Ask five people how you should spend your time job seeking, and you’ll get five different answers. Every job seeker’s situation is unique, so you need a unique strategy. Listen to recommendations and read up on job search strategies from reputable sources, then put together a strategy that makes sense for you. After all, military spouses usually have situations the typical job seeker does not face, such as gaps in paid employment, non-linear career trajectories, and unconscious bias.

To get started, consider these types of job seekers:

1. THE KEYBOARD WARRIOR
Dedicated to getting their name considered for opportunities by searching for job posts online and applying.
Commonly heard saying: “I have applied to hundreds of jobs.” 
Upsides: You don’t have to pound the pavement and can hit the keyboard anywhere and at any time. For many opportunities, applicants are required to apply online, so this is a mandatory step. 
Downsides: Between research, preparing application materials, and applying online, you can spend a lot of time and get lost digging through job boards, company websites, advice, and how-to resources.
Must Dos: 1) Set a daily or weekly time limit for these activities so you spend enough time actually speaking and meeting with living, breathing people. 2) Set up job alerts so you are notified of new job posts matching your search criteria. This will save you time searching. 3) Online applications can take several hours, especially if you customize your cover letter and résumé, so be selective. A good rule of thumb to follow is quality over quantity. 

2. THE HANDSHAKER 
Sees value in building relationships by meeting people face-to-face.
Commonly heard saying: “That was a great conversation!”
Upsides: This is energizing for people who love face-to-face interactions. Not only will this keep you motivated, it motivates the people you meet with to take action immediately. Also, you can learn a lot about someone when you meet them in the flesh, so you’re able to communicate the most about yourself and build strong relationships this way. Finally, people hire people they know and like. Give them the opportunity to know and like you.
Downsides: It takes work to get people to meet face-to-face anymore. But because this is such an effective interaction, it’s worth the effort. 
Must Dos: 1) Know your elevator speech so you can get to the point quickly when needed and make the most of every interaction. 2) Pay attention to subtle cues so you don’t turn the experience into a time waste for them. 3) Have your application ready to go! 

3. THE NAVIGATOR 
Leverages network to get referrals and connected to the right person.
Commonly heard saying: “How can I help you?”
Upsides: People want to help each other. If you invest energy into your relationships, people are likely to help you when you reach out. Also, you have a great chance of being referred or getting the inside word of a job not yet posted when you have your network helping you. 
Downsides: Relationships take time to develop, so if you don’t have good relationships, your connections might not jump to help you.
Must Dos: 1) Build your relationships all the time, not just when you need them. 2) Know what you would like your connections to do for you and make the ask. 3) Reciprocate, reach back, or pass it forward. The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would like done unto you.

4. THE ONLINE PERSONALITY 
Positioned to be found by someone looking for their skills or as a result of their reputation. 
Commonly heard saying: “Connect with me on [insert social media platform].”
Upsides: Employers look for candidates online, so you increase your chances of being passively recruited if your profile is killer. Employers also prescreen applicants by searching online. A robust profile that enhances your application might improve your candidacy. If you have an engaged audience, you have an additional opportunity to engage them in your job search efforts. 
Downsides: Building an online profile, personality, and engaged audience takes savvy, skill, and effort (i.e., time and attention). 
Must Dos: 1) Make sure your LinkedIn profile is polished because most employers look there first. 2) Create a simple, focused, polished online persona to help viewers to understand you quickly. 3) Keep in mind employers might not see or know about your online presence, so make sure your applications are robust too. 

What works? People do find success when they stick to only one of these job-seeking personas, but the most effective is usually a healthy combination of each with an emphasis on “The Navigator” when the market is highly competitive. 

If you are looking to secure a new job fast: Put together a plan for how you should spend your time. Many times job seekers mistakenly adopt a single approach, but your best path to success is to diversify your energy by including sufficient time on other approaches as well to prepare for the possibility that your predicted path doesn’t pan out.

Let’s take a look at a couple examples of military spouses and how job seeking strategies can vary. 

If you are a military spouse located in an area where everybody seems to know everyone: Build relationships with the people making hiring decisions so you’re familiar to them when they see your application. More time should be spent as a “Handshaker” and “Navigator” than as a “Keyboard Warrior.” As people get to know you, they might want to verify that you are who you say you are, so you should spend time making sure they see a strong professional profile. LinkedIn is a great platform for your profile and to connect with your new contacts.

If you are a military spouse awaiting a PCS: Establishing face-to-face relationships as a “Handshaker” is likely not an option, so if relationships are key, a significant portion of your time should be connecting and getting referrals as a “Navigator.” A strong online presence might be extremely important to build relationships because you won't have the ability to build a strong connection in person, and many people won't respond to unsolicited invitations from strangers.

Very rarely is the “Keyboard Warrior” approach the most effective approach on its own for securing interviews and landing offers, so be careful not to spend too much time online applying to jobs.

Even in today's hot job market, military spouses struggle to obtain meaningful employment with appropriate compensation. Be diligent when framing your job search strategy. If in doubt, ask other military spouses, hiring authorities, and trusted sources who work for your target employers what they recommend.

Are there other types of job seekers you think are important? Tell us in the comments! For more tips on job searching, check out MOAA’s free “Keeping A Career On The Move” publication created for career-minded military spouses by military spouses.