Larry Wilson, MSW, LSW | Social Worker, Career Counselor
If you are looking for a new job, once source to consider is Facebook Groups. Many such groups exist at the community, county or regional level. As with many other groups, some of these are public, while others are private, meaning you have to submit a request to be added.
Two examples of such groups in my area in Illinois are LAKE COUNTY IL HELP WANTED LIST and LAKE COUNTY ILLINOIS JOB POSTINGS. Wherever you are located, there are likely to be similar groups. You can find them with a simple Facebook search.
What kinds of jobs should you expect to find in these groups? I find that the majority of the listings are for:
· Entry level positions
· Difficult to fill positions – such as CNAs for long term care facilities
· Landscaping and other outside work
· Staffing firms looking to fill vacancies
· Small or family business office positions such as bookkeeper or office manager
There are also postings from individuals asking for help with odd jobs.
If you are looking for a management position in a medium to large organization, these groups will be of little help. On the other hand, if you are looking for an entry level or staff position, it may be worth your time to join a couple of groups in your area and check them from time to time. Don’t rely only on posts that show up in your news feed.
Sometimes group members post to these groups asking who’s hiring. When you see this, check the comments. Often there are leads to local organizations that are hiring. These may be worth checking out, and may include jobs of almost any kind.
Once you are a group member, you can also post what you are looking for and see if anyone has leads. It is best to do this only once or at least not frequently.
Finally, do your part to contribute to the group! One easy way is to take pictures of any help wanted signs you may see, and post them to the group. Many companies post jobs on a board in front of their building. You may also see help wanted signs on the doors of retail shops. You don’t have to add any commentary other than the name or location of the employer, if it’s not on the sign already. You may help someone find exactly what they’re looking for!