Craigslist.org is an ever-expanding source of classified ads and information. Using it, shoppers might find anything from a rusty old tin to a vintage black porsche, and entry-level job-seekers can find any position from Boat Waxer to Legal Assistant.
Before you begin on the site, make sure you're in the right Craigslist for your area. Seattle job-hunters will want to be sure they're in the Craigslist specifically for Seattle-Tacoma. From there, buttons across the top of the site will localize further to places like Tacoma, Olympia, Snohomish or the Eastside.
The quickest way to find a job is to do a search for "entry-level" in the jobs drop-down menu. However, you may miss out on a starter job that doesn't have that phrase in the description. To get the most complete list of new jobs, click 'jobs' at the top right of the screen and it will give you all the positions listed from newest to oldest. Most of the postings will be for skilled workers, but a few will be for entry-level employees. You can search back as far as you like, and check again every day.
You can also click specifically on the job field in which you'd like to work. Craigslist has categories from accounting to writing, and almost every selection will have a few entry-level jobs listed.
The 'jobs' category is not the only place you might find work, either. The "Gigs" section offers very short-term or one-time positions which may be of interest to someone who wants to test the employement waters. As well, the "Community" section often has positions listed for daycare workers, pet sitters, drivers and artists. For the less structured worker, these other sections may be where you want to look first.
One more section to look at is "Resumes", the bottom right category. Here, people can post resumes in the hopes that a hiring manager will see them. But this section is more popular for those with more experience, as they're hoping that a recruiter will call them. Most employers looking for entry-level workers would prefer not to chase workers, they want workers to come to them.
When job hunting on Craigslist, there are some important things to remember in order to protect your safety:
1) Scams are common. Be aware of job ads that are very poorly written, ask for too much information up front, or seem too good to be true. They probably are.
2) Limit the information you provide. If you decide to use the Craigslist "resume" section, take out your address and the details of where you worked (such as boss's name or company location) and perhaps even replace your last name with an initial instead. Often you can have your identity stolen merely with a name, number and zip code, so don't be eager to put that information out there. If an employer is interested in your resume, they can contact you by phone or email to get the rest of your details.
Because its free for employers to post ads, Craigslist offers a plethora of interesting positions for the entry-level worker. By searching all the fields and taking a few safety precautions, a job-hunter can end up with some really unique jobs that they may have never considered before. Personally, I have found such work through Craigslist as: photographing foreclosures, babysitting snakes, and testing new retail products. These are positions I wasn't even aware existed!
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