When looking for new opportunities, it is important to think creatively. Reaching out to recruiters, searching for roles on LinkedIn, and leveraging your network are necessary steps, but a broader approach can go a long way.
Expanding your network is an important part of your job search, and it’s important to take steps to increase your visibility online and at professional events. If you are not working, seek out conferences where organizers provide discount attendance fees or a lower fee for fewer events for unemployed professionals. Reach out for coffee chats. Comment on articles and LinkedIn posts that interest you. Write articles on relevant interests, either on LinkedIn or on a personal site or blog. If you’re an investment analyst, form a group to discuss investment ideas socially, or find an existing group to join. Organize a professional/social event for those in your field either at a bar or doing some kind of activity. These events will allow you to meet others in your field who may be sources for current or future roles. They have the added benefit of making your profile more public, which can be helpful in drawing the eyes of recruiters or other figures in your field. The more you do to organize events, attend events, and write publicly, the more you will be able to use word of mouth to help in your job search.
You should not hesitate to leverage networks beyond your professional ones. Friends and family can be useful sources for contacts and opportunities. Parents, in-laws, and other older friends and family members who are more established in their careers can be especially useful. While you do not want to share with your current colleagues or bosses that you are searching for a job, you do want to be as vocal as possible in your personal life.
Any job search process will require looking online for roles and reaching out to recruiters. To find the best opportunities possible, however, focus on the unique ways you can leverage your existing network, make new connections, and become more visible within your field.
