You can use the Internet to find information on companies and organizations in your field of interest and check out their job postings.

      Let everyone who might help in your search know you’re job hunting. You never know when someone will be able to give you a lead to that perfect position. In times of high unemployment, companies are overwhelmed with applicants. Instead of searching through hundreds or thousands of résumés, employers are more likely to rely on word of mouth and referrals. There’s no reason why they shouldn’t get referred to you. Use every resource available to make that happen.

       Placement Offices, Job Fairs, and Associations

      If you are in college or a trade school, start your job search in your school’s career placement office. The counselors maintain job listings and can advise you on preparing a résumé and writing cover letters. Your school may also host job or career fairs that give students the opportunity to meet with many potential employers in one place. Graduates who are changing careers can contact their colleges’ alumni associations for job leads.

      Joining or contacting a professional association, such as the American Veterinary Medical Association, is another good way to find job opportunities in your field. Professional associations often have job listings on their Web sites that are accessible only to members. In fields such as advertising, marketing, or public relations, you are more likely to find a dog- or pet-related job through personal contacts than a professional association.

       Networking

      It’s essential to develop networking skills and overcome the fear of approaching people you don’t know well. Networking doesn’t mean being pushy. It’s a means of keeping in touch with people, sharing information, and simply reaching out. Networking is communicating with everyone you meet in your day-to-day life, from your dog’s groomer to the people in your dog’s play group to the other parents in your child’s carpool. The people you know can introduce you to people they know or provide you with helpful information or leads, and you can do the same for them.

      Informally, tell everyone you talk to that you’re looking for a job and what kind of job you want. Once you have a few leads, begin by researching the companies of the people you’ll be talking to. Check out their Web sites to learn as much as you can. Look at the job postings; there may be a specific position you will want to apply to. You need to sound like you’ve done your research before you call anyone, even someone you know.

      Then start working the phone. Before you make that first call, though, write down key points you want to cover. Don’t make it a word-for-word script; you’ll end up sounding artificial. These notes keep the conversation relevant and concise. You don’t want to waste anyone’s time or have to make a second call because you left out an important detail.

       Using Social Media

      If you don’t have any social media experience, get it! Many communications jobs require it these days, and most companies have a Twitter or Facebook account. There’s a good chance that any job you get will involve managing or contributing to your company’s presence on social media Web sites.

      Sign up for Twitter and tweet at least once a day. Remember that unless you are some kind of guru in your field, you have to follow people to get followers. Volunteer to create a Facebook page for your local dog club or other organization, and create a LinkedIn page for yourself. Update them both regularly.