How to find a job in computers

Earlier today Jeffrey C. asked a very common question:  How do I find a job in computers?

Finding a job in any market can seem like a daunting task, but it can be much more difficult if you do it the wrong way.  By doing it the wrong way, what I mean is the same way everyone else is doing it!

When you search for a job, where do you go?  Nearly everyone looks in the newspaper, or on the major job search sites such as Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, etc.  But this can actually be a big mistake!  Why?  Because everyone else is doing the same thing.  One of the main requirements to getting a job is to seperate yourself from the pack, and by doing what everyone else goes you are doing the exact opposite.

Ask anyone who knows about job searching, and they’ll tell you the one approach that leads to great jobs more than any other:  Networking.  Not networking in the technology sense, but networking in the community sense.  Networking is the act of meeting as many people as you can and building relationships with them to gain opportunities and friendships that you wouldn’t otherwise have.

At a recent job conference, a job search professional claimed that less than 10% of jobs make their way to classified newspaper ads and online job sites.  Even if you claimed that computer jobs are more likely to make it online (due to job posts being made by IT professionals), an estimate of 25% would be extremely optimistic.

So, by searching for jobs via the newspaper and online search engines, you are not only significantly reducing the number of job openings available to you, but you are competing for those jobs with thousands of other job searchers who are doing the same exact thing.  If you want to enhance your chance of finding a great computer job, you have to network in your area and build relationships that grant you access to the other 75-90% of the jobs that are available!

To learn more about finding a computer job and how to network, visit www.UltimateITHandbook.com