A lot of people suffer a great deal of frustration when it comes to finding a job. Yes, part of it is that we’re still living in a difficult job market where it seems like there might be nothing out there for you. But ‘seems’ is the key word. If you’re relying entirely on job listings to find a new position, you might be looking in the wrong place. In fact, it’s said that half of all jobs are never advertised. So, how do you find them?

Put yourself out there

Simply put, the more chances you have to meet a potential employer, the better. Job fairs are a good place to start, but you can get a lot more involved with your networking.

If you have the skills suitable to a certain industry, then attend events where business leaders in that industry meetup. The internet offers even more chances, with LinkedIn being a great way to disseminate your skills and experience to exactly the right audience. If you know of a company you would like to work for, then take the first step. Don’t wait for them to advertise a job, visit the office and leave your CV. Initiative is always impressive, so take it.

Get friends in the right places

When people look for a hire, they’re likely going to look at more than creating a job description to put out there. They will go through the channels that give them access to people with just the skills they want. If they want to fill a payroll position, for instance, they will go to payroll consultants. To give yourself the best chance of being spotted, don’t be against using recruitment agencies and consultants that specialise in the career you want. They have reliably served as a link between employers and employees for a long time, now.

Strike out on your own

Take a closer look at your skills. Payroll, accounting, administration, design. There are a lot of skills that don’t necessarily need the guiding hand of an employer. Instead, you could hunt out your own clients and start working for yourself. Even if you would prefer a more permanent position, finding freelancing work can be a great way to look after yourself during your search.

Create a new role from the old

Maybe you’re in the right place in your career, but you’re not quite in the right department. For that reason, you should consider talking to your boss about creating a new role that you can fit. If it has genuine value to them and you can ease the transition from the old role to the new, you might find them more receptive than you would initially expect. This might mean doing plenty of research on how positions similar to your role have helped other businesses.

You need to get into the detail on the return on investment, and such. But if you can do that, it will not only show your boss the value of the role you want. It will show them that you have a mind for business that they will want to retain.

If you want the best chances of finding the right step in your career, you need to look beyond the listings. They’re a good start, but acting on your own initiative and using the right contacts can be a better end to your job search.

This post has been contributed by Ryan Gatt, it may contain affiliate links.