STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

subwolley · Kate Spade

How can I boost my job search?

travelgirl · Kate Spade

Have you tried Craigslist? How about guru.com? Just a few to start (of course in addition to monster.com, hotjobs.com, careerbuilder.com)...

subwolley · Kate Spade

Yes I have tried Craigslist. Coming up short there. I'll check the big job boards and see if I can find anything.

pollyjean23 · Marc Jacobs

Sometimes job seekers just need a mind-jogger to help them think of places to apply. The ideas you can get from the Yellow Pages can be really helpful. If you know you want to work for an animal groomer or whatever, crack open the book!

One of our goals at Career Services this year is to help job seekers unearth job opportunities from unusual sources. www.cpcc.edu/career/refuel

We also have our own Directory of Companies. It's just a simple list of companies with which we have worked over the years.

Of course, networking is huge- - especially now. Networking doesn't have to be all shaking hands and kissing babies. It can work for introverts too. Basically, working in the fact that you are looking for employment into virtually every conversation you have --and not being ashamed to do so, is what we're looking at.

I think part-time job seekers might have an upper-hand right now because you won't suck up as much of the company's money as a full-timer would/could.

Best wishes for job search success!

Aurora · Marc Jacobs

Not sure what exactly you do but are there head hunters/recruiters for your field? Maybe you could contact one or two of them as many companies don't list/post jobs but rather rely on these head hunting people. Might be another route to consider. You don't have to pay them for their services either.

Suasoria · Chanel

pollyjean23 wrote:

Basically, working in the fact that you are looking for employment into virtually every conversation you have --and not being ashamed to do so, is what we're looking at.

I second that - starting with a mass email to local friends/relatives letting them know you're hitting the job market and what your skills and requirements are. Someone you know might know someone, and so on. An email is easy to forward around.

The recommendation of a friend goes a LONG way when there are lots of applicants.

subwolley · Kate Spade

Thank you everyone! Great ideas, and I have been telling EVERYONE that I am looking. :)

relrel · Marc Jacobs

One other place to search are the local (or semi-local) university departments of whatever your career is based in. They often have job postings on their websites.

For example, I have my Master's in Public Health. One of the places that I can search for jobs is my own graduating university- they always have up local job opportunities. Emory University also pulls together a really super great (like up to 200 jobs at one time) listing of jobs from all over the country. Emory isn't local, but they seriously have postings from all over the country. I would also check all the other universities in the area on their Department websites.

Depending on what you do, you can also use Idealist (primarily for non-profits).

subwolley · Kate Spade

Thanks Relrel!

I currently work at a university and we are under a hiring freeze as are all the state jobs. Sucks. I'm really trying to find another state job, but I don't know what else I can do under the hiring freeze.

relrel · Marc Jacobs

Depending on what you do, you might be able to find a job relatively fast in a few months if you're willing to wait that long.

There's a crap-ton of money in the Stimulus Plan that's gonna start being shoveled out to different places. Again, I don't know what you do, but in my field of work (health-care research) we will actually be looking to hire three new assistans and a new coordinator as well, all to be paid for with Stimulus money. I know that we aren't the only group looking to hire quite a few people, most researchers that I know of (at my university) are putting in enough grant applications to hire two or three people.

I do know that there is some money that's to be allocated directly to the states, but I'm not sure where that will go. The interesting thing about the Stimulus package, I think, is that the money is to be spent on things that will create jobs. So, you may just have to bide your time for a few months while stuff gets all sorted and delegated and such.

But what do you do? At least generally, that way maybe we can put you in certain directions.

subwolley · Kate Spade

relrel wrote:

Depending on what you do, you might be able to find a job relatively fast in a few months if you're willing to wait that long.

There's a crap-ton of money in the Stimulus Plan that's gonna start being shoveled out to different places. Again, I don't know what you do, but in my field of work (health-care research) we will actually be looking to hire three new assistans and a new coordinator as well, all to be paid for with Stimulus money. I know that we aren't the only group looking to hire quite a few people, most researchers that I know of (at my university) are putting in enough grant applications to hire two or three people.

I do know that there is some money that's to be allocated directly to the states, but I'm not sure where that will go. The interesting thing about the Stimulus package, I think, is that the money is to be spent on things that will create jobs. So, you may just have to bide your time for a few months while stuff gets all sorted and delegated and such.

But what do you do? At least generally, that way maybe we can put you in certain directions.

I am a graphic designer.