I live in Southern New Hampshire, and have had a strong career as an art director. I have reached a roadblock in seeking out positions at advertising firms in this area. Newspapers and web sites have few positions, most in the Boston area. I just joined a networking group to work on these skills. Can you suggest any more avenues to search for openings?
We think you’re on the right track! Talking with people as a way to find out information about job possibilities is a much better and more productive way to go then looking at classified ads or postings on the Internet, as you’ve already discovered. The success rate for using that avenue of job hunting isn’t very high for two main reasons: 1) Competition is fierce because many people respond to the posted advertisements, and 2) published ads only account for a small percentage of jobs that are available at any given time. The “hidden job market�, which represents all those jobs that aren’t advertised through traditional methods, is large but takes effort and persistence on the part of the job hunter to ferret out possible opportunities. The best way to do that is through networking. So, we applaud you for trying this avenue and think you’ll find your results more meaningful.
A word on networking – In some ways it’s unfortunate that networking has become a buzzword associated with asking for job-hunting help because it’s really the exchange of information to help someone. Sometimes you give, and sometimes you get.
Instead of viewing “networking� as only a means to an end (in this case a job right now), think of it as cultivating a lifelong network of contacts to help and be helped with advice, support and, when needed, job leads. So as you begin this process remember you're only looking for information and not asking for a job. Tell the people you speak with that you're considering a new job or career and would like to gather information to be sure you're making the right decision. Use the information you do gather to lead you in the direction of a job, once you see what the possibilities might be.
As for other avenues to pursue, we’ve found that there are about 22 different avenues in job hunting, and that the best results come for job hunters who use no more than three to five of them; anything more dilutes the process too much and leaves the job hunter scattered and disorganized. In your case, we think you’d be wise to contact your alumni association if you have one, as they are generally very helpful and often have listings for jobs that aren’t otherwise widely advertised. You might also try attending meetings of professional groups in your field (even if it means traveling to Boston) to establish connections with others who might know of jobs that fit your profile. Lastly, if you can tolerate the risk, consider sending a well-crafted and succinct unsolicited letter to companies that you like to see if they might be interested in inviting you in for an interview. The purpose of your letter is to ask for an interview, not a job, and should focus on their needs and not yours! You might be surprised at the response you receive, and you won’t be any worse off than you have been by responding to the ads.
Best of luck.