5 practical tips for job seekers

I’m back on the job hunt. And thanks to a less-than-ideal job market, I need to get creative. My background is freelancing, so while I don’t have a lot of traditional work experience, I’ve picked up a lot of tips for finding work over the years. Here are a few of them.

1. Use your network

This isn’t a new tip—people always tell you to leverage your network when it comes to searching for a job. But what does that actually mean?

In my experience, word-of-mouth is hands down the best way to find work. In a world of AI and smart tech, there’s less of a chance that your resume will be seen by human eyes every time you apply for a job, so having a personal connection or referral can make all the difference. I’ve gotten countless gigs and even jobs through clients, other freelance writers, or even just knowing someone who knows someone.

Over the years, I’ve learned to divide my network into three types of contacts:

• Recommenders: These are the people you’ve worked with before, such as clients, managers, and coworkers, who you would feel comfortable using as references. They’re fans of your work and would happily recommend you to their network, write a recommendation, or reach out if they hear of an opportunity.

• Job hoppers: These are the people who have switched jobs since you’ve known them. It might be an old client contact, a former colleague, or anyone in your circle who’s moved on to a new company. With firsthand experience of your work, they may be able to pass on your resume or put you in touch with the right job contact at their company.

• Cheerleaders: These are your biggest fans and supporters. They might be family, a friend, or an industry contact you’ve gotten to know well. Whoever they are, they will send you any leads that come their way.

After announcing that you’re looking for work, you can separate your network into categories and contact a few folks at a time, asking for the kind of support you’re looking for.

Tip: Reach out to old employers or clients (e.g., 5-10 years ago) for job references and recommendations. This can be a great way to rekindle old connections and refresh your resume.

2. Focus your job search on keywords

As a content writer, keywords are just part of my job. But search engine optimization (SEO) can also work in my favor during a job hunt. Just like you can find the right article or blog post by Googling it, you can also leverage those keywords to track down ideal jobs too.

Companies often have their own preferences for job keywords (in both titles and descriptions), so broaden your keyword horizons to look for job titles similar or adjacent to your work as well.

For me, the ideal search term is “content writer.” But some employers don’t make the distinction between a “content writer” and a “copywriter,” so I might search for “copywriter” as well. Other synonyms I could use include:

• Content specialist

• Content marketer

• Content editor

• Content manager

• Content marketing writer

• SEO writer

• Blog writer

Of course, the more common the keyword you use is, the more options you’ll have to sift through. If I simply searched “writer,” things might be out of control. On the other hand, if you get really specific, you won’t have as many options, but they’ll probably all be really relevant for you. For example:

In addition to focusing on the job title, you’ll want to consider a few other things as you pick your keywords:

• Skills: Consider adding skill-based keywords to your searches if you have experience with specific industries, software, or other tools.

• Job location: This could mean your closest city and state for onsite and hybrid jobs, or it might mean using the word “remote.”

• Job type: Are you looking for freelance or contract work or for a full-time employee job? You might be able to get more targeted options if you add that to your search.

Finally, you can use keywords to look for work from a different angle: by searching for companies instead of jobs. I work with a lot of agencies, and I’m always searching for new companies to contact. I also keep a list of companies I’d like to work with and will occasionally browse their careers page to see if there are any openings.

Tip: Make sure your resume reflects the same keywords you’re searching for, plus any others that stand out in job descriptions (AI resume builders can help with this).

3. Scour social media

It’s no surprise that social media is a great place to find jobs. 

• Facebook: Facebook is best for Pages and Groups. You’ll need to search for industry interest groups, networking groups, and job search groups or pages—once you’re in, you’ll have a stream of opportunities to sort through.

• X: On X-formerly-Twitter, I’ll typically find jobs on single announcement posts from companies. There are also thousands of threads and accounts devoted to job searches.

• LinkedIn: LinkedIn is known for having the biggest social media job board, which you can obviously use to search for opportunities. But there are lots of opportunities in LinkedIn posts as well. A lot of companies will repost job postings, and hiring managers often use LinkedIn to promote open roles.

If you use LinkedIn’s job search, include some of those same keywords from my earlier tip, but keep in mind that you want to isolate posts focused on hiring. So you might include “hiring [job title]” or “looking for [job title]”. 

Leveraging your contacts on each platform can help even more. On LinkedIn, for example, I search for hiring announcements and then choose From my network to curate related posts from the people I follow.

Tip: Look for industry newsletters that do the work for you. I get 3–5 newsletters per week with creative freelance and full-time opportunities from different social media platforms.

4. Sign up for job alerts

One thing I’ve learned from freelancing is to job hunt smart, not hard. Job alerts are a great way to do this.

Job alerts are curated notifications of open jobs that match your preferences. All major job boards, including Indeed, CareerBuilder, and ZipRecruiter, have them, though you might need to set each of them up a bit differently.

For example, on Indeed, I started by setting up a job search. You can search by job title, keyword, or company, as well as location. When you’re ready, choose Search, and a list of results should appear. To save the search and get an alert each time a new job is added, simply scroll to the bottom of the first page and fill in the short form with your email address. Then click or tap Activate, and you’re all set. You can also edit, pause, and unsubscribe from job alerts through your Indeed profile.

Make your job alerts as targeted as possible to weed out bad fits and focus your search. Once I start a search on Indeed, I like to narrow things down with additional fields such as pay, job type, and experience level before setting an alert. 

Tip: Look for industry-specific or niche job sites to get even more detailed. Built In, for example, focuses on jobs at tech companies, while FlexJobs is a specialized site for remote and online work.

5. Get your resume out there

Whether you’re actively looking for full-time work or just want to keep your options open, it’s a good idea to splash your resume around. Once it’s out there, you might start getting calls, texts, or emails from recruiters. That doesn’t mean that all the opportunities will be a good fit, but they can help you adjust your requirements and build a bigger network.

Most job sites allow you to create a profile and upload your resume to it. This allows recruiters and potential employers to review it, send you relevant job posts, and invite you to apply for them.

If you want to set up a profile on ZipRecruiter, for example, just go to the website, and answer a few questions about what you’re looking for (like how soon you want to find a job, job titles, and ideal salary). Once you’ve created your account, go to the Resume section of your profile, follow the instructions to upload your file, and fill out your profile. Don’t forget to set your profile to public so employers can see it.

It’s not easy putting yourself out there, but social media is another good spot to post your resume. On LinkedIn, people will expect it, so you can attach it to a post (you should also upload your resume to apply for jobs). On X, Instagram, and other less career-focused social media sites, you might just add a link in your bio.

Tip: Upload your resume to major platforms even if you’re looking for freelance work. Applying to full-time jobs can help you get your foot in the door or negotiate a contract. And it works the other way too—there might be freelance-to-hire opportunities.

6. Leverage AI

There are all sorts of impressive AI-powered job search tools out there, and you shouldn’t overlook them. They can help you find good-fit roles, get noticed by recruiters, nail your cover letter and resume, and even practice your interviews and negotiation skills.

Nothing can replace your human brain—they’re hiring you, not a bot, after all—but using AI can get you one step closer to landing a job. For specific tips, read AI job search tips: 10 AI tools to help you land your next job.

Happy job hunting

Job hunting is stressful and overwhelming—no question there—but a plan can help. The tips I’ve shared have come through a lot of trial and error, and I still have a lot to learn. So test them out and tweak them to make them your own. 

Related reading: