There's no shortage of advice on how to land a job, and if you're looking today, you've probably heard it all and tried more than one approach, from searching the web for openings, to connecting with friends or former colleagues both online and off, to reading the help-wanted ads in your local paper.
Last year, we took a poll that asked how people got their most recent jobs. We're curious to see if the answers have changed in a year's time, so we thought we'd ask again.
Please take our poll and, if you have a story about how you found your last job, share it in the comments below.
[poll:34]
RELATED LINKS
What's Your Job Search Strategy?
The 3 Pillars of a Solid Job Search Strategy
The Liberation of a Structured Job Search Strategy
I actually got my current job through an alumi list. Our university puts together an email list and sends out job postings related to our fields of study. We get see some amazing opportunities come through it, and a natural connection is already there since everyone who posts to it is tied to the sames school/program in some way.
I sort of "stumbled into" my last job (which was FABULOUS, but killed, with the company, by the economy). I'd been looking for a communications position in the Non-Profit sphere and had gotten hooked up with various non-profits in Second Life. In 2007 the Second Life Community Convention was here (Chicago), and the MacArthur Foundation had funded a "meta-track" which was focusing on getting more non-profits involved in S.L. I figured I'd network like crazy and maybe find a gig. As it turned out, one of the vendors at the event, Simuality (a "meteverse developer"), was hosting an on-going lounge, and had signs up telling folks how to get there. On the second day, these included a note saying "Oh, and we're hiring!", listing a number of positions. Since there was an hour on the 3rd day about the Teen Grid (which I could get to), I took my resume down and had a chat ... a month later I was their Director of Communications. I miss that job ... been "pounding the pavement" for SEVENTEEN MONTHS at this point. :-(
@ Noel -- Thanks! I hope more colleges and universities will engage in something similar. My alma mater has been doing a bit of that lately. Given the increasing costs of college, more schools will be asked by prospective students and their parents how they can help them transition into the job market after graduation.
@ BTRIPP -- Nice story! A testament to the power of networking!