Job Search Techniques

Plan An Effective Job Search Campaign

As a Military Spouse, you have probably found yourself ‘looking for employment’ more often than you would like. One of the most heartbreaking things about a PCS move can be leaving a job or company that you love and beginning the job search process all over again in a new location. It is one of the reasons In Gear Career was established - to provide you with a network of like-minded Military Spouses who can help you with your career ambitions in every location and occupational field.

We all know the traditional job search methods - the online job boards, the company websites and the newspapers. But before you start looking for your next position, make sure you take the time to sit back and think about developing an effective job search campaign. Your job search campaign needs to leverage the different types of job search methods to optimize your chance for success in your target location, and in your occupational field.

Before You Begin

Before you start your job search campaign in earnest - review our recommendations for Getting Organized and make sure you are ready to go. Then - start thinking like an employer, not
like a job seeker! The majority of hiring managers and supervisors admit to ‘googling’ their prospective employees before they offer them an interview. ‘Google’ yourself. Review the type of information that a prospective employer could locate on the Internet and consider the following:

• Are the privacy settings of your social media sites such as Blogs and Facebook appropriate?
• Does your Linked In account reflect your latest employment details and your target employment?
• Do the photographs a potential employer could locate depict you as a professional employee?

Consider Your Target Audience

To develop an effective job search campaign, you need to think about your target audience (potential employers), and where they are likely to be looking for job candidates. You also need to ensure that you understand the latest trends in hiring for professional jobs. In 50 Job Search Statistics you need to know, Julienn Gordon highlighted the following statistics:

• 65-70% of jobs are gained through personal referrals or networking connections.
• Approximately 85% of hiring managers use social networking sites like LinkedIn to look for potential candidates who’ve been referred by other professionals.
• An average of 300 jobseekers apply to any given job posting online.
• Above the $100K mark, networking accounts for 50% of surfaced opportunities. Published openings are the most significant way of learning about an opportunity for those earning less than $60K with 44% effectiveness. For those in between $60K & $100K, networking yielded 46% effectiveness and published openings accounted for 31% effectiveness.
• Major job boards boast a measly 1 to 4% average response rate. That’s a lot of resumes to send out just to hear nothing back!
• Only an average of 36% of those job hunters interviewed regularly send thank-you notes while 75% of employers appreciate or expect the notes.

Research Your New Location

The types of job search methods you utilize in your job search campaign will depend on your location and your industry. Use the following resources and organizations to research the government agencies, opportunities and hiring trends in a new location.

• The Employment Representative at your new Installation ACS, FFSC or Airman and Family Readiness Center.

  Each Installation has a Family Employment Representative at their Family Service Centre. The knowledge and experience of these individuals can vary significantly, but they are certainly worth contacting in each new location, or calling/ emailing prior to your arrival. Use the My Base Guide website to locate your next Family Service Center contact details. A well-connected Family Employment Representative will have advice and contacts for professional opportunities on and off base as well as entry level positions.

• Installation Contracting Office.

  “Google” the Installation name and ‘contracting office’ to locate the webpage and contact details for contracting offices at every installation near you. Contracting offices manage the local installation contracts, and these companies will often have professional level opportunities shorter tenure requirements. Seek an opportunity to meet key staff from the office and ‘network’ to find upcoming contracts and contacts within Government contract companies in your area.

• Local Employment Office.

  Use the Department of Labor website to locate Workforce Development Divisions and local employment offices and agencies in your location. They are a ‘one size fits all’ option that services all job seekers, however the local employees are familiar with companies and key hiring officials in the area. You may receive a good lead or local area advice, which you could not locate any other way.

• State Based Online Job Board.

  “Google” the State and “requirement for job seekers file unemployment” to locate the State Based Online Job Board which unemployed people must submit their resume to in order to receive unemployment benefits. This will give you the most accurate listing of locally based companies with opportunities in your occupational field. Use this information to make a ‘target list’ of company websites you need to visit.

• Local Chamber of Commerce.

  The Chamber of Commerce is responsible for identifying and encouraging opportunities for trade and business in the local community. They regularly host social events and attending these gives you the opportunity to learn about and make connections with the major businesses in town. The Chamber of Commerce will know which companies have been awarded new and expanded contracts, and which businesses are leaving the district.

• Professional Associations and Alumni Groups.

  Use Weddles to identify any professional associations in your field and then search for and contact Local Chapters in your area. Search for any local alumni groups for the educational institution you attended and use these as a way to research and network in your area.

• Job Fairs.

  Local job fairs showcase local employers so use these as a way to network and research opportunities and hiring methods.

• The In Gear Career Community.

  Establish contact with the Local Chapter in your new location prior to PCS and let Military Spouses in your Community of Practice know where you are moving to and what type of employment you are looking for. Word of mouth can be incredibly effective!

Once you have researched your new location and its hiring trends, visit Effective Job Search Techniques to identify and implement the job search methods that will be most useful to you. For further reading on current hiring trends see the following research.

5 Statistics that Matter for Your Job Search published by International Business Times

Trends for the Now, the New and the Next in Careers published by Career Thought Leaders