If you are finding that trawling the job pages is having little success, it may be time to re-think your job hunting strategy. By pro-actively job searching you can develop your professional network and increase your chances of employment. So, how do you job hunt effectively?

  1. Identify companies you would like to work for: make a list of 30 – 40 companies that you would be interested in working for. Use LinkedIn, ‘top employer lists’ such as The Times and The Guardian for ideas.
  2. Research them: once you have a range of companies you are interested in, start looking into their company history, current activities, work ethos etc. Start your search on their website, but also look at their social media pages, blogs, LinkedIn pages for information. Researching will allow you to get a clearer perspective on a certain company and may help you decide if it is the right place for you.
  3. Network: Once you have researched, it is now time to build your connections. Contacting former and current employees is a great way to network and build professional relationships. Try contacting people through LinkedIn and ask them what it is like to work there and the work they are involved in. You could also see if the company are running any open events that you could attend. This would be another great way to meet current employees and build rapport.
  4. Once you have established connections within the company, ask them what is the best way to be introduced to a Hiring Manager, or explain that you are interested in working for the company and that you would like to know how to find out about any current opportunities. If you are able to make contact with a Hiring Manager ensure you have your 30 second elevator pitch ready and an up to date CV!

For information on creative job hunting.

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