Responding to job postings is an ineffective way to find a new job.
The chances of finding a job from a job posting are in the single digits. I can never find the citation for that statistic but trust me it is true. That doesn’t mean you don’t respond to ads but it does mean you probably won’t find your next job through a posting.
We don’t rely on job postings to find a job. But we CAN use job postings to explore careers! I bet you didn’t think I was going there, did you?
Yes, I have found a use for job ads.
Each job description is a little different, highlighting different priorities and perhaps even revealing a little about the company culture. Since every possible configuration of job description can be found on the Interwebs these days, companies do us a favor by creating a handy place to research new careers! A veritable treasure trove of career opportunities at a click of a button!
I call this a “stupid, simple” exercise:
- My favorite place to go is Indeed.com because they consolidate ads from all sorts of places into one central research hub.
- You will see two boxes: “What” and “Where”. Keep the “Where” box blank. We don’t care where in the world the job is located since we are not applying for jobs.
- In the “What” box enter keywords that relate to the job or career you want.
- Start reading job descriptions.
That is it. Start reading job descriptions until you find several jobs that are so amazing you would move to Alaska to take that job. That is the high bar we need to achieve to be sure you found the best career for you.
Simple right? Who would have guessed that job ads could be so useful? No assessments. No long hours spent staring at our belly buttons.
Let’s use the free resources at our fingertips to explore new careers before we jump into something new! With that in mind, check out The Interview Doctor’s free resource, The 10 BEs to Grow Your Career for more tips!