Jacqueline Contreras, CPRW ⋅ San Antonio, TX www.ThatResumeGirl.com ⋅ 12 years experience

This is by far the most comprehensive career portal I have found, https://www.confidentialsearchonline.com/. It's free. It's not a job board. It conducts a google-like search of job boards and employer career pages and updates in real time.

The difference is that if an employer posts a position on their own career page, but doesn't pay LinkedIn, Indeed, etc. to post the position, this website will still find it. Google used to do this, but now they sell postings through their Google Jobs site, so paid postings rise to the top.

Once you find a company you want to apply with, contact employees who work for that organization on LinkedIn, especially those in the department for which you want to work.

Emanuel Carpenter ⋅ Alpharetta, GA SDR Master Class ⋅ 20 years experience

Tim - I worked for an HR and payroll company for a short stint. If you're looking for a job in HR, I highly recommend you first send your resume to all your family, friends, and ex-coworkers. Tell them finding a job in HR is imperative. This is by far the best way to find a job because employers love personal referrals and you can get to jobs before they are posted on job boards. Your personal network will most likely print your resume and hand it to the right person within the organization.

Remember, HR is under a big tent. Consider what specifically you want to do in HR. Do you want to be a trainer? Do you want to specialize in teaching sexual harassment or diversity classes? Do you want to recruit employees? Or maybe you want to do payroll. Of course, there is also HR Generalist.

Next, you need to connect with potential hiring managers on LinkedIn. If there is a company you have in mind, connect with the CHRO or VP of HR. Most are listed in the About Us section of websites. Even if there is no job posted, connect with them. After connecting, tell them your story and ask for help.

Also on LinkedIn, when you see a job you qualify for, complete the online application or send in your resume. You should also connect with the person who posted the job, which will either be a hiring manager or a recruiter. Once you connect, send a brief cover letter in the text of a direct message explaining why you are the perfect fit for the job. Attach a copy of your resume. This strategy doubles your chances of getting an interview.

Look into joining the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). Visit their website and check out their job boards too. https://www.shrm.org/

Consider applying at companies that specialize in HR (ADP, Ultimate Software, Workday, Namely, TriNet, etc.) and companies that specialize in hiring temp workers (Adecco, Careerbuilder, Manpower, etc.). Visit these companies' blogs too to learn the ins and outs of the position and understand the terminology (HRIS, PEO, etc.) of that world.

If you are going to use job boards, don't forget the ones that specialize in helping veterans like Hirepurpose and Hireheroes.org.

One final tip: Find the description of your dream job. If you see things you do well in the description, cut and paste them on your resume as a skill. If you see things you haven't learned how to do yet, try to find free college courses online that will teach you how to do them. Free courses can be found on sites like edX, Coursera, Alison, and LinkedIn Learning. Veterans get a one-year subscription to premium services on LinkedIn, which includes LinkedIn Learning.

Hope this helps.

Liz Campanelli ⋅ East Brunswick, NJ Johnson & Johnson ⋅ 25 years experience

Hi Tim,

Thank you for your time and service!
Having experience in the HR Platform helps. Why HR and what experience do you have in recruiting, on-boarding, HR practices, etc? A resume or CV with your experience would help and then you can market your skills and find the right spot. Hope this helps!

Liz Campanelli