Career Services Office
The Easy Way Out: Posted Jobs
Responding to job postings in newspapers, journals, online, or at search firms is the most popular method of looking for a job, yet is the least successful approach, especially for those who are seeking high level, salaried positions. Because it is so easy to respond to ads, everyone out there does it! As a result, competition is exceptionally strong for the relatively few positions that are actually posted. A majority of salaried and managerial jobs are never even posted, so waiting to find the perfect job through an ad may provide bleak results. Although it is worth trying this method, it certainly should not be the only job search method you use, nor should you spend much of your time or energy on it. A list of sources for finding posted ads is available on the GCCSO Web site.
Online Employment Ads
Millions of people are on the Internet each day, and there are hundreds of job search sites out there that promise to match you up with your "perfect" job. It's the easiest way to search for jobs nationwide, especially since you can do it from home and without expending much effort. However, recent reports indicate that there are currently sixteen million résumés floating around on the Internet and that the success rate for finding a job online is only about 4 percent. Such a low success rate suggests that this is not the best use of your time (note: success rates in high demand fields like information technology, engineering, or healthcare may be higher).
In addition to responding to online ads, there are also numerous Web sites where you may post your résumé, making it available to potential employers seeking qualified candidates. Organizations generally use keyword searches (PDF) to find résumés that interest them, so make sure you load your résumé with these. Keep in mind that posting to such sites makes your personal information widely available to others.
Employment Ads in Newspapers and Journals
Responding to employment ads in newspapers and journals is a popular job search method, but not the most effective method due to stiff competition. Success rates hover at about 5 percent for those responding to newspaper ads and about 7 percent for individuals applying for positions advertised in professional and trade journals.
When responding to an ad, you should always include a cover letter that is tailored to the ad and follow up with a phone call within ten days. Other tips include:
- Be flexible; respond to positions that may be close, if not exactly, what you want.
- Watch for organizations hiring for a variety of positions. Even if they are not hiring for the specific position you want, consider contacting them because hiring is happening—they may also have a need for your skills.
- Do your research. Send your materials to the person indicated in the ad, but also send them to a person in the department where you are interested in working in order to potentially uncover unadvertised opportunities.
- Use regional, national and international sources (including newspapers), not just local ones.
Search Firms
Search firms, also sometimes known as headhunters, executive recruiters, or agencies, work for specific organizations that are seeking to hire employees. Since search firms do much of the preliminary screening of applicants, organizations are often more likely to choose this method for finding employees over some of the other methods discussed above. Nevertheless, search firms have success rates that range from 5 to 28 percent, with managerial and salaried jobs falling at the lower end of this range. Search firms should always be paid by the employer and not by you, and they should never have you sign a contract. Be selective when you are working with search firms; use only reputable firms and do not send your résumé to every recruiter in the area if you want to prevent multiple submissions of your résumé to the same organization.
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