Networking must be a part of your job search strategy. Let your professional and social circles know you’re looking. Let them know you’re looking for a new job (and are kind of in a hurry).  Message them on LinkedIn or shoot them 

an email or text and let them know you’re looking. Ask if they know of any positions or companies that might fit and whether they could make an introduction. If there’s a specific company or industry you have in mind, ask for introductions there too.

If you’re unsure of where to start, Borsan advises this: “Write a list of the companies you would like to work for and learn as much as you can about them.  Just as important it is for them to find a great candidate, equally important is for you to 

align with their mission, vision, values, and brand while at the same time considering your career needs (e.g., location desired, opportunity for growth or leadership, organizational culture, etc.).”

Especially if you work in a creative field, like writing, design, animation, product design, etc., you should have a place to showcase your work.  Sites like Squarespace, Wix, and Weebly have inexpensive and even free options. Be sure to include work samples, 

your resume or CV, and an “about” page that mentions you’re in the market for a job. Don’t forget your contact information.

When you’re applying for jobs, employers will be Googling your name and searching for you on LinkedIn. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date, includes a summary, and notes that you’re looking for a job (you can update this in your profile settings), which can help recruiters find you.

Use a spreadsheet to keep track of the jobs you apply for and when you sent in your application, when you can expect to hear back. Make note of coffee meetings or emails sent, whether your colleague said they could pass along your name to that manager at that company you’re eyeing.

Contact a professional you admire or a company you'd like to work for and request an informational interview.  This is your opportunity to ask for advice on your career and job search, and your chance to get face-to-face with someone who might be able to give you 

a job, or at the very least, connect you to someone who can.

If there’s a company you’re interested in working for, but don’t see any open positions posted, you can write a letter of interest.  Sometimes called a letter of inquiry, a letter of interest is a letter written to an employer to express interest in working for

them, often if there’s not a relevant job opening published.

Take on freelance work Sites like Fiverr and Upwork can help you find freelance projects for anything from writing and design to translation, voiceover work, programming, marketing, business and financial consulting, data entry, research, sound mixing, relationship advice, and 

more. Basically, anything you can think of, someone is likely willing to pay you for it. Take part-time work If you normally work full-time but need to keep money coming in while you look for another full-time position, try a part-time gig. Taking on some 

part-time hours can help you design a schedule that lets you take interviews while you keep the cash flowing. Apply for unemployment If you’ve been laid off, you might be able to apply for unemployment. States determine who qualifies to collect unemployment 

benefits, for long, and for how much. Try temp-to-hire work Temp agencies can connect you to day labor, longer-term temporary jobs, and even temp jobs that can lead to full-time work. Is temp-to-hire legit? It certainly can be.

Try out gig work You can try gig employment with companies like Lyft, GrubHub, Rover, Postmates, and Instacart. Consult While you’re contacting your network and warming up those leads, consider taking on some consulting 

work. A little different from freelance, consultants typically work on longer-term projects and often get paid a little more. You might even reach out to former employers or clients who know you well and may have contract work for you. Who knows, 

that consulting work might even lead to a full-time job.