Sometimes, the job search may seem like it’s one-dimensional, but that may be more an indicator of how you’re conducting your search than how the search itself operates. If you’re finding that you’re not getting the results you want, it might be a good idea to open yourself up to more options.

Business Insider reported that in some instances, people are too used to modern technology and don’t use anything but the Internet for their search. While online applications are more in-depth than ever, and LinkedIn allows for increased connectivity with friends and colleagues when it comes to career advancement, the news source said there are problems with that line of thinking. Getting out when you’re searching, mainly by committing yourself to meet with people in your network and expanding your current market, will likely have positive benefits that can advance the ways you communicate. In some cases, this will lead to increased confidence – in others, a colleague may inform you of a great employment opportunity.

Some industries rely on the traditional resume – they always have, and they always will. However, the news source found that others may want their applicants to think outside the box to get themselves noticed. Many media companies, for example, often hire people who have established a voice on a blog or even through comments on a website. Others have taken notice when applicants customize their applications to highlight certain skills they’ll be using in the job itself. Don’t always assume you’ll need to think of something outlandish to land a job, but in certain scenarios, creativity can definitely help.

The personal touch

Sometimes, you’ll find that your efforts may be getting too professional in tone. Many job seekers work so hard for their cover letters to make them appear to be industry experts that they forget to make their writing look like it was written by a person. Instead, their efforts are sometimes awkward and stilted, almost written by a robot with knowledge of industry jargon as compared to a person who will be a good match with the culture of the company in question. It’s never a bad idea to write from a position of industry experience, but make sure you also emphasize that you have learned from and grown due to these experiences as well.

In some cases, there may be networking opportunities right in front of your face that you haven’t noticed. Whether these involve friends of friends that you would meet if you just asked a question or a local industry group that would be glad to have you as a member, all it takes is research to discover the right steps in improving your career. Look into the local industry and the national approach in a way that will set you apart from the competition. If you work to do this, the results may take time to be noticeable, but they’ll definitely become apparent over time.

Business News Daily noted that as long as you recognize that there will be challenges in the job search, you’ll be able to keep the right mindset for your purposes. Even if you don’t hear back from applications you send out, reviewing the ways others acted and what seemed to be more effective than other practices will help you gain new insight into how your next steps should be taken.