Create a job search strategy

To achieve your job goals, you need to know where to look for work.

Many jobs are advertised in the open job market, but the majority are not. They are found in the ‘hidden’ job market. They require to you take the initiative and approach employers to ask for work.

The open job market

The open job market refers to vacancies that are publicly advertised. You’ll find them in the following places.

Centrelink

When you register with Centrelink, they will give you information about searching for jobs and Centrelink services or programs you might be eligible for. In Centrelink offices, you can use the touch screens to view jobs on Australian JobSearch.

Visit the Centrelink home page to find out about their other services.

Career or job expos

Some recruitment agencies, universities and industries hold job expos. At a job expo, industries promote themselves as career options, and employers give out information about employment with their companies and list their current vacancies.

You can often apply for a position right there at the expo, so take a few copies of your resume with you, and be prepared in case there’s an opportunity for an on-the-spot interview.

Newspapers

Only about 20–30 per cent of all available jobs are advertised. Competition for the jobs advertised in the newspaper is strong. Keep an eye on the classifieds, but don't make them your main source of job leads.

Jobs are advertised daily, but mostly on Wednesdays and Saturdays in Australia's major newspapers. Most jobs are advertised in the careers or employment section of the classifieds, but some jobs are placed in the main news section, or in the business section.

Read the careers and employment sections of newspapers thoroughly. Advertisements are usually grouped by profession and industry, but the job that suits you may be under one of the other headings.

Job titles can be confusing. They can mean different things in different workplaces, and requirements for jobs that sound the same may vary. Read the job descriptions and requirements carefully to make sure you don’t miss a suitable job.

Take your newspaper search one step further. Note the employers who are advertising positions. If you’re interested in the kind of jobs they have, find out who their competitors are, or other employers who operate in similar industries. Approach those employers, too, about possible current or future vacancies.

Don’t just read the ads. More general articles in the career and employment section, or in the business section, will tell you about trends, businesses or projects that are starting up or expanding. You can apply before jobs are even advertised.

Don't forget to check your local papers, too. The job you want may be just around the corner from you.

When you find a job that looks good, you might find this article useful in deciding how to go for it.

Radio

Some radio stations regularly broadcast local job vacancies. Listen in for these ‘job spots’.

Internet

The Internet is becoming increasingly popular as a place to advertise and search for jobs.

A wide range of employers lodge job vacancies with recruitment agencies, who advertise them online.

Internet job searching is convenient, because you can:

  • visit the government’s Australian JobSearch site and search the National Vacancy Database
  • visit privately run job search sites. Jobs are searchable by category, and you can apply for many of them online.
  • search by industry, by job type, and/or by location
  • lodge your resume in an agency’s resume database
  • register to have e-mails sent to you alerting you to job vacancies you might be interested in
  • obtain job descriptions and send applications by e-mail.

Some job sites specialise in specific industries or areas, such as information technology or hospitality. Some sites cater for special groups such as older workers, volunteers, people going overseas or people with special needs.

Visit Work Opportunities on myfuture to find job sites that are right for you.

Many workplaces advertise vacancies or career opportunities on their home page, and with some you can lodge your details online.

Australian JobSearch

 JobSearch is one of Australia’s largest online job boards allowing job seekers to search for job vacancies across Australia.

You can explore the database using the touch screens at Centrelink and Job Network members’ offices, and some community locations, or on the Internet at JobSearch. The database has over 90,000 job vacancies at any one time. You can search Australia wide, or within a region or city.

Check the AJS regularly, as vacancies are added all the time. They are also removed as soon as they’re filled, so respond quickly if you find one that looks good.

Public Service

The Australian and state or territory governments advertise for a wide range of staff in the general press, and periodically recruit for entry-level (graduate) positions.

Permanent vacancies are advertised in the Australian Public Service Gazette, which is published each Thursday and is available at most public libraries or online. Most jobs in the Gazette are open to external applicants (people who aren’t already employed by the Australian Public Service—APS).

Graduate recruitment for the APS is now carried out by individual departments, usually during March and August.

To learn more about government agencies, go to the Australian Government's home page and visit each agency's home website.

Defence Services

Find army, navy and air force job opportunities on the Job Network touch screens or website. Select the category ‘Defence’ and follow the prompts.

Alternatively, go to Defence Jobs.

Job Network members

Job Network members are private and community organisations dedicated to finding jobs for unemployed people. They are funded by the Australian Government to provide a range of employment and training related services.

You can get more information about Job Network services and members from the Job Network  website.  You can search Job Network vacancies using Australian JobSearch.

Employment agencies

Usually an employment agency will ask you to complete a registration or application form. For certain kinds of jobs—computing or administration, for example—they may conduct tests of your skills (e.g. typing speed, spelling, numeracy or various word processing tasks).

Employment agencies can be useful to you. They know about job leads that aren’t advertised elsewhere. They’re active in tracking down new job openings. Employers come to them with job vacancies, and many employers have exclusive arrangements with certain employment agencies.

Employment agencies differ in their focus and size, and in the services they provide.

  • They can be small business enterprises run by individuals, or branches of large international corporations.
  • They may specialise in one occupational area, or in several related areas.
  • Some specialise in entry-level positions, others in executive jobs.
  • Some offer training, such as Advanced Word Processing, to help you upgrade your skills.

Find and use agencies that suit your needs.

Privately run employment agencies are set up to match people to jobs. You register with them as available for work, and they contact you when employers lodge suitable positions with them. The more agencies you register with, the greater the chance of being referred to a job.

To find an appropriate agency, look under ‘Employment agencies’ in the Yellow Pages, and take note of the agencies that offer attractive jobs in the newspapers.

Tip!

  • Once you’ve registered with an agency, don't sit back and wait for them to do all the work. Continue to manage your job search, and regularly contact the agency to make sure they haven’t forgotten you.
  • Prepare for your meeting with an employment agency as you would for an interview; dress appropriately.
  • Always be courteous in your dealings with agencies, as they will be the ones who recommend you—or don’t recommend you—to employers.

Tertiary institution careers services

If you’re studying or a graduate, your university or tertiary institution’s careers and employment service can tell you about current and upcoming job vacancies.

Go to the Graduate Careers Australia website. Select ‘Campus Contacts’ and click on the name of your university to find the centre’s contact details.

Labour hire or temporary agencies

Just like employment agencies, privately run labour hire or temp agencies match available workers to available jobs.

Unlike employment agencies, which fill employers’ jobs and charge the employer a flat fee, the labour hire or temporary agency actually employs the workers it deals with. Once registered with the agency, you become its employee whenever you are on temporary assignments or projects where it has placed you.

Temporary jobs are an excellent way to build up your skills and get experience while earning money. Many people get full-time work after they’ve spent time in temporary positions, as some employers use temp agencies to evaluate workers before they offer them permanent employment.

Group training organisations

Group training organisations employ apprentices and trainees and place them with ‘host employers’. As an apprentice or trainee with a group training organisation, you are assured of continuous work and training.

Professional and industry journals

Professional and industry journals often carry job advertisements, or run in-depth articles about industry trends.

You might want to subscribe to these journals if they regularly advertise jobs you’re interested in, or you might be able to find them in local, university or TAFE libraries.

Notice boards

Keep an eye out for job vacancy notices in such places as:

  • shop windows
  • shop counters
  • community notice boards (often found at supermarkets, libraries, shopping centres)
  • at the front entrance to a business
  • near on-site projects
  • outside factory gates.

The hidden job market

Many employers need workers, but don’t advertise jobs. Others circulate information about upcoming jobs before they advertise them. This ‘hidden’ job market requires you to be a bit more self-motivated than the open job market does.

Networking is one way you can find out about jobs that aren’t advertised, or are not yet advertised. Start off by researching the industries you’re interested in. The Yellow Pages is one place to start, but there are other sources where you can find contact details and information about employers. Write down a list of employers you think it would be useful to approach for work.

Approach employers confidently and with a clear idea of how you can meet their needs. This shows that you can take the initiative and are committed to finding the right job for you. There is always the possibility that an employer will create a position after meeting you and realising that they can use your skills.

This article about researching jobs, employers and their needs may help you.