Each day we hear of more job cuts and higher unemployment rates, which of course equates to more competition for the few jobs that are available.  What do we do to stay in the game?  Well, it may be time to start thinking outside the box.  When we begin our job search our first instinct is probably to look to the well known or larger corporations for opportunities.  In today’s market, this may or may not be the best place to start.  There are of course other fish in the sea so you should try an assortment.

There is always the possibility of taking on temporary assignments with different companies by working through an employment agency.  These opportunities can land you in large or small companies and gives you a chance to see where you might best fit.  It could also mean taking on a job that may not be your exact experience level but these types of jobs can often lead to full-time opportunities with a company.  Employers like to hire people they are familiar with and that they know will do a great job.  I managed the  hiring of contractors/temps for an organization and we often looked at the individuals working for us as temps first when appropriate positions opened up.  We already knew them and their work quality…it made sense.

Another avenue to consider is freelance work.  There are many websites that offer lists of freelance opportunities in a variety of areas.  You can set-up a profile and search and apply for opportunities that match your skill set.  Maybe you are a financial analyst that loves creative writing in your spare time.  Well you can search for opportunities to write articles for blogs and turn your hobby into cash.  You don’t always have to go into an office to provide administrative support anymore.  The world is changing.  There are many opportunities for virtual assistants, call center & customer service representatives and data entry specialists among others.  Of course, there are plenty of graphic design and technology related projects available, as well.  These types of freelance opportunities can bring you some relief while you’re searching for your perfect job.  Who knows one of these opportunities might become your perfect job.  When searching for freelance opportunities make sure to beware of those individuals trying to scam you.  Like the websites offering to provide you with a list of jobs after you send them money.

Below is a list of websites that you might want to check out for freelance opportunities.  There are many more but this will get you started.

1. Elance – All types of freelance opportunities.
2. Sologig – Consulting, contract, temp and freelance opportunities
3. oDesk – All types of freelance opportunities.
4. Guru – All types of freelance opportunities.
5. iFreelance – All types of freelance opportunities
6. Rentacoder – Software projects
7. Coroflot – Creative professionals
8. Suite101 – Freelance writers
9. Scriptlance – Programmers
10. Proz – Translators

I have registered with several of these sites myself.  If there are other good websites out there to add to this list please let us know.