How to use the internet to land your dream job

Professionals, both old and new, often look for greener pastures and better career opportunities from time to time. There is a set of people who make it look like a cakewalk to go from job to job, and then there is a larger set of people who find it difficult to do the right things to get the job they want or are fit for. They end up relying on the same old job portal, using the same old keywords to find a suitable employment opportunity.

But things have changed. It is no longer a job portal that can get one on the right road to their dream job. The internet, the new age Pandora’s Box, holds near-limitless possibilities of what one can do, including finding the best job fit for oneself. One must know how to utilize and harvest it to find the right job. Yet, all that one does online to communicate with people needs to be complemented with reaching out to them in real life.

Alumni networks are not just about finding a job. Members of one’s alumni also act as genuinely interested mentors who can guide a candidate on the right career path. Apart from professional interests, one should make it a point to be in touch and build relationships that can be beneficial beyond a job search.

The first stop is one of the most effective artillery in online job searches – the alumni network. Alumni networks have been strong conduits of information for batch after batch of graduates of various disciplines. Since the 1990s, alumni groups started getting formed over email and continue to be an important source of employment opportunities. Today, that avenue of email has expanded to Facebook and other social media groups such as Whatsapp, sites like Vaave that provide alumni engagement platforms and of course, official college networks. One must connect with alumni on at least one network and interact with them.

Alumni networks are not just about finding a job. They are rich sources of information, open debate platforms and exciting places to connect with people of like interests. Members of one’s alumni also act as genuinely interested mentors who can guide a candidate on the right career path. Apart from professional interests, one should make it a point to be in touch and build relationships that can be beneficial beyond a job search. Once you connect with an alumnus online, you can meet him/her offline and even engage in informational interviews/conversations.

Lou Adler, Author, Hire with Your Head, says applying directly to a job posting should represent no more than 20% of the total time looking for a job, while 60% should be spent in networking. Effective networking is not about how many people you know, but how many know you well enough to get you where you want. If one has a strong network of friends, acquaintances, alumni and even people with similar domain interests, it is very helpful to bypass the gatekeeper when it comes to recruitment. Getting referred to a job role greatly increases one’s chances of getting recruited, as the referrer speaks for your past performance and potential.

Effective networking is not about how many people you know, but how many know you well enough to get you where you want. Growing your network simply by numbers is not effective. It needs to be coupled with strong relationships which will result in helping find a good job.

When it comes to social media, LinkedIn is one of the best ways to reach out to new people beyond those you know as well as a great way to connect with people graduating from your school or college. Since it is also a professional social media platform, it becomes easier to know which senior or junior is working in a field of one’s own interest. With a little research on the website, you can easily find and reach out to people who work in similar roles or in organizations of your interest.  

Growing your network simply by numbers is not effective. It needs to be coupled with strong relationships which will result in helping find a good job. It is also a platform where one can showcase one’s domain knowledge, which is important as more and more recruiters turn to social media profiling for candidates. There are dedicated LinkedIn groups based on subject matter, colleges, influencers etc. where one can create one’s professional image for relevant audiences as well.

Facebook and its ilk can also be used to “stalk the internet” and find people who can assist one with finding the right job. As the most widely used social media platform, Facebook helps connect with professional and personal acquaintances, as well as batch mates from one’s alma mater. One can use it to break the ice with people on a personal level if one feels uncomfortable about approaching them about jobs upfront.