5 Unique Ways to Land a Job

With the current state of the economy, many people are job hunting, increasing the competition for available jobs. That’s why it’s important that you stand above the crowd. You have to prove to your prospective employer that hiring you would be adding an asset to their organization.

Here are some ways to stand out:

1. Social Networking. Internet social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are great networking places to find employment.

• The idea behind social networks is to build a relationship, so remember to show off your value before asking for a job.
• These sites have incredible word-of-mouth possibilities, so be diligent, keep networking, and broadcast that you’re available for work!

2. Offer services for free. Okay, I know what you’re thinking: why should you offer services for free when you don’t even have a job? But offering your services for free can actually work in your favor and set you apart from your competition.

• Offer to work for them for a week for free. If they’re pleased with your work, you may be hired on the spot, or at least when they have their first available opening.
• The most important thing to remember is you have to be a top-notch volunteer for that week. You want them to discover what an asset you could be as a paid employee.

3. Write to prospective employers. Compose a letter to organizations you’d seriously like to work for and highlight what you’d bring to the table.

• If you can convince them that they’re better off with you than without you, then you’ve won the battle. Make sure the letter is professional, grammatically correct, and confident.
• Your goal is to make others understand why they need you as an employee, not to beg them for a job. There’s a big difference, but it’s very easy to cross that line, so use good judgment.

4. Do it the old-fashioned way. In this generation of electronic communication, your resume can easily get lost in the shuffle. Something to consider is to dress professionally and hit the pavement.

• Introduce yourself, shake hands, and hand them a well-prepared resume package.
• Building a relationship with someone allows an employer to put a face to a resume rather than just pick a resume up off the fax machine or print one from their email inbox.
• Though it may take a bit of footwork and perseverance, this is a way to make a memorable impression on a prospective employer.

5. Place an ad online or in the newspaper. When looking for a job, the first place we all tend to go is the help-wanted section in the newspaper or on a classifieds website. Maybe you can turn the tables!

• Place your own ad telling prospective employers that you’re free to work for them. Highlight your strengths and indicate the position at which you’d excel.
• Remember, you want prospective employers to pick up the phone and call you – not to skim your ad thinking “There’s another desperate individual begging for work.”

Looking for a job today can be challenging, but thinking a bit differently than other job hunters may be all you need to stand out from your competition and be the one who lands the job!