Job hunting can feel like a game of hide and seek – recruiters and job seekers often find themselves searching in completely different places. Whether you’re actively looking for new opportunities or hoping to get discovered by your dream employer, understanding this disconnect is crucial.
Let’s explore where recruiters are actually looking for talent, where most job seekers focus their efforts, and how to bridge this gap to maximize your chances of landing the perfect role.
Modern Job Search Strategies for a Competitive Job Market
Let’s compare how recruiters source (look for) candidates versus how job seekers are looking for jobs. This identifies gaps in methods and strategies job seekers should apply.
Sourcing
Sourcing is what recruiters do when they look for people to fill jobs. Depending on the company, the industry and the role, they will use different strategies to find the best candidates.
Job boards are just one of the ways recruiters try to get applicants.
Approximately how much of your hiring is done through online job boards/recruiting platforms?
Sourcing vs Job Searching
While it’s challenging to do a direct comparison, the table below shows what recruiters do to look for candidates versus what job seekers do to look for jobs.
It’s important to note, the recruiting data below is taken from two questions. “how much of your hiring is done through online job boards/recruiting platforms” AND “Aside from job boards, which of the following resources do you use regularly for recruiting? (check all that apply)”
The job seeker answers are “check all that apply.” For a clearer comparison, I combined job seekers use of general job boards and industry job boards into one box.
| Use Regularly For Recruiting (Not including job boards) |
Use Regularly By Job Seekers | ||
| Online job boards/recruiting platforms | NA | General Job Boards Industry-specific/niche job boards |
76% 49% |
| Referrals from current employees | 72% | Networking/referral/word of mouth | 29% |
| Social media | 51% | Social Media Professional Networking Sites (LinkedIn) |
18% 58% |
| Company website/career page | 46% | Company websites | 44% |
| Professional associations | 31% | Professional associations | 16% |
| Alumni/school network/career centers | 28% | Alumni/school networks/career centers | 6% |
| Job fairs | 23% | Job Fairs | 12% |
| Staffing firms/outsourced recruiters | 21% |
Social Media Sourcing
Employers use a variety of social media, not just LinkedIn, to look for candidates. (Employ Recruiter Nation Report 2024)
- LinkedIn 71%
- Facebook 68%
- Instagram 43%
- Twitter 38%
- Youtube 36%
Diversify Your Search by Focusing On These
The name of the game is to diversify! Spend less time scouring the job boards and more time using other methods and strategies to uncover jobs and to be discovered. These methods are under-utilized given the data from iHire above.
- Employee referrals/networking
- All social media
- Company career pages
- Professional associations | MeetUps | online forums
- Alumni/school networks/career centers
- Staffing firms/outsourced recruiters
Do More To Stand Out
Mass applying or easy applying to jobs doesn’t help you stand out. Instead, try taking some proactive and bold steps like these mentioned below. These ideas have been used successfully by job seekers during down markets (job markets that favor employers).
Write a researched letter of interest
Create a presentation that shows how you have or would solve a company’s problems
Systematically reach out and stay in touch with past colleagues
Post regularly on LinkedIn (and other social networks) related to your industry/occupation
Announce your job search on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and other social networks
Attend a professional association networking event to connect with decision-makers
Comment on a professional LinkedIn post or blog by a department head/leader
Reach out to an author of a professional trade publication to ask for an informational meeting
Your Challenge
For the next 30 days, I challenge you to drastically change how you are spending your time! If you are unemployed, you should be spending at least 35 hours a week in job search related activities! Finding a job is a full time job.
It will take time and great effort on your part to make this transition. Be patient. You won’t feel immediate gratification. Here are some thoughts on how you can begin to make this happen:
- Schedule time weekly to meet with people either via phone or in person (get a calendar, you are going to need it!)
- Turn every activity into an opportunity to meet new people (aka build relationships).
- Embrace the power of social media/networking to begin building new relationships!
The post Job Seekers: Change How You Look for Work appeared first on Career Sherpa.
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