Rachel May @LRDG
Have you ever used a recruiter when finding a job and come away not only still without a job, but also more exasperated than ever with the job searching process?
Every week, job seekers on Reddit vent their frustrations on a SubReddit (forum) called “Recruiting Hell.” Their stories range from being ghosted by recruiters, to being called by a recruiter who angrily demanded answers after the Reddit user rejected a job opportunity.
If you’ve been job-searching for a while, you’ve surely heard such distressing stories before, or even had similar experiences yourself. So, how can you find a job without using a job recruiter?
Network
Networking with friends and acquaintances is the most obvious solution if you don’t want to rely on a recruiter finding a job for you. Networking can help you get job referrals, which The Muse recommends as one of the best ways to find a job: “ ‘I always tell candidates if they see a job that they’re really interested in from a company, their best bet is actually to find an internal contact, someone they know that works there, and get referred in that way because it’s going to get attention faster,’ says Liz Dooley, currently Chief Talent Finder at Liz Dooley Recruiting, LLC.”
Don’t forget social media as a networking platform, especially for finding a job during Covid, when it’s difficult to meet in person. And with all of us much more familiar with Zoom nowadays, Zoom can be an effective substitute for in-person networking meetings, as this article from Inside Higher Ed reminds job seekers.
Use popular and new job boards
Job boards can assist job seekers in finding a job in many different ways. They provide job notifications, resume and cover letter writing services, resume building tips, and more. Most significantly, job boards provide job seekers with a wide-ranging supply of possible jobs. Resume Help reminds job seekers that by signing up for several job boards, they will see more job listings, which creates more opportunities to find the right job.
Some of the most popular job boards include Indeed, Glassdoor Jobs, LinkedIn, Google for Jobs, ZipRecruiter and Monster. There are also many others. Why not check out the full list at Zety.com? Popular ones give you more variety of jobs while new ones might give you higher possibility to get an interview or hired.
Try new hiring solutions
A new direct-to-hire platform called Geekbidz takes advantage of up-and-coming AI technology to provide users with a job that fits their skills, allowing job seekers to avoid any potentially fraught interactions with a job recruiter.
This skill-based platform invites job seekers to participate in an online skills ranking system, then pairs employers with the job seeker who best fits their job posting. That candidate then can be invited to an on-the-job evaluation. Compared to many job seekers’ exhausting encounters with recruiters, Geekbidz’s hiring process is quick, simple and efficient.
Conclusion — job hunting process may be frustrating, yet solutions are out there
Even though finding a job through a recruiter may seem like a great solution when you are desperate to find a job, in many cases, using a job recruiter can just heap more frustration on top of an already often-discouraging job hunting process.
Why not try some other solutions first, such as networking in-person or online, using job boards, or trying a new hiring solution that can quickly and successfully match you with a job that fits your skills?
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