I can’t imagine what finding a job in CRM was like before the internet. It must have been equally difficult for employers to find employees. I imagine that most people were hired because they knew someone or went to school with someone that knew a friend of a friend. Luckily, in the digital age we don’t have that problem. There are several ways that you can either look for jobs directly or look for specific employers. Most of these websites cater to the United States only.
By far, the most popular website for finding jobs is Shovelbums. Shovelbums was started 11 years ago by R. Joe Brandon. The site now has over 15,000 members and posts job openings from around the country. The most useful aspect of the website is the ability to receive an email everyday that lists the jobs posted on the site the day before. You have to sign up on the Yahoo Groups page (there is a link within Shovelbums) to receive the daily email updates. Even when I have long term employment I’m always looking for new opportunities. If CRM has taught me anything it’s that nothing is permanent. Situations change and growth opportunities always show up somewhere. Every job I have had in CRM was found on Shovelbums.
Shovelbums Tip: If you desperately need a job, don’t wait for the daily email. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen a great job at the top of the email only to see a post at the bottom that says all the positions were filled. You can also “Like” Shovelbums on Facebook and see postings in your News Feed as they are posted! Keep in mind, unemployment is high right now and everyone wants to work. If you are looking for work then check the website every day. Maybe even a few times a day. Get that CV in as quick as possible!
Another website that I frequent is ArchaeologyFieldwork.com. The site was started by Jennifer Palmer in 1996 and has been going strong for over 15 years. On the website you’ll find job postings curated from a number of agencies including government agencies. There are also pages for posting CVs, discussion topics in CRM, and general archaeology. Archaeology Fieldwork is on Facebook as well. As far as I know there is no option for a daily email so checking the site is the only way to find that dream job.
In an effort to keep my posts a bit shorter I’ll discuss one more job posting website. For jobs in the military, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, or the Forest Service (and a few other government agencies), the website to check is USA Jobs. Job seekers can look for jobs by setting search parameters such as position and state. You can even set up an alert to go to your email account every time your search parameters turn up a position.
Be forewarned, though. Getting a job from USA Jobs is a long and tedious process. If you think you’d ever want to work for the government I’d start an account and get all of the preliminaries out of the way now. You may have to send in physical documentation of college credentials and proof of military service, for example. Veterans should certainly check out the website. Because of the point system that the government uses to rank your application, veterans come out on top because they get an extra 5 points. Five points is a lot for that particular system and could mean the difference between getting the job and not getting the job.
In the next post I’ll cover a couple more ways to find jobs in CRM. The websites listed above, however, will be among your primary resources. Remember, before you apply for that dream job, prepare your cover letter and your CV!
Written in Cold Springs, NV. (Home of a Pony Express Station)