If you’re looking for a job or internship during your studies or after graduation, it can be difficult to know where to look.
If you’ve searched through job boards and either applied for every role you’re interested in or just yet found anything that catches your eye, where should you look next?
Luckily, there are plenty of options available to you, so read through our list of five alternatives to job boards, and you’re sure to find the perfect job for you...
Sign up to a local recruitment agency
The purpose of a recruitment agency is to sign you up to a designated recruitment consultant, who acts as a middle man between employers looking for staff and candidates look for jobs, and there are likely to be a number of them in your area.
Once you’ve registered your details and perfected your CV, they will keep an eye out for any job roles on their database that suit you. They’ll then send your CV off to the employer and will get in touch with you to organize an interview should you be successful. Signing up to a recruiter is a great way of looking for work if you’re just starting out, and will also teach you to tailor your CV to different roles in the future.
Ask around
This is especially useful if you are looking for work in your local town, where job advertisements may be placed in the windows of offices, bars, businesses and shops.
Whilst a lot of job applications have to be filled out online, some still require a CV, and it’s important to remember that the same rules of job applications apply wherever you’re applying. Remember to tailor your CV to each role, even if it seems easier to send the same version out to every business you find – putting in more effort will go a long way.
Speak to a careers advisor
Your university is likely to have a careers center of some kind, which can give you advice on what to do next after you’ve completed your degree, or how to put together an effective CV or cover letter. They will also be able to help you find job and internships that are available. Have a look on their website or visit them in person, and you’re sure to find something relevant to your field.
Use LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a very useful tool for searching for jobs, enabling you to advertise your skills to potential employers, and lets you display all of your skills, work experience and education in one place, like a digital CV.
There are two ways that LinkedIn makes it easy to find job roles. Firstly, recruiters will often post their job vacancies to the site, meaning you can see what roles certain employers are offering and get in touch with them should you find yourself interested in a position. Another way is that you can search for jobs on the site, filtering by title and location to narrow down your search to help you find a job vacancy that best suits you. There is also an ‘easy apply’ function available with some positions, meaning you don’t have to send over individual CVs and covering letters to separate employers.
Search online
It may seem obvious, but a simple Google search is an extremely effective way to look for a job in today’s market. By typing in your desired title and location, you will be directed to all the recruitment websites, job specifications and company adverts that fit your description, allowing you to search through and find one that best suits you. This can be the most time consuming of the five methods here, but the time taken will be well worth it when you finally find your dream job.
When you’re looking for work, it can be easy to feel like you’ve exhausted all the avenues available to you, but there are plenty more ways of finding work than just by looking at job boards. Follow these steps and you’re sure to find yourself hired soon.
Jess Howard writes for Inspiring Interns, which specializes in finding candidates their perfect graduate jobs. To browse our internships London listings, visit our website.
