Five Worst Ways to Look for a Job

What Color Is Your Parachute? 2012: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers lists the five worst ways to look for a job as follows:

• Looking for employers' job-postings on the Internet - Only a 4 to 10% success rate


• Posting or mailing out your resume to employers - Only a 7% success rate


• Answering ads in professional or trade journals appropriate to your field - Only a 7% success rate


• Answering local newspaper ads - Only a 5 to 24% success rate


• Going to private employment agencies or search firms for help - Only a 5 to 28% success rate

FYI, the percentage numbers are estimates based on the author's experience.

I've tried all of these except for the private employment agency one (unless you count executive recruiters in this list -- if so, I've actually been quite successful with them). Of the four I've tried, the only one that has worked was answering ads in a professional trade journal. Doing so got my foot in the door and ultimately led to me landing my dream job (which later turned into a nightmare, BTW)

What's your take on these? Have you tried any of them? Did they work or were they a waste of time?

Comments

[Josh Stein]

My two jobs were gotten off of a newspaper ad and a careerbuilder submission. While the others are certainly more direct, those two can work if you're properly qualified.

[texashaze]

My first job came from an internship while my last two came from recruiters contacting me. There is only one other job where I interviewed and didn't land it. I got in the interview process via a recruiter.

[KevinMzansi]

It would be really interesting to see how the composition of different means of finding work has changed over the last 5 - 10 years, considering technology and the yucky job market.

Also, I wonder how he would classify LinkedIn as a job strategy, since you are introduced to someone through a contact; or could it be considered a "Trade Journal" since you can follow discussions and threads and employers/recruiters can possibly find you that way.

It seems that "informational interviewing" as the author writes about in the book (I have the 2003 version and have read other versions too) would be great to combine with LinkedIn.

5 - 24% on newspaper ads sounds high, doesn't it?

[Jackie]

I've gotten one job through a newspaper advertisement -- and that was actually at the newspaper. The other jobs I've gotten have been through word of mouth and in one case from being contacted by a company recruiter after posting my resume on a job site. But those were all years ago, I imagine things may have changed since then.

[MF]

I have had 3 jobs since college. First job (2003) I applied for off the company website. My cousin's friend was also looking for a job and she forwarded the listing to my cousin who sent it to me since she wasn't entry level and I was. So it was sort of through networking, but none of us knew anyone at the company.

Second job (2005) I found off a career search engine, but I went directly to the website and applied for it.

Third job (2009) I got when my 2nd company went bankrupt and a bunch of colleagues all went over to the same company.

[JM]

I've also had 3 jobs since college:
1st and 2nd were both found on my college's career services website's job postings.
3rd was found through an external recruiter who had found my resume on Career Builder or Monster (had moved out of state from my college by then, otherwise I definitely would have utilized the career services postings). She shopped my resume around to her firm's clients and found a company that was interested in me. I didn't even meet the recruiter until after I'd accepted the job offer.

[Sarah]

huh. I found my first job from online searches. My second job was through a connection. Third job from the news paper. current job from a recruiter through craigslist.

In this job market - isn't an "only 5% success rate" not that bad? I always heard you had to apply to tons of jobs to just get an interview... What are the "best" ways to find a job then? (other than networking - which only works as well as the contacts you have)

[APB]

Much to my executive search Dad’s dismay I found my past positions (right out of college etc) by applying via company websites and Craigslist (go figure). That’s not to say my father disapproves of applying on company websites, it is just not always the most effective way to conduct a job search (totally true). You want to get yourself in front of the people who make hiring decisions, not risk having a robot ax your resume prior to it even being viewed. However for my current role I decided to make a career switch into recruiting (from sales) which took quite a bit more effort and networking. I eventually landed my current role after loads of networking and finally making a connection via a group on LinkedIn. My current lead posted that she was looking for XYZ role and I reached out to her directly to introduce myself and as more about her open roles. In the end it worked out, that’s not to say that I didn’t have to mush my way through a few disappointments and bad interviews to find my current job.

I think Linkedin is a great tool but it takes time and effort to do it correctly. Recruiters, especially in tech, use LinkedIn every day to make connections via trade, specialty, and alumni groups etc. It is a wonderful tool to use to make connections or in my case land my next role and finally make a career switch – but you have to take the time to build your network and make the connections. Just making a profile won’t cut it!

[FMF]

Sarah --

Thanks for asking! I'll be listing the five best ways in a post on Monday...

[spencer]

I alway hear that applying online is "bad", but I'm batting about a 60% average when it comes to applying and getting an interview. I think this is due to a couple of factors...

1. I tailor my resume to each position I apply for. The ink on a good resume is never dry!
2. I list ways that I provided VALUE to a company, not just a list of things I "did"

[jim]

Most people do more than one method of job hunting don't they? Seems to me that if you do all these methods and ADD all the numbers up then you come up with a high enough % to warrant some effort in these areas. Of course you don't want to spend all day doing the methods that aren't as successful, but if sending out a few resumes gives you a 7% success chance then I say go for it.

[jim]

I bet it also depends on the job and industry. In my industry you pretty much HAVE to apply online and we really don't care to have paper resumes. In other industries the old newspaper ad and showing up in person with a resume may be the more preferred route.

[Jess]

Applying online is bad? Since when? Every job I've ever had I've gotten by applying oneline.

[Elizabeth]

I agree with Jim. In certain industries, you HAVE to apply online or through an agency. Many of the firms use recruiters and do not often extend interviews via direct hire unless you are referred by someone already in the company.

[JANI]

There are so many factors affecting this success rate like you posses those skills and experience required by this job position, your resume, your presentation at various level of interview process and last but not least, your salary expectations etc. So, this rate will be different from person to person, BTW, any single job listed on any print media, you will definitely find at some online job-site(s), so hard to give credit to any single source.

In today's world, Online job-posting rules and it always works...First target should be to have interview call (through network, well-built resume etc.) and then to 'prepare' for interview...Don't think, from which source did you apply for this position...

[08graduate]

I found my current job, my previous one, and my two internships before that online. On the last go-round, I did also work with a third-party recruiter who was outstanding. He found half a dozen opportunities that fit well, and I got three good offers out of it.

I've never tried the middle three approaches on the list. (Paper? What's that?)

[Jenna]

I'd be interested to hear what the success rates are for the best ways to find a job, as a comparison. Is success defined as being offered a job, versus getting an interview? If it's landing an offer, 25% seems pretty decent, actually.