Job boards are irresistible because they seemingly put everything within easy reach. Unfortunately, the majority of job hunters are competing for the same small pool of jobs and getting turned down.
More than 80% of job openings are actually unlisted, says Steven Rothberg, founder of job website in Minneapolis. This can be a good opportunity for outside candidates with research and networking skills since most companies will try to promote from within or rely on employee referrals.
Look for signs: Keep up with what's going on in your industry. Read trade journals, follow analyst commentary and monitor the stock market for indicators showing which companies are growing, restructuring or contracting out services. Good or bad news can lead to staff changes so regularly check company websites and Facebook pages for jobs since they may not be advertised elsewhere.
Compile a list of companies that you'd like to work for and research relevant positions within those organizations. You can find job descriptions on career websites and industry blogs. For newly created jobs, try , a site offering inside job information that is supplied by anonymous employees.
Only apply to jobs that closely fit your skills and experience, says Susan Strayer, a career coach in Washington. 'If you want to become that wildcard choice, a 30% match isn't going to cut it. You need to be as close to 100% as possible.'
It's people, not paper: Tap your personal network of colleagues, friends and family to find those inside connections that can forward your résumé to decision makers. If you don't have a direct line, try reaching outside of your immediate network to friends of friends, old classmates or even cold call somebody in a useful capacity who can offer inside intelligence about company culture. Don't overlook contacts working for company vendors; they are often seen by decision makers as trusted sources of referrals.
The more senior you are, the smaller the network tends to be, so join professional trade organizations and attend trade shows, conferences and seminars.
Make it easy to find you: Promote your availability by posting your résumé on networking websites like and on specific industry websites like or , a website for educators. Emphasize unique skills on your résumé since companies will search online databases when they have specialized needs. That's how Vanessa Broaten, a teacher from Anaheim Hills, Calif., got her job after posting on several teaching websites. She was hired because of her master's in education and fluency in Spanish and Portuguese.
Follow up with employers since first hiring picks don't always work out. The same job may get reposted six months down the line. You want to be available to that employer before they post the new job.招聘资讯似乎把对求职者的一切要求都设定得可以轻易达到，让人难以抗拒。但不幸的是，大多数求职者都只是在同一个很小的范围内竞争，从而难逃遭拒的命运。
明尼阿波利斯市(Minneapolis)求职网站的创始人史蒂文•罗斯伯格(Steven Rothberg)表示，事实上，超过80%的职位空缺都是不对外公开的。这对于公司外部拥有调研和社交能力的求职者来说可能是个不错的机会，因为大多数公司都试图通过内部提拔或者依靠员工推荐来选拔人才。
留心种种迹象：密切关注你所在行业的发展动向。阅读行业期刊，跟踪分析师的评论，留意股市中表明哪些公司股票上涨、正在进行重组或者提供服务外包的信号。不论是好消息还是坏消息，都可能导致人员变化，因此要经常性地查看各公司的网站以及Facebook网站的招聘页面，因为这些招聘资讯不大可能在别的地方发布。
把你愿意为之工作的公司列一张单子，然后对公司里有关的职位做一些研究。你可以在招聘网站和行业博客上找到对这些职位的描述。对于新创建的职位，你可以尝试登陆，这是一个由公司员工匿名提供的介绍内部职位资讯的网站。
华盛顿的职业教练苏珊•斯特雷耶(Susan Strayer)建议，只申请最适合你的技能和经验的职位。如果你想要出奇制胜，仅仅30%的匹配度不足以让你获得成功。你需要尽可能100%地接近职位要求。
人是关键，简历其次：挖掘你的同事、朋友、亲戚等社交资源，找到能为你向决策者递交简历的内部关系。如果你无法建立直接的联系，那就试试找你的朋友的朋友和老同学，甚至直接给能为你提供有关公司文化的内部资讯的人打电话。不要忽视与公司客户有关人员之间的联系，他们通常被公司的决策者视为可以信任的推荐人才的来源。
你的职位越高，社交的圈子可能会越小。所以，你需要加入专业的行业组织，出席各种行业展览、大会以及研讨会。
让别人能够轻易地发现你：在等社交网站以及或者为教育界人士服务的等有针对性的行业网站上发布你的简历，表明你的求职状态。在简历中突出你的专长，因为当公司有专门需要的话，它们会在网上的资料库搜寻合适的候选人。加州阿纳海姆希尔斯(Anaheim Hills)的教师瓦内萨•布罗登(Vanessa Broaten)就是这样通过在几家教育网站上发布简历找到工作的。她被雇用的原因是因为拥有教育学硕士学位，而且能够流利地使用西班牙语和葡萄牙语。
密切关注招聘单位的资讯，因为第一次招聘不能保证一定就会成功。同样的职位空缺可能在半年后会再次对外公布。在它们发布新的职位空缺前，确保更新你的求职状态。