Amit De is the CEO and Co-founder of Careerleaf, an all-in-one job search platform that cuts the time to apply in half. Connect with Amit and Careerleaf on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
With an overwhelming amount of employment websites, how can job seekers be sure they are doing all within their means to completely immerse themselves in their job search? The answer: Search within your niche. Searching for a job in a specialized market can transform your search, and also boost your odds of actually connecting with key players in your industry.
Job seekers can benefit by redeveloping their job search strategy to emphasize the niche of their industry or their personal qualifications. By taking a step back from large job boards and attempting to gain exposure in their specialized industry, job seekers can revitalize their search. The following are four tips for finding job within your niche.
1. Embrace Niche Job Boards
Many job seekers give into the temptations of large boards, especially in the beginning of their search. It's easy to see why the presentation of a wide variety of opportunities may trick job seekers into believing they're getting the best postings. Finding your niche as a job seeker will allow you to focus your search on job boards within your industry.
A simple search can bring up many lists of niche job boards that cater to a variety of industries or personal needs. While it's a good start, these lists alone should not be the only job boards you begin frequenting to find your next position. Dig deeper into the job search trends in your industry by reaching out to previous co-workers and industry contacts to discover which sites are helping professionals like yourself find positions. You should also look for job boards run by professional associations for your industry.
A niche job board has many benefits — and smaller applicant pools is one of the most coveted features. As a job seeker, nothing is more disheartening than working tirelessly on an application and receiving no response in return. Niche job boards generally offer the contact information for hiring managers which allows a higher probability of actually getting an employer response.
Not to mention, niche job sites usually house an engaged audience of job seekers and employers. Known for higher quality candidates with a strong interest in their field, niche job communities offer a chance for job seekers to not only apply for positions, but also build connections with hiring managers and employers within their field. These lasting connections are beneficial to securing a job within your career path.
2. Network Within Your Niche
Frequenting job boards isn't the most prominent solution for your job search any longer. In recent times, job seekers are embracing their networks with more fervor than ever before. But simply networking with anybody and everybody is not going to get you the job you desire in your industry. Redirect your efforts to identify the key players and thought leaders within your industry and start looking to them for guidance … both online and offline.
Successful networkers have a strategy and goals when it comes to building meaningful professional relationships. Completely immerse yourself in your industry by attending industry networking events, conferences, seminars and webinars. Listen to and learn from every one of your networking connections and start building a foundation to be a thought leader in your industry.
3. Embrace Social Forums
It's essential that job seekers keep up with the latest news and trends in their industry, and they should also be immersed in the discussions that take place on many different social platforms. Take time to learn the keywords of your industry and seek out the discussion.
On Twitter, job industries thrive in their own sectors and it's easy to get involved. Whether this means frequenting weekly Twitter chats or connecting with other users based on hashtagged industry-specific words, creating meaningful conversation sparks connections and thought leadership.
Finding LinkedIn groups specific to your industry can also help to gain beneficial connections and stay knowledgeable about the latest news and trends. Job seekers often overlook the benefits of starting group threads and leading the conversation. This will allow for potential connections and even employers to experience your diverse industry knowledge and ability to effectively communicate on important topics. Being a regular group contributor will place you above the less active competition.
4. Volunteer For Your Niche
Volunteering is one of the most forgotten ways for job seekers to stay knowledgeable in their niche. Nothing feels better than using your talents for the greater good, but it feels even better when you're gaining more experience and making important connections. Seeking a volunteer opportunity in which to use your skill set is also a great way for job seekers to stay busy during the job search. Connect with the organization you are interested in volunteering for, and see what you can do for them based on your skills.
Finding jobs within your niche involves far more than frequenting job boards. Immerse yourself in your industry by continually seeking out ways to build connections and build your presence as a thought leader.
How did you find a job in your industry niche?
Social Media Job Listings
Every week we post a list of social media and web job opportunities. While we publish a huge range of job listings, we've selected some of the top social media job opportunities from the past two weeks to get you started. Happy hunting!
- Vice President, Digital at Edelman in Atlanta, GA
- Creative and Consumer Marketing Director at National Geographic Society in Washington, DC
- Sr. Web Developer at Gifthit in New York
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, vicky_81, Tsuji, RonTech2000
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