Networking and job-hunting tips

Work is out there - you just have to find it. Some work is easy to find... but it may not be what you're looking for. Some work is harder to find... you may have to look a bit harder for it! Lots of work is advertised where everyone can see. But around 80% of work is not advertised. To land your perfect opportunity, you will need to look at both the obvious and hidden work markets in your search.

There are the obvious places to look for work:

Google search:

The easiest place to start is, of course, with Google. Once you know the industry, company, or type of work you are looking for (if you don't, look here for tips ), then a Google search for these types of jobs is a great starting point.

Job boards:

SEEK, TradeMe, Indeed. These are the top three job boards in New Zealand, but there are hundreds of job boards including industry-specific sites like Do Good Jobs and Engineering New Zealand.

Recruitment consultancy job boards:

Depending on your industry, these will differ, but of course our job board is a good start!

Company websites:

If you know the specific companies you wish to work for, go to their websites and find their career pages. This is a great way to find out about their company culture and see if they have any internal vacancies available.

Then there are the not-so-obvious places:

Job alerts:

Job alerts on major job boards such as SEEK. Set up your profile and they will send you a daily job alert of new listings that match your criteria. To sign up for OCG job alerts, click here.

Recruitment consultancies:

If you would like a hand with your job hunt, recruitment agencies are a great option. This will usually involve a screening call to talk about what you are looking for, followed by a meeting. If they know of work for you, they will get in touch with you. Often they have temporary, contract or part time work too. consultancies are paid by the employer - not you. So if you are asked to pay, this should be a huge alarm bell (in fact, it's illegal!)

The hidden job market:

Advertising is often a last resort. The obvious work market is where the public go to find work. You compete with everyone else for this work. So you need to look at the hidden work market too.

Networking:

Networking means asking your family, friends, and workmates to help you to uncover work that may be available. It's not about asking them to get you a job somewhere but asking for information about the company - who they know there, who you may know there, what they know about the company, and so on.

When you talk to your network (family, friends, or workmates), ask them if they have any knowledge of opportunities for the type of work you're looking for. Ask them to put you in touch with people they know who may be able to help with your job hunt.

Social media:

Some people advertise themselves for work. This is a great option, especially with social media. Show your profile as 'available to work' on Linkedin, post on your Facebook and Instagram channels that you are looking for a job - you never know who someone else knows that may have an opportunity available for you. Just make sure your social media profiles are professional before posting anything!

Go direct to employers:

You can phone or visit places that have not advertised to see if they have work available. Good workers are often quite hard to find, so you could be doing your target companies a favour by letting them know you are available.

Don't be scared to pick up the phone and ask if a company has work available. It's probably the quickest way to find out and harder for them to say NO to you on the phone than it is to send you a rejection email.

Asking in person:

Depending on the type and level of work you are seeking, it may be appropriate to go door-to-door, building-to-building or down the street choosing places you'd like to work.

Remember to look as though you are keen to work. Your personal presentation and conduct are as important as they would be in an interview.