How You'll Find A New Job In 2015

Social media will play a bigger role in job searches this year—but traditional methods of job hunting aren't dead

The new year means that job hunting is back on the radar of many people reassessing their work lives.
Dan Finnigan, CEO of Jobvite, an applicant tracking and social recruiting software company, says 70% of today’s workforce is either actively looking for another job or is open to hearing about a new job opportunity. And the younger you are, the more active you’re likely to be in your job search. "If you’re in your 20s now and a recent college graduate, you’re going to hold between 15 and 20 jobs in your career. That means you’re going to change jobs every three to four years and it means you’re always looking," says Finnigan.
Along with this new job-hunting boom comes some changes in how job hunters and employers are finding their match. The following are the top five job search strategies that will reign supreme in 2015:

Goodbye Job Boards, Hello Social Recruiting

No longer are job boards the primary vehicle used by job seekers. More and more job seekers and employers are taking their search to social networking sites. In a recent survey conducted by Jobvite, 79% of recruiters reported they’d found candidates through LinkedIn. Twenty-six percent reported finding candidates through Facebook, and 14% through Twitter. This means in order to get noticed, job seekers will need to pay more attention to their online activity; creating and optimizing profiles and keeping profiles up-to-date.

Job Seekers Will Become More Educated About Employers

Today’s job seekers are looking for more than just a salary; they’re looking for a company culture. No longer are job seekers simply reviewing a job posting, they’re also visiting career websites such as Glassdoor and Vault to read company reviews and doing Google searches to see what comments people have made about the company, and the salaries and benefits offered to decide whether or not an employer is worthy of their time prior to sending out their resume.

Companies Will Target Marketing To Job Seekers

With job seekers becoming more educated about employers, Finnigan says companies will need to invest more time in building an employer brand, marketing themselves as an employer in the same way that they market their products.

Face-To-Face Networking Isn’t Dead

Roberta Matuson, president of Matuson Consulting and author of Talent Magnetism: How to Build a Workplace that Attracts and Keeps the Best, says a crowded social media space means job seekers can stand out by engaging in face-to-face networking.
Matuson recommends joining a local career association. But, she adds, simply joining isn’t enough. You need to get involved by joining a committee or volunteering at the association’s functions. "You have to get out. You can’t just sit at home and apply for a job," says Matuson.

Job Seekers Will Cast A Wide Net

No longer is looking for a job as simple as visiting an online job board or flipping through the classifieds. Since many companies today don’t even post career opportunities on their websites, connecting with online and offline networks will become key for job seekers. Matuson recommends job seekers write a list of everyone they know who may be able to help in their search and be specific about the type of opportunity they’re looking for.
Increasingly, job hunters are tapping into their social networks and connecting with peers who are currently employed in their chosen field to find out about job opportunities that haven’t been posted publicly.