If you’re starting a marketing job search, you might go straight to a major career listing website.

That isn’t a bad place to begin. In fact, they can be a great starting place for finding opportunities.

However, they have some downsides. For one, everyone uses those sites. If you apply for a job on one of them, you’re probably competing against hundreds of other applicants too.

So, if you’re serious about advancing your career, you might need to get more creative. Some of the best opportunities out there are never publicly listed, and sometimes, exhausting all available avenues is the fastest way to find what you’re looking for.

That means scoping out sites others overlook. It’s also important to get out of the house, and meet real people face-to-face who can help point you in the right direction. This might sound like a lot of work, but when you’re job hunting, finding your next landing spot is your full-time job.

Don’t let yourself be outworked before the real work begins.

In this post, you’ll learn:

• Where to find companies looking to fill positions.
• How to do some real-world networking.
• Unconventional ways to get an employer’s attention.

Plus, you’ll get one free tool to help keep yourself organized …

… Download Your Free Marketing Job Hunting Spreadsheet

Once you start this process, you’ll have lots of listings and contacts to keep track of. In order to keep everything organized, use this free spreadsheet. It includes fields for tracking everywhere you apply, openings you find most interesting, people you meet, and more.

Plus, you’ll get a free marketing resume template. Together, these two resources will save you time, and get you closer to landing the job you want.

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Common Marketing Job Titles You’ll Likely Find

If you’ve started a career in the industry, and are looking to make the next step forward, you likely know which type of specific role you’re looking for. But, what if you’re starting fresh, or aren’t sure whether you’re ready to reach for the next rung on the ladder?

Sometimes, reviewing marketing openings can be confusing because companies get cute with “creative” job titles. Who even knows what a “social media guru” or “content ninja” really does, anyway?

To make things a bit more simple, here are some common roles and titles you might encounter during your job hunt. They’re loosely grouped under a handful of areas:

What Does the Marketing Hiring Forecast Look Like?

There are open positions for marketers all over the world. But, some markets are hotter than others. So, where is the bulk of hiring happening, what does the future look like, and what skills and roles are most in demand?

Starting With General Job Listing Sites

This is the most obvious place to start. While it’s true that the jobs you find here will be highly competitive, it never hurts to throw your hat in the ring. And who knows, you just might find exactly what you’re looking for.

Indeed

This is perhaps the 800lb. gorilla in the job website space. It’s clean, loaded with opportunities, and easy to search. Most major companies will include openings here, and in comparison to similar sites, it might be the best.

See Other Sites

Monster

Monster is similar to Indeed, and has been around for years. Likewise, this is a good place to find big-time opportunities with large companies.

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Glassdoor

The primary advantage Glassdoor has over other sites is it includes direct reviews from present and past employees at every company it lists. It requires registration, but it’s worthwhile to get unvarnished insight into whether a company is a good place to work, or the right fit for you.

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Google Jobs

This isn't its own service, but rather a means for Google to curate job listings from other sources on the search engine. Google searches for job listings will now populate a featured box at the top of the SERP.

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Career Builder

Similar to Indeed, Monster, and the like. It appears to fallen out of favor somewhat compared to bigger players in the space, but it’s not a bad place to look.

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Zip Recruiter

When it comes to job hunting, according to ZipRecuiter’s home page, “there’s no need to look anywhere else.” That’s a bold proclamation, but to their credit, the site does take a unique approach to connecting applicants to hiring managers:

• You upload your resume.
• Apply to jobs in one click.
• Then, you can see all kinds of stuff, like how often your application has been reviewed.

In short, this sounds like an easy way to put yourself out there, and let hiring managers seek you out.

See Other Sites

LinkedIn

If you aren’t active on LinkedIn, now is the time to start. It’s easy to think of it as the boring professional alternative to Facebook, but that perception is erroneous. Lots of companies share opportunities here, and a lot of current employees at those companies share those listings, as well. This is also a good place to shamelessly promote the fact that you’re looking.

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Craigslist

No joke: this is where I found my first full-time job in the industry (at a multi-million dollar ecommerce company). While Craiglist sometimes gets overrun with low-quality direct or door-to-door sales jobs that are passed off as “marketing” positions, you can find some gold here, too.

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Idealist

This is the place to go if you’re looking to make a change in the world. Focused on philanthropic and mission-driven opportunities, you can find marketing and communications jobs with activist organizations, non-profits, charitable organizations, and more here.

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Commongood

Another site similar to Idealist, but focused more specifically on non-profits.

Moving Onto Marketing Industry-Specific Job Listing Sites

The Drum

This popular industry blog features a well-curated careers listing page for jobs in the UK.

See More Sites

PR Crossing

This is the place to go for curated listings in the public relations industry.

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Creative Pool

Described as a networking tool for creative professionals, it’s focused heavily on jobs in the UK and Europe. It offers more than just job listings too, with an active blog and other career development resources.

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Behance

Behance is most specifically targeted toward designers, but creative copywriters might find opportunities here, too. It’s worth a look if you’re chasing an agency job.

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Contena

A newer entry on the scene, Contena is a paid service that helps connects freelance content creators with remote opportunities. The upfront cost is a little steep, but if you’re serious about living the work-from-home life (which appears to be a focus here), it may be worth checking out.

AMA

The American Marketing Association maintains an active job listings section.

See More Sites

Mashable

Here’s one that might come as a surprise: Mashable maintains a marketing and PR jobs board. It’s not a lazy tacked-on page, either. It appears to be well-curated and deserving of consideration.

See More Sites

Talent Zoo

A great resource for advertising, marketing, and creative jobs. It’s like Indeed or Monster, but focused entirely on marketing opportunities.

See More Sites

Visit Your State’s Department of Employment Website

Most states have some sort of employment website. You might not find actual job listings here, but you can find tons of helpful educational resources on job hunting in general, including advice on what to do if you’re laid off (in case that’s the reason why you’re looking for work.

Try Some Simple Google Searches

Once you’ve trawled through some job listing sites, try some simple search engine queries. This can help surface positions that might be listed on company’s own sites.

All you need to do is search [JOB TITLE/DISCIPLINE] + [CITY/STATE/COUNTRY].

Here’s an example of search from my city (note the listing from Microsoft):

Sometimes, this is all it takes to find what you’re looking for. Note, also, that all three of these listings are served up from other sites (CareerBuilder, Glassdoor, and ZipRecruiter).

Scope Out Opportunities on Twitter and LinkedIn

If you already have a professional following on Twitter, let them know you’re searching for new opportunities (as long as your current employer won’t be concerned to hear this). Or, just put a word out there even if you aren’t primarily using Twitter for work; someone you know, might know someone you want to know.

Borrow some of this copy-and-paste tweet template:

Hey friends! I’m searching for my next opportunity in [FIELD/DISCIPLINE/MARKETING NICHE]. I have [YEARS OF EXPERIENCE] and I’m ready to make an impact.

The same goes (perhaps even more obviously) for LinkedIn. People are on the site to establish their professional reputation and network. So, let people know you’re looking. As previously established, you can also find public job listings here.

Reaching Out on LinkedIn

If you’ve ever wondered why LinkedIn is useful, my last two jobs were facilitated in part by LinkedIn outreach. If there is someone who works at a company you’d like to be at (or if you’re a hiring manager looking to add a team member), consider sending them a polite message asking if they’d be interested in getting coffee to talk shop.

Oftentimes, people will be flattered that you see them as an expert. Plus, this can also show initiative.

Now, tread lightly here. Avoid sending connection requests to people you don’t know with no context or message, and don’t come on too strong, either. If someone is local and there’s a chance you run in the same industry circles already, though, it doesn’t hurt to reach out.

Do a simple search on LinkedIn:

Then, send a simple message:

Hi,

My name is [NAME], and I’m a [ROLE] at [COMPANY]. I’m interested in learning more about [COMPANY/ROLE], and am curious if you would like to grab coffee at [LOCAL COFFEE SHOP].

The worst that can happen is you don’t get a response. But, if you’re new to the business, sometimes you have to force your way in, and this is an effective way to start building connections while showing you’re serious about the work.

Go Directly to Company Websites

Is there a company you dream about working for? Then just check out their careers page and see if they’re hiring. No need to make this any more complicated than that.

Then, submit your application. While it’s inadvisable to put all your eggs in one basket, there’s nothing wrong with reaching for jobs you might think are too competitive or beyond your grasp. Have some faith in yourself.

Visit Local Networking Events

So far, this post has covered ways to find jobs without leaving home. Now, it’s time to get down to the brass tacks of doing actual networking in the real world.

This can be intimidating, especially if you’re an introverted individual. If that’s the case for you though, just remember a lot of people are nervous going into new places or meeting new people. The payoffs here easily outweigh that discomfort.

First, try finding some industry events or organizations in your area. These might include:

• Meetups: Many cities have active marketing Meetup.org events.
• Industry Organizations: The PRSA, American Advertising Federation, and others often host regular events.
• Local Networking Events: Even general business networking events can put you in touch with companies looking to hire for marketing roles.

To find these events:

• Do a search on Google, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
• Scope out Meetup.org and do some keyword searches for marketing meetups.
• Check with your local Chamber of Commerce.

If you hate networking but have to do it, this video from Complex offers some useful advice:

Making the Most of Professional Events for Finding New Job Opportunities

The key to making events like these work for you is to build genuine relationships with people.

You might directly hear about job openings, especially if hosts, guests, or attendees are hiring. It’s also not a bad idea to let people you meet know you’re actively looking for something new.

But, avoid hard selling yourself to people you don’t know. Focus on getting to know people and building connections over time. This is more likely to help you find your next opportunity than hounding people or coming off like you’re trying too hard.

Consider Starting a Blog

Blogging your way into a job can take a lot of effort. However, that’s exactly how CoSchedule’s Head of Demand Generation, Nathan Ellering, caught the company’s attention. It’s a good way to show what you know, demonstrate your writing ability, and maybe even build an audience for yourself.

Before you consider going this route, check the following boxes:

• Have a focus or an angle. What’s your perspective, or what area of marketing will you focus on?
• Commit to a basic publishing schedule. Even if it’s just a post every couple weeks, hold yourself accountable to staying consistent.
• Don’t stress too much about it. If the goal is to get yourself hired, then don’t worry too much about not getting tons of traffic or social shares. The idea is to get in front of the right people, and maybe have something you can add to a resume.

Keeping Your Job Hunt Organized

Now, as you progress through your journey in career advancement, you’ll meet a lot of people, find lots of listings, and send out a ton of applications. In fact, it’s not unheard of for people to send literally dozens of resumes and going on multiple interviews before securing a position.

It can be enough to make your head spin. So, how do you keep track of it all?

Try using the template included in this post (click here to jump up to the download form). It includes everything you need to store interesting listings, keep track of where you’ve applied, and more.

At the bottom, you’ll find three tabs: Opportunities, Contacts, and Interviews:

Here’s what to include under each one:

• Opportunities: Track your job leads here. Add companies, job postings, notes, and details here.
• Contacts: If you meet people who might have leads for you, keep track of their names and contact information under this tab.
• Interviews: Going on multiple interviews at different companies? Note the dates and results of each one here.

If you’re sending out a high volume of applications, this will help maintain sanity.

Now, Go Get Yourself Hired

That covers what you need to know about getting your next (or even first) marketing job. Here’s a recap:

• This post covered tons of different places to find open opportunities.
• It also went over how to find jobs that aren’t advertised.
• Some outside-the-box ways to put yourself out there.

And tons more. So, now that you’ve got the information you need, there’s only one thing left to do: kick off your job hunt and take your career where you want to go.

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