- Research: Job boards help you to see what’s generally out there and who is hiring. If you are changing career paths, it is especially good to use them as a guide for branding yourself towards the new career.
- Skill gaps: Study job descriptions that you find online to determine gaps in your qualifications and what you need to emphasize on your resume before you apply.
- Salary research: When you want to know if you are being paid fairly, you would want to look at comparable jobs on the market to help you determine if you are paid fairly. Job boards can help with this.
- Reconnect with your former co-workers. Stay engaged with the people you know and like the best and have a genuine long-term friendship with them. Expand your circle of people that you are connected to both personally and professionally. It will enrich your life in so many ways even beyond the job search.
- Research industry conferences and conventions. Conferences and conventions are an amazing opportunity to learn new insights about your industry and make new connections. They are relevant connections because they are in your industry. Get familiar with the major events in your industry and do your due diligence to go and make connections that you will follow up on.
- Tap into professional associations. I’m a fan of joining professional associations. They may have job openings that are not posted in other places or have people and resources to connect you to those jobs. Members often take care of each other because the association is there to support you in your career. Join these groups but do more than just join them; be active! It’s a great way to get noticed and build solid connections.