WHILE you and I are stuck to old traditional methods of looking for a job, other people world over have discovered the most effective methods of job hunting that most employers use to recruit workers. Unfortunately, job hunting method using job application letters and CVs to advertised vacant positions are no longer the most effective way to find a job.

The purpose of this article is to share with our esteemed readers the most effective job hunting strategies in the modern complex society where unemployment levels are sky high despite government efforts in reducing high unemployment levels.

To effectively and clearly demonstrate the most effective strategies in job hunting, this article will first share with you effective methods most employers use to recruit workers.

By so doing, you will realise that actually most job hunters start with the last resort most employers use in recruiting workers.

The last option to most employers that job hunters use to find jobs gives the latter many disadvantages in their job hunting efforts.

Job hunters; especially the youths should find effective ways of looking for jobs. This is important because where high unemployment levels exist and where there is stiff competition on a labour market, finding a job is like scoring a ball in the eye of a needle. Failure to find a job where other options of economical survival are nowhere to be seen can lead to untold misery to you as an individual. Therefore, do the right thing before things get worse for you.

What is surprising is that for a long time now, only few people have discovered the most effective ways most employers use to fill a vacant position.

While most employers use certain methods; and have a systematic order of doing so to fill vacant positions, most job hunters use job application letters to advertised vacant positions to get jobs.

Advertising vacant positions to solicit Job application letters is the last method most employers use to recruit a worker in a vacant position.

Job market research proves that 75 per cent of vacant positions that are filled are not advertised.

And with high unemployment levels in the country, this means that all unemployed people; including the majority youths are fighting for only 25 per cent of the vacant positions at any given time.

This is why, in most cases one finds that one cannot find a job for many months; if not years because the waiting list on the job market is too long to give you a job within a short time; especially when you use wrong job hunting methods.

If one doesn’t find a job for many months or years; it doesn’t mean that vacant positions are not being created. Positions fall vacant regularly; and new ones are also created; but not all are advertised in the press.

The vacant positions that are never advertised in the press are being filled almost every day without you and I knowing.

So how do employers fill these vacancies if we are always waiting for such employers to advertise them in the Press?

Richard Nelson Bolles (1999) in ‘What Colour is Your Parachute: A practical guide manual for Job Hunters and Career Changers’ reveals the most effective ways in their systematic order most employers use to fill vacant positions which job hunters are supposed to know and use.

Contrary to common job hunting strategies that most job seekers use, Mr Bolles reveals that most employers like recruiting workers from within an organisation.

This gives them assurance of a good employee because they work with such a person; and they know the worker’s abilities and limitations well than hiring someone who they don’t know at all.

Most employers like recruiting from within their organisations because they have discovered that many job seekers tell lies about their abilities in CVs to impress potential employers to short list them as candidates for possible recruitment.

However, congratulations to you or to anyone upon getting a job through responding to a vacant position in a newspaper, radio or television station because this is not necessarily the most common method employers use to recruit workers.

For you to find a job when most employers recruit within their respective organisations, you need to be a volunteer in one or more organisations.

This will facilitate exposing your abilities in your work performance to respective employers.

Work as a volunteer in organisations that do what you like most. Sometimes work in any capacity; then slowly you can ask them to give you duties in line with your career interests.

This can facilitate your exposure to those employers; and gaining experience in the field of your career interest.

Additionally, in modern job hunting strategies, it is better to create and establish effective networks with those who are already in employment. Such people can be your effective sales representative before or after a position falls vacant in their respective organisations. This method is effective because of the other point coming below.

If recruiting within an organisation fails, most employers consider any job hunter who offers proof that one can do that job effectively.

This proves that if you are already working as a volunteer in that organisation or you have people who know you; and work in that organisation, they already know your capacities or those who know you will quickly market you to recruiting officers respectively.

In such a case, by the time you send your job application letter, proof that you can do that job has already been given to recruiting officers.

When the first and second approaches don’t work to respective employer’s favour, most employers look for high performing workers who are working in other organisations. Many other points come from this method of recruiting workers.

Firstly, wherever you are working, you should be a top notch performer for other people and potential employers to know that you are an effective performer.

Therefore, avoid poor work culture.

Secondly, you need to be in good standing with your current employers who might talk about your good performance to other people and; or other employers.

In this regard, other people and your current employers who know your good personality and good performance can become your sales representatives in your job hunting efforts.

In some cases, job agencies are used to get high performing workers. Are you a member of any job search agency? So you can see that it pays to work hard in your current job.

It also helps to have a wide network with people working in different organisations. One can also benefit from being a member of a job search or recruiting agency.

What is unfortunate with some recruitment agencies is that some become partisan in the recruitment process to such an extent that they also get involved in malpractices in recruiting workers where some workers are recruited on subjective basis such as recruiting someone on nepotism or bribery basis.

Where recruitment agencies are objective, truthful and fair, being a member of such agencies can pay dividends in your job hunting strategies regardless of the level of position you want.

When the above methods fail with most employers; especially for lower level positions, most employers consider checking on a mountain of job application letters with their respective CVs which some potential candidates might have sent to the organisation or to the recruitment agency.

In this method, resumes are sent to employers or to recruitment agencies unsolicited.

Therefore, it is helpful to send unsolicited job application letters and their CV to organisations you want to work for. Be specific with your career choice; and the position you want.

The last method most employers use in recruiting workers is placing an advertisement for a vacant position.

So if you see an advertisement for a vacant position, you can apply for it; knowing that it is the last resort for most employers.

Unfortunately, because vacant job advertisements are what almost everyone is waiting for to apply for a job, such advertisement attract thousands, if not millions of candidates at different levels of training, experience and skills.

Responding to job advertisements is the most competitive; and can sometimes be the most frustrating method of job hunting.

What is critical is that, in some cases, even when vacant positions are advertised, some of the above stated methods of recruiting workers might also apply.

This means that don’t depend on one strategy in your job hunting efforts.

So one can see that while most employers start with recruiting from within an organisation and end with advertising the vacant position when all other reliable methods of getting a best candidate fail, most job hunters only wait for advertisement of vacant positions before they send their resumes.

In short, most job hunters use the opposite method and process to what most employers use to recruit workers.

However, one can argue that there is no one best method in job hunting strategies.

One has to use a combination of many strategies; especially in a situation where there is a cut-throat competition on a labour market.

Keep on trying. You will get the job your really want.

The author is Trainer and Career Coach. For comments and ideas, contact: Cell: 0967/0977 450151.

E-mail: sycoraxtndhlovu@yahoo.co.uk