Three Methods of Job-Hunting: Networking, Online Job-Searching, or Cold Emailing
Part 1: Networking
Starting the process of finding a job can be tough. Not knowing how or where to begin can bring on some serious procrastination and become a major source of anxiety and stress.
One of the best ways to manage early career insecurity is to focus on career self-management. This means taking a strategic approach towards your career — including everything from setting your goals to taking the steps required to pursue them.
Let’s say you’ve figured out the kind of experience you want to gain and the positions you need to achieve that. So now you find yourself wondering, how are you going to find those positions? That’s where networking comes in.
Networking
You might have heard this saying before:
“It’s not what you know, but who you know.”
As much as we’d like to believe that this isn’t true, to some extent it is. In fact, 85% of open job positions are filled through networking (Hubspot, 2019), making it the best way to get hired. That doesn’t mean that your technical skills aren’t important! Along with improving those skills, professional networking will also be a strong tool to use in your job search.
2 Ways to Network
- LinkedIn is a great online tool for professional networking — if you haven’t made one yet, make sure to keep your eyes out for the announcement of our October Career Workshop: Building a LinkedIn Profile!
Once you have a profile, you can connect with colleagues, alumni, and professionals involved in your fields of interest and gain access to potential professional opportunities.
How to Connect with Others on LinkedIn
Use the Search — People function to find connections to people you might know or have something in common with by using keywords.
Join LinkedIn Groups!
Use the search-groups function to find groups you can join. Try looking to see if your university or college has alumni groups. Join our CLA group and stay tuned for a future CodeLabs Academy alumni group!
2. Another way to expand your professional network is to attend online or in-person events. These can be professional networking or related to specific topics you’re most interested in. At these events, you can meet other professionals in your field and connect with them later on.
Use the Search — Events function:
You can also look for events at:
- Any event: eventbrite.com
- Sorted by location: meetup.com
- Tech and creative events: the-dots.com
- or events hosted by your university/college or school clubs.
Key Tips for Event Participation
- Do some research on the speakers or topic so you can come prepared.
- Actively participate in the session, especially if there is a Q&A at the end.
- Connect with professionals on LinkedIn afterward and reach out to them to express your interest in working or collaborating with them!
