3 Job Search Tips That Got Me My 1st Job

3 Job Search Tips That Got Me My 1st Job3 Job Search Tips That Got Me My 1st JobWouldnt it be great to instantly do all the things the job search pros say you should do confidently youre your achievements in the best resume format, make yourself easy to find when it comes to LinkedIn for job search, and get up from behind that computer and get out thereLets concentrate on the get up from behind the computer part. Im going to illustrate this case study for you because back when I did it, the Internet had not been invented. I searched for and landed my 1st job the old-fashioned way. I was 13 years old, and I repeated some version of this method every single time throughout my adult life.I was a bookworm always in the public library. Thats where I noticed another kid from my school reshelving books. He and I werent really friends, but we knew each other. His name was Phil. I walked up to Phil and said, So, how did you get the job working here? He gave me the name of the part in charge, I presented myself, talked about my education, activities, love for English, love for books, and willingness to work there. Voila. Hired.Guess what? This is a classic example of a hidden job. There was no ad. There was no resume. The only thing that existed was a need that the company had to fulfill. Here are the hidden job market secrets for you to apply in your own job search1) Networking is not a dirty word.The 1 job search approach according to virtually every expert Ive known since Ive been in this business for 16 years now is networkNetworkNETWORK. But you dont want to do that. Or you think its hard. Or you anticipate too much effort. Or you think your network is dead.None of unterstellung need to be true for you. If you get out of bed every day and leave your home, you have a network. Your network is in the places you frequent. I happened to frequent the library. I also happened to frequent my school every day. All those people kids and adults knew me. Though Phil was not a good friend, he had some awareness of the level of classes I took and the circle of friends I had, enough to say to his boss (and my potential boss) that yes, Id be pretty good for the job.2) Youve already probably been in or had contact with your ideal employer.A sales person will tell you its easier to sell something additional to an old client, than find a new client and sell something to them. The saatkorn concept applies to job search. Look around you to see where you are, then look behind you to see where youve been. Those are your old clients.Reach out to a former employer and let her know youre back on the market. The person knows you, so its okay to expressly state that youd be interested to know if shes aware of any opportunities. There are even more avenues to explore when you consider who your former employers vendors were. (At a future moment Ill post about how I went through a vendor to find another job.) Once again, they know you. Pick up the phone and do something c razy like start a conversation.3) The hidden job market is all about thinking ahead.If youre only thinking about jobs that are open, youre behind the 8 ball. I looked at what that other person in the library was doing and thought there probably was another position to do the same thing. Then I asked. And there was. And there was NOT a pile of 1,000 people who submitted their resumes for the job.Think of a need in an organization youre familiar with. Inquire. You can show up in person, have a discussion at a professional seminar, or make contact some other way. Discuss what the need may be, and how you can contribute immediately. This will prove to be the most fruitful job search method in your career.While you definitely need the tools of today the best resume, a professional CV, and a LinkedIn profile, understand they are tools for people to have a document that says more about you. The key word in the previous sentence is YOU, and the tools support you, they dont replace you. Loo k at places where you go, evaluate where youve been, and talk to people about what they need and how you can help.Id love to hear any non-traditional way you landed a job. Maybe its something we can all take a lesson from Please share your story in the comments.