Searching Craigslist for Jobs

Searching for a job online can be an exciting adventure as well as a treacherous minefield, depending on the avenue you take. The popularity of Craigslist has become a new tool for finding local opportunities for Part-time and Full-time employment. There are a few simple guidelines you can use to make this process work, but as with any public site there are always people taking advantage of the free service for personal gain.

1) It's a free site: Know that the author is probably in a small business scenario. Most if not all large corporations will make official posts and work through their HR dept. to initiate job openings. If a company feels the need to post such a job due to lack of internal interest they typically use one if not all of the major Job sites (Monster, Career Builder, etc.). The normal company or business looking for talent on Craigslist are small office's, restaurants, and start up's.

2) If it sounds too good to be true, it is: There are many specialized sites and services that post incorrectly to try and gain business. The most common way is to redirect you to another site or you are asked to pay a fee to receive more information about these offers or jobs. Remember you are looking for a job not supporting someone else's.

3) Avoid ambiguous claims and vague detailed posts: Look for buzzwords such as "No Experience", "Tired of Food Service", and "Unlimited Potential". If a job was ever this good they would not need to beg you to apply.

4) Look for contact details and location: If the post is legitimate most of the time a potential employer will put a contact number, or at least a name and address of the business. If they are looking for applicants typically they do not care where they come from. This will also let you get background information on the company or business prior to applying which will help to identify if this opportunity is for you.

5) Gig's is a great way to find project work: When searching Craigslist don't limit yourself to jobs but also review the gig's section. There can be great opportunities that can turn into full time jobs.

6) Cross reference with other job sites: If you see a job posting that looks professional and is something you are interested in try searching for the same opportunity on one of the major job sites. Typically they're much more detailed and can possibly have a submission spot other than online, which usually get better viewing than a Craigslist reply.

7) Search for what you want: Use the search feature and categories to find the job you are looking for. If the job your looking for isn't there don't lower your standards until you find something. Jobs are posted Daily and sometimes even filled daily. Be patient and stay true to your goal.

Searching Craigslist can give you opportunities previously only known by locals and word of mouth but it can also send you down the wrong path if unchecked. Remember, finding a job is a process and there are no quick fixes. Take your time and have fun searching.