Looking for a job today is very difficult, but that doesn’t mean that jobs aren’t out there.  Some companies are still hiring; you simply need to know where to find those elusive job openings.  The days of looking in the classified of the newspapers are somewhat over; newspapers themselves are reporting that many employers are simply not placing the ads with them that they used to.  This doesn’t mean that newspapers aren’t involved with job openings; usually you simply need to check their website online to find them.  Classified today are supported more by websites than by actual newspapers, so check and see if your local newspaper has a website where they’ve posted the classifieds.

You can also find job openings at other websites, not just for the newspapers.  Of course most people know to use moster.com or hotjobs.com but these aren’t the only places to find those postings.  Many fields and industries have their own job boards and forums where employers post positions.  They prefer to use these field-specific boards for their job openings because they assume they’ll get more qualified candidates and won’t get as many generic resumes submitted.  You can even try local boards like craigslist.com to find jobs.  The point is that you want to take your time when doing an internet search and browse as many boards as possible; you never know where you’ll find job openings that are perfect for you.

Another great place to look is the website of your state government.  Most states have a department that specifically handles employment and hiring and usually provide a board designed for job openings.  Start with your state’s website and you’ll probably find a link on the home page with jobs.

Local colleges and universities also typically have job openings on their website.  This is a great place for those looking for entry level jobs or those that don’t require a lot of experience as they’re typically geared toward students and those who have just graduated.  You might not find job openings geared toward professionals but you can often find many different opportunities through the local college.

You’ll probably also find some job openings at companies that are hiring.  This might be a sign they put on the counter but may also be on their website.  Many companies simply post job openings on their own website and nowhere else; they do this because they prefer the candidate to do the work of searching for the job rather than doing the work themselves of looking for the candidate.  You can check local companies that provide services in the field in which you work and browse their website for positions.  Typically you can also submit a resume through their website which will then stay in their records for six months or a year, in case there are openings in the future.  So check out the websites of local companies for job openings they may have and put your resume in even if you don’t see any openings at the moment.