How to Find a Job as Quickly as Possible

So, you’ve found yourself unexpectedly unemployed! Don’t worry, I’m going to share with you four ways you can find a new job as quickly as possible- because bills are real. Continue reading on, or learn by watching the video below.

How to Find a Job as Quickly as Possible

You may have gotten fired, laid off, or perhaps even decided to take that leap of faith and quit your job. Wherever you are in your job search process, I want to make sure that you first have the base foundation of having your basic needs met. Only then can you start to really focus on your dreams and live a purposeful life. So going back to psychology 101, let’s take a look at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

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As you can see from this pyramid, self-actualization is at the very top. Self-actualization entails having everything you need to survive, living at your highest potential, and reaching great achievements. This is really the space where I see most people with dream jobs living.

From Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, we can see that you really need your basic needs met, which is your food, water, rent, etc. Without this basic foundation, it’s really hard to focus on the other layers of your pyramid, like connecting with others and building your esteem. Without securing this foundation, it’s difficult to feel like you have something to contribute and accomplish.

Are You Subconsciously Holding Yourself Back?

This is actually something I see a lot of the job seekers I coach struggle with. They haven’t fully stepped into their self-esteem. They don’t feel like they have a lot of worth or value to contribute, so they subconsciously hold themselves back from reaching the self-actualization part of the pyramid. That’s why I focus so heavily on helping my 1-1 coaching clients and Happily Hired Formula students boost their confidence and build self-esteem. I work with them to see the worth and the potential they have, instead of allowing them to continue to buy into all the limiting beliefs that hold them back from playing a bigger game.

Going back to our job search strategy, I really want to focus on your short term goal: getting cashflow and utilizing the skills and experience you already have. What can you immediately contribute to an employer or somebody who’s willing to give you money in exchange for your services? That brings me to the first way you can get a job as quickly as possible, which is to partner with temp agencies and staffing agencies to find a contractor role.

Partner With Temp Agencies To Find A Contractor Role

This is a great option for a number of reasons. You can get relevant experience and really look like you have fresh skills to offer to any employer because of your recent work employment history. It allows you to also see inside of a company and learn new processes, software systems, and cultures. It can also be a really great trial period for both parties! I’ve seen so many people start off as a temp, do a really amazing job, and end up in a full-time role created specifically for them as a result of their stellar performance.

Furthermore, it’s often a shorter recruiting cycle than a full-time job. Companies that are hiring for full-time employees typically take longer, with the average recruitment cycle taking 90 days. But for a temp, since there’s an immediate need and they’re not necessarily looking for somebody super long term, they don’t have to conduct as rigorous of an interview process. A temp assignment can be a really great way to get your foot in the door immediately and start to get a paycheck.

So how do you find temp agencies? You can just Google what you want to specialize in! So, for instance, you could search, “marketing staffing agencies” along with your city. You can go to those temp agencies’ websites and then go on LinkedIn and reach out directly to recruiters who work for these companies. You should aim to make your skillsets known, submit your resume, and/or have a phone conversation or an in-person meetup if they have a local office. The goal is to get registered, let them know what you’re looking for, and they will reach out to you about opportunities. When I was a temp agency recruiter, I would often have candidates come in and literally within the same week, if not the next day, I would send them out on an assignment.

Go To Career Fairs

The second method I would suggest is to go to career fairs. There are so many local events that are probably happening in your area. Jump on Eventbrite, search “career fair”, and see what populates. This is a really great opportunity to connect with a recruiter from one of the companies being represented at a career fair. Even if you aren’t a good fit for the roles offered at that particular moment, having a business card from the recruiters you meet is invaluable. With that connection, you can later follow up, send over your resume, and let them know what positions you’d be open to. I’ve had so many clients benefit from this exact strategy of networking!

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So if you do go to a career fair, don’t just think about the current jobs that they have, but go in with a mindset of building a connection and a relationship with recruiters. Act as if you’re walking into an actual interview. Stay professional, dress for the occasion, have your portfolio ready and at least 20 copies of your resume printed out. You just never know how many conversations you’re going to be able to spark! You always want to leave a positive impression because trust me, recruiters meet hundreds of people, but they will remember the ones that left a positive impression. Also, don’t forget to have your elevator pitch ready. If you would like an article on how to craft an amazing elevator pitch, let me know in the comments below and I’ll definitely write one for you guys.

Use Craigslist

Alright, so let’s move on to strategy number three, which I promise is not scammy: Craigslist! I personally used it all the time when I was a recruiter looking for candidates who would be willing to jump into both temp assignments as well as full-time assignments. Craigslist is recognized in almost every single metropolitan city. So go ahead and go to your city’s craigslist website, head to the jobs board and look through each of the categories. You can find legal jobs, accounting jobs, finance jobs- you can find a job in every industry on Craigslist. Go through which ones feel right to you based on your background and the immediate skills that you can contribute and take a look at the daily post. If it includes an official company email in the posting, you know it’s legit.

So go ahead and just try looking through. I’m sensing you’re going to find a gold mine of lesser-known opportunities, because not very many job seekers turn to Craigslist. But it truly is a hidden gem, especially for temp jobs. As a side note, Craigslist costs significantly less to post on than bigger job boards like ZipRecruiter, Monster, or Career Builder. So lots of companies, especially small companies, are adopting craigslist as a tool to post and advertise the jobs that they really need candidates to come in for.

Tap Into The Gig Economy

My final tip for you is to tap into the Gig economy. Let me be frank. There is nothing wrong with taking side jobs to pay the bills. If that requires you to bartend, drive an Uber, or walk a dog on Wag, by all means, go for it. I’ve actually seen people get jobs through their gig economy jobs through being in positions where they’re talking to people randomly. I have heard so many stories of Uber drivers picking up a passenger, and that passenger asking them for their resume. So it’s a perfect opportunity to not only get money but also to possibly meet your dream employer or colleague or coworker.

Also, don’t forget about freelance websites like UpWork or TaskRabbit. They allow you to put out your services and skills, and they don’t have to be technical. There are a lot of administrative jobs, teaching jobs, and educational instructor language jobs on there, for example. This allows you to give your time in exchange for money, but also again, being able to build up your portfolio.

Again, when you can focus on getting your basic needs met, then you can build up your pyramid ladder to finally reach self-actualization or land your dream job. This can take time, but once you have your basic needs met, I guarantee you you’re going to be able to create so much more space and energy and time to devote to what you’re ultimately seeking. So there’s nothing wrong with short term versus long term goals at all. It’s all about making sure that you’re in a safe and secure place, so you’re not constantly stressed out and worrying and feeling defeated or hopeless.

The Importance Of Investing In Yourself

With that in mind, I cannot emphasize how important it is for you to avoid just staying at the bottom base of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It’s really important to up-level your life and career once you create security and consistently cover your monthly expenses. In order to really progress in your life, you’ll need to make an investment in yourself.

What do I mean by this? This means that you’re actually getting support and expert guidance, whether it’s through your family, friends, mentors, or coaches and consultants to help you move towards your bigger goals. You want to go from where you are today to where you actually want to be. Most people cannot do this alone, they need guidance and support. And there’s nothing wrong with that! So if you need help with that, click the graphic below to schedule a FREE strategy call. I would love to talk to you about where you’re currently at and where you need to be. Let’s get you there as quickly as possible!