If you’ve been job searching for a while, it’s pretty understandable if you get disillusioned, frustrated and completely downbeat about the whole thing. If you end up doing the same thing week in and week out and yet still never manage to find a job, it can be disheartening. Like many other aspects of our lives, it’s easy to fall into bad habits, routine sets in and then we wonder why things aren’t going just the way we’d like them to. If that sounds a little like your job search, perhaps it’s time to take a look at the places you’re looking for that seemingly elusive job. We’ve put together our Top 5 Places to Find a Job. Make sure they all feature in your own job search.

Online Job Boards
Admittedly there are so many online job boards out there that it can be really difficult to determine which would be the best to use. Spend some time reviewing the type of jobs they advertise, the locations they cover and how frequently new jobs seem to be added. If a jobs board is a busy and vibrant one, chances are that is the one that most major recruiters and employers would want to be using. If you’ve been registered for a while on a jobs board and it has had no impact whatsoever on helping you find a job, then it’s time to move on.

Company Websites
If you only ever wait to apply for jobs that you see advertised, chances are you could be missing some great opportunities. Many companies regularly advertise their vacancies on their own websites before going down the route of press or other online advertising. Many also detail on their websites if they still welcome speculative applications regardless of whether or not they are still actively recruiting. Don’t miss out on any potential opportunities. Regularly visit sites of companies who you would be interested in working for and also, whenever possible and welcomed, start getting proactive and make speculative applications where you can.

Networking
To network effectively for your job search, it’s essential to do it both online and offline. Social networking sites such as  Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn can all assist in your job search, if you use them properly. Start to create networks and develop relationships with people in your industry or profession and make them aware of your job searching status. Also, don’t forget about real life networking. Check out what events or meetups are happening in your area and get along to them. Who knows who you could meet…

Recruitment Agencies
They might get some bad press at times but recruitment agencies should not be left out of your job search. If you have already registered with an agency and have had no success, or worse than that, no contact at all from them since you registered, perhaps it’s time to move on and find another recruiter who is actually going to try and help you. Don’t make the assumption that they’re all the same. Like every other profession, there are good consultants and some, shall we say, not so good consultants. Register with a few agencies and see where it takes you. Perhaps ask friends or family if they can recommend a particular agency over another. Personal recommendation like this is often much better than simply choosing the first agency you see in the High Street.

Professional or Industry Magazines
Many professions and industries have their own publications, periodicals and newsletters which frequently feature job advertisements as well as industry related news articles. If you’re unsure what publications cover your particular career or niche, then do a little research. If subscribing to the magazine would be too expensive, then why not see if they have an accompanying website which may feature many of their ads. Failing that, your local library may already have an active subscription; so perhaps you could take a peek at a copy there. Again, although this tends to be the domain of some of the larger organisations, it is still worth considering nonetheless.

If you’re not already regularly using these places to aid your job search, then it’s certainly time to start.
Think there are others that we ought to have included on the list? Why not let us know via the comments section below.