The following is a guest post. Enjoy!
Are you looking for ways to pay off your home loan more quickly? Perhaps you want to head off on a month-long overseas vacation? Or do you just want to be able to pay off your credit cards more quickly? No matter what your current personal finance goals may be, landing yourself a higher-paying job in the near future can be a great way to go about achieving your dreams.
However, with economies tight and advertised roles harder to come by than in the past, you have plenty of competition when trying to find a new position. One of the best ways, as a result, to land a dream role is to know how to hear about jobs before they’re actually made public. Read on for five ways you can jump the queue and get ahead of other job candidates when you’re ready to move on to a bigger and better role.
1. Get to Know Recruiters
You don’t need to restrict your communication with recruiters to just those times when you’re applying for an advertised job. Instead, contact a variety of recruitment companies that specialize in your field, and approach their team members to let them know about your background, education, skills and experience, and the type of position you’re after. It pays to mention your preferred places of employment too.
Getting to know recruiters can be a great way to hear the inside scoop on potential new job openings before they’re listed. Hiring managers speak to existing and potential clients regularly, so they tend to know about upcoming roles early on, and are always on the lookout for top candidates to fill roles. As a result, if they can find the right person without even having to advertise a position, they will spare themselves time and make their clients happy in the process.
When building relationships with recruiters, make sure you’re polite and respectful at all times. Keep in mind that their time is valuable — they can’t spend lots of it speaking to you and providing feedback, so keep conversations short and to the point.
2. Volunteer
Another helpful way to hear about new job openings before the general public is to volunteer your time at companies you’re interested in working for. Whether you enlist as a regular volunteer, or participate in an internship, having your “finger on the pulse” at a business and getting to know its employees and managers can be a great way to land a new role.
Working at a company for free can not only give you a chance to make contacts with the people working there (who can let you know if jobs come up), but it can also help you to impress decision-making hiring managers or owners who are in charge of recruitment. Spending some time learning the ins and outs of the business can stand you in good stead when positions become available. You already know how things run; have met potential colleagues; and have shown an interest in the company, so you are likely to become a front runner for any available roles.
3. Network
Networking with people who are in your arena can also supply you with potential job leads. Whether you network in person at industry events such as trade shows, conferences, workshops, and casual get-togethers, or utilize outlets like social media sites, networking can supply you with tips on jobs before they’re made public. Don’t forget that it also pays to stay in touch with alumni from your university, as well as keep up relationships with people from your past workplaces.
4. Make Use of Referrals
When looking for a new job, it is always a good idea to seek referrals from friends and family members too. Even though they might not be in the same industry as you, chances are that they might just know somebody who is looking for a new employee. People feel good when they help others out and like to refer those they admire and trust, so are usually keen to provide assistance where possible. This tactic can lead to some unexpected opportunities, so don’t discount it.
5. Be Proactive
Apart from the above suggestions, there are also other ways of being proactive that can give you access to jobs before they’re listed online. For example, if there are companies you’d love to work for, submit your resume to their HR department, even if no jobs are currently listed. You never know when something might pop up, and many hiring managers like to look through resumes they have on file before bothering to advertise a role.
***Photo courtesy of http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-153117149/stock-photo-business-people-waiting-for-job-interview.html?src=JFBCRkBQvCy3bn13olVoWg-1-1
