You should have several ways to splinter your job hunt. Of course, most of it must be the connection with people. There are many active job search methods a job seeker can use such as the deliberate grind of obtaining informal interviews, incessantly networking, and creatively capturing job leads. There are passive ways to stumble upon job leads non-traditionally in just a few hours a week. I thought of four ways to get leads to come to you, and at times, to your mail box without filling out long applications, and remaining glued to your laptop screen.
1. Try TweetMyJobs. com
After talking with Lauriana Zukowski (@LaurianaZ), co-founder of TweetMyJobs.com via e-mail, I am convinced that job seekers lack urgency to get results. You should be networking, pursuing informational interviews, and create a positive online image with social media in addition to using this site. Read the February 13 article here for why I recommend it wholeheartedly.
2. Dial up Google Alerts religiously
Most frequent online users own a g-mail account including YOU! Google Alerts can come to your g-mail box daily, and as frequently as you’d like. Play with keywords to get alerts that fit your inquiries.Entering a keyword phrase like “Industrial engineer jobs in Chicago,” alerts will arrive with a combination that uses all four words. An effective job hunt should yield results from unseen resources too! That’s why this is a solid strategy for passive results only.
3. Discover the “Who?” on Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a Twitter client that also can search Twitter for alerts from users promoting open job positions. You can search different position keywords with and without hashtags. It is the same idea as Google Alerts except that you can directly engage the twitter user inquiring more information such as the name of the hiring manager, culture of the workplace, introduction to a key person in the hiring process, and other un-posted information you can leverage for the job hunt.
This is an example of a stream I created in Hootsuite using “federal jobs (without hashtags)” and “#federaljobs.” Below is a useable live stream of related job information from Twitter. Hoosuite allows the user to copy a code to embed on a blog on any subject, especially useful for jobseekers.
What’s cool about the average tweet about jobs from a regular user is unlikely posted on a job board, and possibly the hiring employer. It is hard to say how often it happens, but chances are that fresh leads appear timely and useful.
4. Follow Twitter users who frequently tweet jobs
There are many twitterers who love to tweet job openings. The two that I see regularly is @anitasantiago (Anita Santiago) and @fleejack (Fields Jackson). I love following them because they care less about recognition, and more about connecting people to opportunities.
Anita is also the curator of the Facebook page The Job Connector, a page that perpetually streams job openings from all over the U.S.
Fields Jackson is the CEO of Racing Towards Diversity Magazine and a diversity thought leader.
You can set up Hootsuite to follow people who are tweeting jobs. If you need some information and tips, I also recommend using YouTern.com’s top 100 list of career professionals to follow on Twitter.If you follow all 100 then you can have a stream of job tips, and openings 24 hours a day.
Did I miss people who tweet leads, or other passive means to find leads? Please let me know by commenting below.
About Mark Anthony Dyson
My name is Mark Anthony Dyson, and I am the Founder of The Voice of Job Seekers. I am a career advice writer, but more importantly, I hack and re-imagine the job search process.. I've worked with hundreds of job seekers one-on-one helping them to construct a narrative and strategy that appeals to hiring managers and recruiters. I present at colleges and organizations, and facilitated many workshops including my volunteer effort through a Job Lab. I write and create useful job search content on this blog and write career and workplace advice for blogs such as Glassdoor, Payscale, Job-Hunt.org, Prezi and more. Media Feature highlights: Forbes, Business Insider, NBC News, Glassdoor, LinkedIn's #GetHired, and NPR Freelance writer and content contributor: Glassdoor, Payscale, job-hunt.org, The Financial Diet, RippleMatch.com and more. Contact me to contribute career, job search, or workplace advice for your site at markanthonydyson@gmail.com.