Balance Your Job Search

They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Therefore, using the same job search resources over and over could be considered insane.

Relying solely on one method of job hunting -- whether it's online job boards or career fairs -- is just not going to get it done in this difficult job market. You should use multiple sources in to get the best results. Here are five other resources that you can use in conjunction with traditional means to really boost your job search:

• Let every one in your network know you are looking for a job. Organizations sometimes let their employees know when they are hiring for a new position. Your contacts would surely want to share that with you, but they won't know to if they don't know you are looking for work.
• Contact recruiters to tap into their unique connections. They will also be able to offer you more advice on how to best go about applying for work.
• Follow the nonprofits that you are passionate about joining on their Facebook or Twitter pages. That way you will be one of the first to know when they are hiring.
• Remember when people used to look in newspapers for wanted ads? Organizations still use this resource from time to time, so it can still be a great place to look for open positions.
• Finally, make use of Craigslist. People generally think of the popular online-classified site as a place to buy cheap furniture or find apartments, but employers often place jobs ads there as well. There are Craigslist pages for most of the major cities in the U.S., so it's  very easy to narrow down your search by location.