What is the best job search technique? Job Websites? Company websites? Head Hunters? How do you make these services work for you?

The best advice I ever got was to use networking; most people get jobs through contacts at the hiring company.

Find someone in the industry in which you are interested and ask them if they know anyone that is hiring someone with your skill set - don't ask them for a job, just ask for a reference. You will likely get several leads that way.

Asking for a reference instead of a job allows them to lower their defenses and gets them on your side as an advisor. If they have a job for you they will offer it, otherwise they will give you inside information they have about the industry and who is hiring.

Then call these leads and mention the person's name that referred you to them and again ask if they know anybody that is looking for someone like you. You will either get a job offer or more contacts.

The HR person that told me about this method said that by the time you get to the third layer of contacts you will likely have a job offer. I got a job in less than three levels when I tried this method.

At the same time I went through the library's computer disk of companies with million dollar / year income and sent a lot of cold resumes, tailored to that particular company. You can also search for business information about the company while you are in the library. The more you know about the company the better you will be at tailoring your resume to fit their needs.

You can also get leads at the local unemployment bureau and in the classified ads in your local paper.

Before you start sending out resumes however, it is important to get professional help in writing your resume. Any resumes you send out before you do that will be bridges you will have burned; you will never get a second chance to make a good first impression.

If you go about it right you will find that finding a job takes just as much dedication and effort as performing well in a job; the job hunt IS your job and you will need to apply yourself to it fully.

Good luck and happy hunting!

I would make sure you have an up to date and accurate LinkedIn profile to start with. That's where a lot of recruiters hang out and do most their hunting. Next you should start attending professional networking groups associated with the part of the industry you're trying to get into. I'm on the sales side of IT, but I still typically attend events hosted by PMI, IIBA, and HIMSS as a way of getting to know people and to learn more insights into current trends.

Depends on your skill set and your preferences. USAJOBS.gov is a great source to start.

I agree with a lot of the answers already posted - networking, updated LinkedIn page, a solid resume. Persistence is key. Make yourself easy to find by including relevant skills and keywords on your resume. Have your resume posted on CareerBuilder/Monster/etc. so that recruiters can find you. Follow up on applications and ask for the best person to contact going forward, what timeline you can expect to hear back - keep in mind there's a fine line between being proactive and being irritating. The last thing I would suggest is find what makes you stand out/unique and state it clearly, whether on the phone, profile, or resume. Something managers/recruiters will remember so even if this isn't the right opportunity, they will think of you later. If I can be of any assistance when gearing up for your job search, please do not hesitate to reach out!

It's all about the care and feeding of your network, socially and professionally. Always have a good solid LinkedIn profile and don't forget to meet, follow and keep up with people in your network. Towards the end of your enlistment or commission, reach out to the local Veterans Service organizations and County Job Centers. These people can be a very important part of your network as well. Retirees, don't overlook the local Senior agencies in your area. As a 50 yr old, I qualified for assistance with job searches through the local agency.

Again, it's all about your network and how you make it grow. Much like the network you had in the military, the more contacts you have, the more you can get things done.

PO2 Matthew Forney, It is all about networking. Check out the meetup website for groups in your area for the fields you are interested. In the IT field here in Jacksonville, FL there are over 30 different meetup groups dedicated to IT (Server, security, SQL Server, all development languages you can think of, and even a bit coin mining group). The SQL server meetup group I am a member of (about 30 to 50 people attend each month), the beginning of each meeting two questions are always asked. Who is looking for a job and who is hiring. Also tech recruiters attend and even sponsor the meetup by covering food.

How do you approach applying for jobs. Do you just put out a blanket resume or do you tailor each one for each job you find?