8 Great Ways to Land Your Dream Job

Even as jobs become harder to find, too many job-seekers rely on a tunnel-vision strategy that makes use of only one or two job-search methods. That strategy may eventually land you a job, but it's likely you'll spend more time being frustrated than interviewed.So should you rely on job fairs, Internet job boards or social media for employment leads? The answer for most successful job-seekers is all of the above and then some.A multipronged approach makes the best use of your time and energy. Check out these eight ways that people search for jobs.

1. Internet job boards
Mainstream Internet job boards such as Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com were once the go-to resource for job-seekers.Although these job boards have been around for about 15 years, they are quickly running out of steam, in part because there are fewer jobs to post and overwhelmed employers often take jobs offline after receiving thousands of resumes in a single day.

2. Networking through personal contacts
Personal contacts are the most effective way to job search. More than 80% of jobs get filled via referral, says J.T. O'Donnell, a career strategist and consultant based in North Hampton, N.H.  
Networking means more than name dropping. "It's not who you know, it's who knows you," she says.

3. Career consultants
Career consultants may not get you a job per se, but they can be effective in helping job-seekers brand themselves, a trend that is becoming more important in an economic climate where competition for jobs is intense.

4. Recruiters, private employment agencies
Recruiters, sometimes known as headhunters, are hired by companies and organizations to fill open positions. Many times they are hired to fill executive positions, and they are always paid by their clients, not the job-seeker.

5. Internships
Internships can be great ways for students to gain real world experience in their area of study.

6. Job fairs
Job fairs have gained a lot of visibility lately.In healthier economies, they typically attract hundreds of job-seekers but lately the numbers have escalated to thousands.Still, job fairs should be part of a multipronged approach to meet employers in person and possibly find jobs. However, they may not be as effective if you are looking for something other than entry-level work.

7. School career placement offices
Most colleges and universities have career placement offices. The problem is many students either don't know they exist or don't effectively utilize them until they are ready to graduate.Career placement offices help students with resume writing, interview coaching, job postings and other services, but not all are known to be a good resource for job-seekers.

8. Government employment services
They help job-seekers with career counseling and occupational testing services and will often help match you with available job openings at no cost.