5 Ways to Get Lucky In Your Job Search: Part 2

In my last post, I explained how you can “get lucky” in your job search, from building your own website and giving yourself a social media makeover, to implementing branding strategies. While these are all varying tactics, they all have one central goal: When you meet opportunity with preparation, you’ll be presented with job search gold.

As I illustrated, the first part of getting lucky in your job search involves some transformations on your end. But the next step involves promoting your job search to others. By using these strategies together, you create your own luck.

After you’ve taken my initial advice, here are five additional ways to get lucky in your job search:

Network your heart out

The Wall Street Journal reports that 80 percent of jobs are never advertised. Instead, they come from word-of-mouth, your peers, or members of your network. While you may not want to be “that person,” spreading the word about your job search is going to lead you to the right opportunities.

For instance, if you attend industry events and talk about your professional goals, you’ll clue more people into your job search. In addition, don’t forget about your friends and family. Network your way through family gatherings, holiday parties, and reunions in order to promote your search and hopefully acquire some information about an opening.

Attend career fairs

Want to talk to recruiters face-to-face? Check out the latest career fairs in your area. These are typically put on by a local university or professional organization, and allow you to speak to actual members of a company. This gives you the chance to forge a bond which typically can’t be made over the Web.

Here’s a tip: Do your research and check out who will be at the career fair. This helps you to target and apply to the right organizations.

Nab those alumni connections

Alumni connections — those who have a similar educational history to you — are a great way to find relevant opportunities and gain mentorship. In addition to alumni networking events, browse through LinkedIn or head to your career center to find those key connections. Since you have parallel backgrounds, alumni connections are more likely to give you job search advice than someone you don’t know.

Remember this: Give alumni a reason to help you, such as offering your skills with a project or helping them to connect with an old professor. While nothing is ever free, you can do small things on your end to increase your legitimacy.

Join professional groups

Continuing your education is important, especially if you’ve been out of the job market for some time. Joining professional groups and associations not only helps you to learn about industry changes and updates, it can also put you in front of the right people.

For instance, joining your local chapter of the American Marketing Association or Women in Engineering allows you to forge a bond with professionals who have similar interests. In the future, this can translate into a job opportunity or a networking connection.

Reel in the right opportunities through headhunters

While you may not have used them in the past, headhunters can be your ticket to landing your dream job. Headhunters are essentially the “middle man” between an employer and a candidate. Their job is to find the right fit for an organization based on skills, expertise, and educational backgrounds.

How do you find the right headhunter? Many have a presence on LinkedIn; some belong to large recruitment firms, while others operate on a case-by-case basis. Do some research and evaluate which individual or company can assist you with your search. Oftentimes, the headhunter is specific to an industry, which can help you to find the right opportunity.

Don’t wait around for luck! Create your own by taking the time to improve yourself, as well as promoting why you’re great to those around you.

What do you think about luck and the job search? What are some other ways to get lucky in your job search?

Photo courtesy of casino; Openclipart