for job leads.

ADDITIONAL JOB SEARCH TIPS

It is not easy to simply say: 

Know Yourself

Evaluate your interests, values, skills, needs, and goals before conducting your search. This will help you in finding a satisfying career.[18]

Once again, a piece of advice that is close, but a near miss:

Develop Transferable Skills and Make Yourself Marketable

Employers look highly upon individuals who gain some practice experience. Pursue coursework that makes you marketable. Develop skills through your experience and education that you can utilize in any job.[19]

This is a great research tip that we recommend you use: 

Talk to People in Your Career Field of Interest
People love to talk about what they do, can supply you with valuable information, and help you form a network of job contacts in your career field. Use your contacts![20]

No job change method would be successful without: 

Research

Utilize all your resources (career library resources, professionals in your field of interest, professional journals, organizations and conferences, newspapers, annual reports, etc.) to research information about careers, job titles and responsibilities, companies, etc.

Now, we are getting some place. You must: 

Watch for Spot Opportunities

Look for changes or spot opportunities[21] in companies such as:

• Growth indicated by the development of new product lines[22], additional buildings, and new locations.
• Mergers or divestitures.
• Promotions.[23]
• New staffing.
• Deaths.

"Change" means "opportunity". Make a hiring opportunity for yourself. Convince an employer that the organization has a need and demonstrate how you can meet that need.
Contact Managers of Divisions or Departments within Organizations
It is more effective to contact a department head. It will mean a great deal more if a manager directs your credentials to Personnel than if your resume is one of several hundred that arrive that day. Mangers are also aware of job vacancies before Personnel is informed.

Most people list this tactic under networking: 

Use Your Contacts

Use all your contacts including friends, family, professional contacts, etc. After asking, include names and titles of contacts in letters and phone conversations. You will receive greater attention when using contacts. Contacts can help you "get your foot in the door." Then you must sell yourself and convince the employer that you are the most qualified for the position.

Here they touch upon the real secret of job-change success: 

Don't Allow Supply and Demand to Dictate Your Career

Supply and demand for particular occupations fluctuates over a period of time. Therefore, select a career field that interests you and conduct a creative job search. We tell you how to do this.

Getting the right job is a job in itself. You must: 

Record Your Contacts with Employers

Keep a record of your contacts[24] with employers. Use a checklist to keep track of your job applications, mailing dates, interviews, correspondence, and job offers. Use our forms.

Truly great advice: 

When Asked Salary Expectations, Provide a Range

Research salaries prior to an interview via salary surveys, job vacancy listings, occupational resources, informational interviews, etc. Do not ask about salary in the first interview. When asked, give a range. A geographic location with a high cost of living may require a higher salary. Also, experience can justify a higher salary. After a job is offered you can negotiate salary.

Research salaries in your field by going on line.

More sound advice:

After Receiving a Job Offer, Ask for Time to Think About It
You don't have to accept a job immediately after you receive an offer. Make a list of pros and cons of the position. If you are waiting to hear from another job, contact that employer and ask if a decision was made yet. Indicate you have received an offer but are more interested in that position and want to know your options before making a decision. Identify and prioritize what is important to you.

Your Yellow Pages[25] research makes this step unnecessary: 

Devise a "Plan B"
In case your efforts to find a position within a specific field don't materialize, you should have a back-up plan.

This is more advice from the land of résumés:  

Follow Up All Job Lead and Contacts
Always contact professionals to whom you are referred. Follow-up your contacts with thank you letters. After you send your resume to an organization, follow-up with a phone call. Try to arrange a visit. Pursue all job leads even if you do not totally meet the qualifications required.

We have over a dozen effective marketing tools you can use, beside a résumé! 

Develop Effective Job Hunting Tools
Résumés, correspondence, credentials, and effective interviewing skills are essential to a successful job search. Practice effective interviewing skills through videotaped mock interviews. Make sure your credentials reflect your skills and experiences appropriate to the type of job you are pursuing. Put together a resume that represents you in the best possible manner.

Our entire program is about creatively creating jobs! 

Conduct a Creative, Effective Job Search and Keep Persevering
It takes time and a great deal of effort to find a job. Looking for a job is a full-time job in itself!