When searching for employment, job seekers have come to rely on two obvious methods of discovering current job listings. One popular example includes search engines that appear to offer options like jobs in your chosen field, geographic area and ideal salary range. We all know the names Monster, Idealist, USA Jobs, etc. A second popular way is through personal connections and traditional networking. Both methods may feel something like productive work, but looking for gainful employment day in and day out generally leads to exhaustion and a sense time is being wasted. I don’t deny that both search methods generate a reasonable amount of activity and excitement. Consider all the emailing of resumes, filling out applications and receiving confirmations. But in my experience I have found that using either method rarely leads to a job interview or results in an offer – just a lot of feeling busy that gets you nowhere.

One method I have used to break through the job search engine clutter is to carefully scrutinize the actual job posting. The position description, company location and in many cases the actual hiring company name are all contained in most job search listings. By comparing one listing to the corporate listing you may be able to determine when, where and by whom the position was first listed. This will provide you with a sense of just how current the information in that urgent job search email truly is, or in a great many cases, is not.

My favorite source of endless job leads is the daily newspaper or basic trade journal. I don’t take much time to read the actual employment classified or display listings in such publications. They receive only a cursory glance. What I do is read the editorials about subjects I am most interested in i.e. advertising, technology, business and culture. That’s where you’ll find the intelligent juice regarding companies and for the smart job seekers, who want to know who the leaders are.

I found my current position at an educational software developer by reading a product review in The New York Times. The software, VisualThesaurus.com received such an interesting and enthusiastic review that I actually stopped reading the print paper and walked over to my desktop to check out the site’s features. I was so impressed I wrote directly to the company, even though no position was advertised. Three months later I received a call from the hiring manager and the interview process began.

This interview process was slightly different from an interview and offer I had six years earlier. That job interview took about five months and required one telephone and five face to face meetings. The main difference with my current position was that out of six interviews, three were in person and three were web based using go-to-meeting as the way for us to get to know one another. The Web interface provided the company with a way for the hiring manager and CEO to assess my articulation, computer and sales ability in a situation that would be similar to my work environment.

It takes a great deal of effort and energy to find new employment. Taking the time to research job leads and creating your own positions where none are listed takes some creativity and a measure of determination. The process may be a bit less formal but in the end you may end up working for a company you truly believe in. Feeling inspired is a great way to wake up to work every day.

What’s the take away from this? You’ll find more creative opportunities like this one if you’re more creative in how you look for them.

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