Just Like Pebbles in a Brook

Careful. You may have to get your feet wet

It’s hard to imagine that even Bob Dylan could appreciate how much the world in general and specifically the world of the job search have changed since he penned “The Times They are a-Changin’” more than 60 years ago.

The times for job seekers have changed immeasurably just over the past 10-15 years. Our favorite analogy is that of the rocks in a stream. Be it fish or fossil, if you’re looking for something in a stream, it pays to look under as many rocks as possible. You can never look under too many rocks because you never know what you might find.

And today’s job search has rocks a-plenty

So where is the best place to find a job? That’s simple. Ask 20 people, get 20 different answers… and they all swear that their solution is the best.

Reality suggests that the only right place to look for a new job is where you actually find it. That’s a backward way of saying that there is no one right way. Whatever works for you, whatever you’re most comfortable with, that’s the right way for you. And what works for you may not work for your sibling, or your neighbor, or your colleague who was laid off last year.

The good news is that the ways to search for a job in today’s world are many and varied. The methods that you employ are possibly more numerous than the rocks in that stream.

You could always try cold-calling. Not very efficient, but it’s been known to work if you happen to be in the right place at the right time. If you’re more into quantity than quality, the more modern approach are the ubiquitous online jobs boards.

There are several types of recruiters whom you could enlist to aid you. Perhaps the biggest 21st Century change in the job search is LinkedIn – which can be utilized in several ways within its own space. Then you have to consider that 95 percent of all recruiters today use LinkedIn when placing their candidates.

AI is the newest kid on the block. Can it help you find your next job? Maybe. Can it write your resume? It can help but don’t rely on it to the exclusion of your own input and creativity.

There are also community-based, free of charge approaches. Your local library can be a great source and resource as can be your local community college. Check them out. You may be surprised.

Then there’s good, old fashioned networking and informational interviews which many pros claim may still be the best when all is said and done.

Do they work? Yes. Which one will work for you? Who knows? But eventually one of them will. If you keep turning over those rocks.

More tips.