Tips for Searching Jobs on Craigslist

Unemployment is reaching biblical proportions with people across all sectors facing a shrinking economy and mass layoffs. With supply for skills far exceeding the demand, there is aggressive competition at all levels.

Many people have warmed up to the idea of temporarily quitting their lines of profession and looking for any job that can do. For instance, an electrical engineer who may have designed electric circuit for years can use his skills in technical writing to seek jobs in the broad area of writing. In fact, there have been recent reports of highly qualified individuals taking up very diverse or even low-end jobs to make ends meet.

One place to look for jobs in diverse fields is Craigslist. Here many employers post ads for openings as Craigslist charges a nominal fee for advertising or allows free postings. Their 'jobs' section lists opening under various categories. However, it is not a portal designed for job-search. So it is not very user-friendly and you may miss good opportunities if you do not navigate the site properly. Here are some tips to get the most from Craigslist.

- Many jobs may qualify to get listed under multiple headings but may be listed only under one. For example, a job for medical patent-related search may be listed under 'writing/editing' but will also be suitable for someone with a background in healthcare but may not be listed under 'biotech / science'. So be sure to search under multiple headings.

- A search through Craigslist's search box is not always thorough. Abbreviations and spelling errors in the ads may not show up with your chosen keywords. So be sure to browse the positions under the various topics.

- If you are open to working in neighboring regions, be sure to search the postings under the ads for those regions. You cannot do a combined search for jobs across multiple neighborhoods on Craigslist.

- If you are looking to telecommute, there is no easy way to find such opening on the site. You have to patiently browse through ads across multiple locations.

- Part-time positions are not exclusively listed under the section 'part-time'. So it is again important to read all ads.

- Some ads that do not list the employer details could be fake/hoax. You must be careful not to spend too much time/resources following up on those. Avoid giving too much of personal information in your first contact with the advertiser.

- Look up gigs for short-term assignments. Many of those could eventually lead to a full-time job based on your performance.

- You can also advertize as a freelancer under the services section. Be sure to include keywords describing your skills and qualifications so that you show up in a potential employer's search.

If you plan on starting a venture of your own, you may also find like-minded seekers on Craigslist willing to partner with you. So search with an open-mind - you are bound to find something to your liking.