Now that you know some types of jobs that pay well and the skills and background required, the next step is to find those kinds of jobs in your area. Oftentimes, the search for jobs can be difficult. However, there are plenty of helpful hints on how to find your dream job once you have your degree. 

Since you went to college and took so many classes, some of the best leads for jobs can be through your school. Professors, career-development offices, and even your peers who may have landed a job already are valuable resources for the job hunt. However, there are other ways to find a job too.

Search and Direct Outreach

If you are looking for a job with a specialized company like an architecture firm, advertising agency or management consultant firm, you can do an Internet search for those kinds of companies along with your city or region. Look at each company’s website and see if they have any open positions listed. This will often be on a page titled “Careers.” 

Large companies with multiple locations usually will list all jobs available nationwide on their website with an option to narrow the search by location. Since their headquarters may or may not be near you, just search on the company name in Google or other Internet search engines. If you see a good paying job near you listed, you can apply right from the company’s website.

Another approach is to go on an Internet search engine and do a general search by typing “good paying jobs near me” and seeing what comes up. This is a broader strategy and may turn up job listings that you might not otherwise have found.

Job Search Engines

Job search engines are centralized websites where you can find hundreds of job listings. They typically have filters to help you narrow down your search, including by location, title and by salary. 

Not all job listings include the salary being offered; in that case a job title search would be more likely to find desirable open positions. By creating an account with one or more of them with your preferences, you can get alerts to job listings that meet your criteria. With many positions, time is of the essence. 

High paying jobs are often filled quickly, so it makes sense to follow listings closely and apply as soon as you find one that looks good. Below are some of the most popular job search engines:

• Indeed 
• Monster 
• Careerbuilder
• Zip Recruiter
• LinkedIn Jobs

Industry Specific Job Boards

You can find high paying jobs in your field by taking a look at industry specific job boards. This eliminates a lot of the clutter and gives you an idea of the opportunities in your industry. Some are independent companies and others are run by industry associations. Many associations also have less expensive memberships for recent graduates and can be a good place to network to find a job.

Some industry-specific job boards include:

• For marketing jobs, The American Marketing Association job board
• For jobs in technology, Dice
• For aerospace jobs – Aerospace Crossing 
• For architects, the American Institute of Architects job board
• For finance jobs – Efinancialcareers

Recruiters

Recruiters can not only help you find a job, some of them will even give you a little coaching in job search strategies and improving your resume. Some recruiters are more general while others focus on one or several industries where they have knowledge and connections. 

You can find recruiters online by doing a web search for “recruiters near me,” at your college or university and even at the employment department in your county government. Recruiters typically get paid by the employer, so beware of recruiters who want to charge you to help you find a job.