Career Advice for Job Seekers

5 Guerrilla Job Search Tactics

Jason Kay AvatarJason Kay
October 12, 2012


Young man kneeling in a position as if to race

Young man kneeling in a position as if to race. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

The term ‘guerrilla’ actually means ‘little war’ in Spanish and was first named after the tactics used by a tiny group of Spanish soldiers when they fought against Napoleon from 1807-1814 during the Peninsular War. The tactic involves using your own strength to expose an enemy’s weakness. When it comes to searching for jobs in such a crowded marketplace, you need to consider your fellow applicants as ‘enemies’ if you wish to land the job. You also need to use unorthodox tactics and not be as generic or as dull as other jobseekers. Above all, never restrict your job search to online sites as there are a myriad of other options out there. Below are 5 guerrilla job hunting tactics you can use to great effect.

Start Phoning Up Companies
It sounds so simple but few jobseekers would ever dare contact a company they were interested in working for and introducing themselves. Instead, they wait for vacancies and compete with hundreds of other applicants. Contact the company and let them know who referred them to you. They’ll probably be busy the first time you contact them but persist via emails and phone messages and eventually they’ll get back to you. If there are vacancies, you’ll be the first to know.

Start Targeting Companies
It is a mistake to wait patiently for your ideal job to come up. Start researching companies that interest you and get in touch with them. Find out about their industry, their competitors and their methodology. Forget about searching for a job, start searching for a company.

Come To The Interview Ready To Work
If you get as far as the interview stage, you still have a major hurdle to climb. Other interviewees will be just as likely as you to be hired so you need to make an impression. A great way to do this is by showing the employer that you are ready to work straight away. For example, if you are applying for a sales job, have a list of leads with you in the interview room. This shows the hiring team that you’re deadly serious about the job and you’re already adding value to the company.

Social Networking
A common mistake made by people who use social networks is that they try and get jobs from sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. It’s far better to focus on building relationships on these sites. You use these sites to network in the same way you would mingle with people at parties. You get to know people and extend your list of contacts. That way, if a job does come available, you’ll know before anyone else.

Don’t Turn Down Temp Roles
A lot of people turn down temp roles without seeing the bigger picture. Now that you’re in the company, you can easily get in touch with important people by inviting them to lunch or even coffee. Network within the company, become known and benefit from a formal interview.

The above tactics are unusual insofar as they are seldom followed by jobseekers. The typical applicant is rejected consistently, don’t follow this lead. Follow your own path and take on a guerrilla job seeking strategy for better results.

Jason Kay is a professional resume writer and believes every job candidate should create a website to post their resume and relevant information online.

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