What to Do When Your "Usual" Job Search Methods Aren't Working Anymore

Remember the good old days?

I do. I’d decide that I wanted (or needed) a new job, spruce up my resume, and head over to one of the job boards to see what was open.

I’d upload my resume, cover letter and any other stuff I was asked to provide, hit send and wait.

I was one of the fortunate ones, back in the days before I took the plunge into entrepreneurship. Most times that I deployed this, the only strategy I knew, I landed interviews. Maybe not at once (although, I still remember the time I applied on a Sunday and got a call from HR on Monday morning … that was sweet), but certainly after a while.

How’s that strategy working for you now?

If it’s working well, I salute you. You, my friend, are legendary to be having those sort of results through this dumpster fire of a year we call 2020.

If it’s not working well, well, of course it’s not working well. This, even in the best of times, is an ineffective way to go about job search — especially if “spray and pray” is your entire modus operandi.

It’s not you, really. Well, it sort of is you in the sense that you’re conducting your job search in this manner. But I’m willing to bet at least two of my kids that it’s not because you’re not worth landing interviews, or a new job.

You are so worth it.

If there’s ever been a time during which you’ve GOT to figure out more strategic, networking-based (and, arguably, crafty) was to snag the attention of recruiters and hiring managers, it’s now.

Holy heck, it’s now.

It’s not that NO ONE is hiring right now (they are, and you can see some of them on this amazing crowd-sourced spreadsheet). But you’d better believe that you’ve got some competition. In fact, the U.S. is currently reporting an 11.1% unemployment rate, with some states coming in as high as 17.4%.

Yikes.

Regardless, if you need or want a new job right now, what are you going to do? Lament the numbers? Give up?

No, and no. OK, maybe you lament the numbers, but my word, don’t even think about caving right now. Dude, you’re a warrior.

Here are 6 things I’d do instead:

Make a List of Companies You’re VERY Interested In.
Instead of spending 100% of your time scouring job boards and trying to make yourself “fit” into jobs or organizations that may or may not interest you, consider crafting your short list of companies that you’re really really interested in. And don’t just go for the obvious ones; everyone wants to work at Nike, Google, Amazon, etc. Sleuth around for lesser known (but maybe equally or even more awesome) firms that may have great need, but fewer applicants. If you’re in a town with a business journal, that’s a great place to start. If you’re not, try Googling things like, “Fastest growing businesses in _____________,” or “Small companies in __________.”
Figure Out Who You Might Know at Each Company.
Once you’ve completed #1, head over to LinkedIn and see if you have any first- or second-degree connections working at these organizations. If you have a first-degree connection, that one’s easy. You’re going to reach out. (Stay tuned for #3 for some tips on how to reach out.) If you don’t have a first-degree connection, you may very well have a second-degree connection. This is someone that one of your first-degree connections knows. In this case, try reaching out to that person you know and say, “Hi. I noticed you’re connected to ______________. How well do you know her, and might you be willing to introduce me?”

Lacking a first- or second-degree connection, consider seeing if anyone you went to college with works at that company. Alumni tend to take very good care of one another. (Go Green!)
Reach Out, Strategically.
Now, here is where a lot of people tank, and then start feeling like this networking nonsense doesn’t work. It does work, but you need to be strategic. When you reach out — especially if it’s to someone you don’t know well or don’t know at all — keep this sentence top-of-mind: “How would I want a stranger to approach me?” I’m guessing your answer isn’t something like, “Hard-charge at me waving resume in hand,” or “Send a 40-sentence email that will take me forever to read,” or “Ask me to put in a good word for them, even when I don’t know them.”

Can you imagine walking into a bar (ha, back in the days we could do things like that), finding a stranger, and asking them to marry you? Or heck, even asking them to buy you a drink. Can you? Well, the equivalent version of this happens all of the time with job search networking. You don’t want to be this person. Instead, approach in a way that’s super mindful of the other person’s time, show’s genuine interest and curiosity, and maybe helps you gather a bit more information about the company, the role or the hiring manager. Yes, if you build some rapport and hit it off with that person, you may have an opportunity to ask for a larger favor, like an introduction, but on first approach, consider just reaching out with something like, “Hi there. I noticed that you work at __________. I’m getting ready to apply for a role there. May I ask you just a couple of very quick questions about your experience so far at ________?”

Make it easy for that person to say yes, and by all means, offer to return the kindness at a future date.
Revisit Past Employers.
Sometimes, you leave an employer for a very good reason (and never look back). But, often, you enjoyed that job and company and only left because another opportunity came along, or you took a maternity leave, or a sabbatical, or moved. It astonishes me how few people consider reaching back out to former employers to explore potential opportunities. I mean, assuming you did a great job there (duh, of course you did), you’re already a known talent. This, in theory, could put you ahead of the pack of unknown candidates who are coming in through the blind mailbox.
Don’t Rule Out Temp Agencies.
When you hear the term “temp agency,” you might assume that this type of firm only places labor workers or clerical employees into short-term roles. Not so at all anymore, especially during this wave of time in which plenty of companies have hiring freezes going on (yet, can work around that rule by bringing in temp employees). In most reasonably sized markets, you’ll find contract-based staffing agencies that specialize in everything from copywriters to software engineers to Salesforce administrators to project managers to claims adjusters to … you get the point. And, sometimes, these jobs turn into direct-hire jobs.

Take a spin on Google to see what agencies are in your market. (Try things like, “Best recruiting agencies for graphic designers Portland” or “IT temp agencies Chicago.”) And then, call them directly.
Don’t Wait to Be Hired; Make Your Next Job.
Having run a total of three companies across my career, I will tell you straight up: You don’t have to have piles of cash or some sort of magical capabilities to launch a small business. In fact, you could literally start something small today, for less than $100. It doesn’t necessarily need to be your “forever job,” but if you’re having a challenging time landing a job through this COVID-pocalypse, why not make your own?

A few very easy-to-set-up, inexpensive business ideas include: pet sitter (or dog walker), online tutor, copywriter, graphic designer, computer programmer, virtual assistant, landscaper, painter, handyperson, errand runner, or eBay / Etsy / Depop seller. Author Chris Guillebeau has some great books for anyone looking to start something new. My personal favorite? The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future.
(Want more ideas? Check out, “Need Money While Job Hunting? Cash Gigs You Can Start Today.”)

Now, I’m not saying, “Don’t ever apply for jobs online.” Frankly, some companies will require you to come in through this portal, even when you have a direct “in.” But it’s just not an efficient way to job search. You’re coming in as a commodity, which is kind of the exact opposite of what you are. You’re also leaving it kind of to software and chance that you land the interview.

Pretty sure you don’t want this.

In a year during which so much is out of your control, why not control as much of your job search as humanly possible? Take command. Try new strategies. Put yourself out there. Show 2020, and yourself, exactly what you’re made of.

Want to take a deeper dive?

A few additional resources that may help you along the way:

A Career Strategist’s Job to Getting a Job (one of my latest LinkedIn Learning video courses)
If you’re not a current LinkedIn Premium member, you can access this course (and all of my other ones) at no cost by signing up for a free month of LinkedIn Learning. (Disclosure: This is an affiliate link. I will be paid a small commission if you sign up for this resource.)
Change Your Career, Change Your Life (New in 2022)
20 lesson online masterclass designed to help you evaluate a potential career pivot then build and activate on a plan that will take you step-by-step from today to your successful start in that brand new role or profession. Take $50 off your purchase with promo code: CHANGE50
The Ridiculously Awesome Career Pivot Kit
Take $20 off your purchase with promo code: GETHIRED.
6 Job Search Tips That Are So Basic People Forget Them
One of many (free) articles I’ve written for The Muse, which is one of the most admired career websites on the planet. :)