If you were just on any job portal like JobsDB or LinkedIn looking for a job, you might want to read this blog post because you have been finding jobs the wrong way. Everyone knows that finding a job is hard, almost as hard as finding your significant half. What’s worse is, when you start dating someone you don’t like that much, which is kind of like taking a job you’re not so interested in. Now, if you want to find a job that you actually enjoy, read on. Disclaimer: This is more for a startup job.

Don’t Rely on Jobs Portal

When a company puts up a job opening on a job portal, it is because it is the fastest way to source a large pool of applicants. They have an opening and you want a job, doesn’t that sound like the perfect match? The truth is, how do you know that you are actually interested in the company, the role, and the people, or you are simply just getting a job for the sake of having a job? It is possible that you will end up with something you are happy with through job portals, but to maximize your chance of finding a job you desire, you must do things differently.

Company

Read a lot about what people out there are doing and know what gets you curious. For example, if you read an article about First Code Academy on Tech in Asia, go to First Code’s website, and if what they do gets your attention, go to the Career page and start looking around for a role that you have the skills and passion for. Apply there. If you want to go the extra mile, find the person who is in charge of hiring and impress them, possibly the founder(s) or founding member(s). In the past at First Code, we have received from these applicants market research, new campaign ideas for marketing, or even illustration on why they would be a good fit for us. Try not to go to the Human Resources person as they have seen too many applicants and all they do is filter based on a few criteria to lower your chance.

Read more news about what companies are out there doing cool things, and approach the cool companies.

People

When you surf the internet, every time you stumble upon people who are inspiring to you and you dream of working alongside them, take down their names and where they work. Getting to know them would be a challenge as you can expect that a lot of others are doing the same to approach them. Yet people say “If there is a will, there is a way”, dig around the internet until you can find the contact. Write a personalized email and try creative ways to stand out.

Working in a startup means working closely with the founders. If the founder is inspiring and can teach you loads, that’s the startup you want to work in.

Go Out

Since cold emailing people is difficult, your best bet is to be out there and constantly meet people and make friends. You don’t need an intention to make friends, but you never know when you will bump into someone who is doing really cool, amazing things. People call this “networking”, and yes, there is no secret sauce to it. I met Michelle, founder of First Code Academy, at a Sunday Entrepreneur meetup one day in 2013, and we only started a conversation about working together at the end of 2014. See?

Branch out and meet more people. A lot of them are doing cool things, you might not get a job right away, but opportunities might show up in front of you one day.

Getting the job you desire is extremely important. Think about it - when you do not have a job you enjoy, you start looking around for another job. After a few switches, commitment becomes the first thing any interviewer asks you and it hurts your chance of getting a job. Therefore, finding a job that you are excited about has a long-term effect on your career, and just remember one thing, everything builds on top of each other.