| It can be a daunting experience, for many reasons, | | | | visitors to their sites, but they are-unlike a lot of |
| to do an employment search. Equally challenging, you | | | | advertising that drives us nuts-most valuable sources. |
| might feel, is the employment search you do online. | | | | Besides plugs for doo-dads and stuff to buy or pay |
| You might have caught on by now to Craigslist, but if | | | | for, they have advice columns, special interest |
| not-or if you want to extend the search-you either | | | | sections, and calls for experts/job announcements. |
| start there and/ then consider the many kinds of | | | | And they are free! I subscribe to five different |
| networks and job banks and boards that fit your skill | | | | newsletters for writers. Because of those, and |
| sets, income needs, and other particulars. This can | | | | because I read every little box, frame, passage, |
| get intense. Employment searches can lead you to | | | | entry in every one, I have garnered about 50% of |
| agencies, advice, and attitudes you feel overwhelmed | | | | the job/gig leads I followed up on and landed. 4) GO |
| by. Breathe. There's a way to "narrow" your search, | | | | DIRECTLY to the SOURCE Well, sort of directly. The |
| making efforts pay off, literally and figuratively. Now, | | | | newsletter editor is the one who runs a site that |
| as a freelance writer, I access specific banks and | | | | centers on your field. Visit the website. (Don't gloss |
| boards, but my example will hopefully help you clarify | | | | over the many links that say "click here", in other |
| your own employment search process. 1) COMPANY | | | | words, no matter how many filters you have up to |
| and LOCATION SEARCHES Find job boards that | | | | visually block all that linkage.) Those same writer |
| have updated classified for employment in your area | | | | newsletters have vested interest (creative, |
| and in major companies you might be interested in | | | | intellectual, financial) in doing the same work you are |
| working with. For the Bay Area, for instance, Tribe | | | | making an employment search for, and typically |
| (sanfrancisco.tribe.net) features a search engine and | | | | feature a job board exclusively for professionals in |
| drop-down menu to look for jobs by company and | | | | your field. A daily newsletter with writing leads also |
| category (field). Considering your area of expertise, | | | | features high-paying and low-paying (ugh) job |
| find the companies who employ your type, and visit | | | | sections on the parent site, In fact, besides a super |
| their help wanted/employment search/seeking XYZ | | | | archive of articles on writing, the site is primarily one |
| pages. For example, I consult many sites-like Pearson | | | | great, great (in size and quality) job bank. I have |
| Education-- belonging to publishers, visit their | | | | gotten at least 25% of my gigs there. 5) OPTION: |
| employment/jobs section, and look from there for | | | | NETWORKERS Just as many other professionals care |
| any gigs I might be good for. 2) CAREER SEARCHES | | | | enough about humans in the workforce and getting |
| That is, for example, if you are a journalist, seek | | | | them into that workforce that they have built |
| journalist, press, news, magazine, periodical ads at | | | | businesses to connect employers with employees |
| such places as NewsJobs.net, which offers postings | | | | and free agents with clients. Yes, they usually cost |
| for NewsJobs in the U.S., NewsJobs in Canada, and | | | | something, so you might want to be the kind of |
| NewsJobs in the U.K.. In the same respect, when you | | | | person who believes that it takes money to make |
| do an employment search on a major search engine | | | | money. But many are quite successful at what they |
| and are typing in different and varied words and | | | | do. I have-in my reading and employment searching |
| phrases, be as thorough and thoughtful as you can. If | | | | and career developing hours-read many accounts of |
| you are a carpenter, look for more than just | | | | how beneficial these networks are...networks such as |
| carpenter jobs. Type in all the variations you can | | | | ScriptLance.com, Guru.com, ELance.com, for specific |
| think of for the word carpenter-"carpentry," "builder," | | | | types, and, for general sources, such network |
| "building," "construction"-and all the different words | | | | solutions planners as Careers.com, HotJobs.com, |
| you can think of for jobs-"careers," "help wanted," | | | | JobSeeker, and Jobvertise will work for you and with |
| "needed," "places for." I found, for instance, a great | | | | you to find you a job in your area of expertise, |
| publication called Places for Writers, which is not dens | | | | location, emotional and intellectual setting, and income |
| and coffee shops and what we would likely first think | | | | bracket. Of course, the other 25% of my income |
| of when we read the word "places", but which is | | | | comes from doing my own employment search |
| places calling for submissions. 3) SUBSCRIBE to | | | | elsewhere: in-person networking, word-of-mouth (be |
| NEWSLETTERS in YOUR FIELD Newsletters are one | | | | good at what you do every time you do it!), and, of |
| of the greatest cogs in the Internet machine. They | | | | course, the beneficent, beneficial, benefiting and |
| are used by webmasters and web mistresses to get | | | | fitting Craigslist!!!! |