Originally published in 2008. Updated in 2025 as part of the Personal Branding Blog relaunch under Brown Brothers Media.
The question everyone is asking right now is “how do I get a job”? This is the wrong question to ask yourself because it forces you to apply to positions that aren’t the best-fit for your personality, passions and possibly, expertise. You have to think more broadly!
The real question: How to get a job, keep a job, advance in a job and then get another job.
You might be at different stages, but the movement and cycle is all so familiar. The old way of thinking, which is staying a job for a decade or more, is a total failure these days because that’s not how the economy works. The real way to succeed, I promise you, is to do everything you would now, and leverage everything you’ve already done in the past, in order to be successful in the future, while setting “flexible goals” because things change.
This means that you need to have a “career commander” mindset. It doesn’t mean that you should let people know you’re looking, unless you have no choice.
Two career situations and two sets of results
Situation 1
One woman has felt job security after 5 years as an employee of a company. While working at this company, she decided that networking events were a waste of time and that meeting people inside their company was the path to career advancement.
She had very little experience with the internet and got her current job through an old friend she doesn’t speak with anymore. She had a great relationship with her group members and executive management and was feeling really good about her current position, despite hearing about the economy. She woke up one day and walked into her manager’s office, only to find out she had been laid off.
Results: She struggles really hard to recover, forcing her resume into the inbox’s of her old friends, yielding no positive outcome. She emails her coworkers at work, that can’t do anything about the situation, as they are struggling to keep their job. She realizes that she might not be getting a job she’d be interested in for a long time, so she takes up a job as a waitress to feed her children.
Situation 2
Another woman is doing great at work. She’s only been there for a year, but she’s worked really hard to not only build relationships throughout the company, not just her own domain, but also outside of work.
In the past year, she started a blog, went to professional networking events, signed up for social networks and kept in close contact with many of her friends of the past. She was also smart enough to gain new skills in her field, which led to her becoming the go-to-person in her company. She worked for an additional hour or two each day, making a strong case for why she should be working there. The woman wakes up one day and poof, her company decides that they are going to layoff her business unit.
Results: She remains confident (career commander) and sends out a tweet that says “Just got laid off, looking for an internet marketing job in Sanfrancisco.” She also sends an email to her email list of 400 that she had built up and starts sending nice notes to her Facebook network. She also blogs about her experience getting laid off and ends by talking about the jobs she’s be looking for, with a link to her LinkedIn resume. She also sends a note to her LinkedIn database of contacts and asks the people she worked with for references for the great job she had done. She ended up finding a job within 2 months.
Dan, quit the storytelling and tell us how to get a job!!!
Before reading my strategies, please be open-minded and remain calm. The new way to get a job requires that you invest time in creating content, building relationships and learning skills that you can apply elsewhere. You need to be a commander and not wait around for someone else to tell you what to do next. This involves having confidence in yourself and taking things seriously.
So, let’s get into it. Here are the steps you need to take if you want to make social media an effective vehicle for your job search:
1. Find people who work at companies you want to join
If you were ever a Facebook stalker, then you should be good at this one. The first thing you need to know is that you get jobs through people and not random submissions or “hail mary’s.”
The second thing you need to know is that most companies have people who can be contacted online. The third thing you need to know is how to talk to people you don’t know and ones that don’t know you.
I want you to name a company you want to work for. Let’s say you that you choose DELL (this one is easy to explain because Dell is rather “naked” on the web).
If you want to work for DELL, search terms like “Dell social media team,” “Dell digital marketing blog,” or “Dell employee social profile” help you discover names of insiders. Then follow their content, engage proactively — subscribe to their blog, connect on LinkedIn or X (formerly Twitter), join the company’s community groups and start meaningful conversations.
2. Establish your digital billboard
While being proactive in networking is essential, you also want to be found. Set up your personal website or blog, build a professional presence on social platforms, and ensure your brand appears where decision-makers look.
Join LinkedIn, create a portfolio on Behance, share articles on Medium, and consider using Google Search Console or Meta Business Suite to understand how you’re being discovered.
Your “digital billboard” should work even when you’re not online. This means optimizing your LinkedIn headline and ‘About’ section for keywords that match your target roles, pinning your best posts to the top of your feed, and linking to your portfolio or website wherever possible.
Add a clean, memorable domain name (ideally your own) to your email signature and resume. If you’re in a creative or technical field, showcase live examples of your work: GitHub repositories, video clips, podcast interviews, or case studies.
Consistency is what builds recognition. Use the same photo, tagline, and tone across all platforms, update your accomplishments regularly, and engage with posts that align with your professional goals. Treat every profile like a landing page for your brand — concise, credible, and current.
3. Search smarter, not harder
Stop submitting the same resume through dozens of portals and start treating job search like a strategic campaign. Use job boards such as LinkedIn Jobs, Indeed, Wellfound (for startups), and industry-specific boards relevant to your niche. Set AI-driven job alerts and use search filters for location flexibility, company size, and remote work options.
Supplement your applications with visible activity. Comment thoughtfully on company posts, follow hiring managers, and share insights that position you as a peer rather than an applicant.
Join professional Slack or Discord communities, attend virtual meetups, and watch for “hidden” openings shared privately among members. The most desirable roles are often filled through networks long before they’re posted publicly.
4. Leverage modern recruiting and networking channels
Recruiting today is deeply digital and relationship-driven. Be visible where hiring teams spend their time: LinkedIn Recruiter, GitHub, Dribbble, AngelList, Substack, or even TikTok for Professionals, depending on your field. Participate in digital conferences, webinars, and comment threads where industry leaders gather.
Consider direct outreach — not cold, but warm, informed, and personal. Send concise, relevant messages to recruiters or team leads after engaging with their content. Use your own audience (blog subscribers, newsletter readers, or LinkedIn followers) to signal your expertise.
If you freelance or consult, build profiles on vetted talent networks such as Toptal, Contra, or Braintrust, where companies actively seek specialized professionals.
Conclusion
I pretty much just handed over many secrets that I’ve had for a while and haven’t gotten on “paper.” Please note that if you aren’t an extraordinary candidate, with a strong brand, even these tactics might not help you in the short-term.
If you’re smart, you’ll work as hard as you humanly possibly in these times. Realize that we have to work twice as hard for the same salary now. The more you show up as a contributor rather than a job seeker, the more likely the right opportunity will find you.
This article is part of Personal Branding Blog’s Legacy Series — highlighting timeless insights from our archive. Learn more about our story here.
