What Color Is Your Parachute 2018 by Richard N. Bolles copy

3. Answering local newspaper ads. This method works somewhere
between 5% of the time, on up to 24% (at best). 3
With this method, you answer “help wanted ads” in your local
newspaper, especially the Sunday edition, assuming your city or town
still has a newspaper, online or in print, or both. See www.​job-hunt.​
org/​findingjobs/​findingjobs_classifieds.​shtml for how to use them.
As for a directory of online newspapers from around the U.S., your
best bet is www.​usnpl.​com.
The fluctuation between 5% and 24% is due to the level of salary
that is being sought; those job-hunters looking for low-level salary
jobs find this method works 24% of the time. Those looking for a
high salary find it works only 5% of the time.
4. Going to private employment agencies or search firms for help.
This method apparently works somewhere between 5% of the time,
on up to 28% (at best). These agencies used to place just office
workers; now it’s hard to think of a category of jobs they don’t try to
place, especially in large metropolitan areas. A directory of these
firms in your area can be found at www.​yellowpages.​com. Into their
search engine put “Employment agencies” and the name of your local
town or city, to get the relevant listings. The wide variation in success
rate (5%–28%) is due to the fact that these agencies vary greatly in
their staffing (ranging from extremely competent on down to inept, or
running a scam). But, at their best, agencies are four times more
effective than just depending on your resume.
5. Answering ads in professional or trade journals, appropriate to
your field. This method apparently works only 7% of the time. The
method consists of looking at professional journals in your profession
or field, and answering any ads there that intrigue you. A directory of
these associations and their journals can be found at www.​
directoryofassociations.​com.
6. “Job Clubs.” There are hundreds of job-hunting groups that call
themselves “job clubs.” Sorry, they are not. Their job-hunting success
rate is usually around 10%, if that. They tend to meet only once a
week, and then for only a couple of hours, and may more accurately
be described as Job-Search Support Groups.
A true “job club” is something quite different. They have (or had)
a success rate of 84%.