By Eric Bradford

New job opportunities surround you. Finding these opportunities requires a measure of openness on your part. To start, your mind needs to be open to consider several different new job opportunities that are only an email, a telephone call or a drive away.

For instance, if you work at a Fortune 500 company, a dozen or more new job opportunities could be available through your current employer. If you transfer to a different division or department, you’ll likely work with a different manager. These two changes could both change and improve your job situation.

Moving into a new job

Check your employer’s career page to search for new job opportunities that match your skills, background, your passions and your career goals. Other actions that could lead to new job opportunities include:

Get clear about what you want to do with your life. You may benefit from being open to reaching your ultimate career goals step-by-step. For example, if you want to act but have struggled to land television or major motion picture gigs, you could search for advertising jobs that require you to act in corporate training videos, commercials or online info spots.

Align your new job opportunities search with what you truly want. Focus and type in specific keywords (i.e. insurance underwriting analyst, non-profit human resources representative) when searching for employment at job boards.

Spice your resume up with targeted keywords. Recruiters, especially job recruiters at large organizations, search on keywords to pull up resumes that match open jobs they are seeking candidates to fill. You don’t need to be a SEO expert. Add three to five keywords to your resume that you find in job descriptions employers post at job boards.

Tell other people, including former colleagues, friends, relatives and neighbors, that you are looking for new job opportunities. Many companies pay employees referral fees if they refer qualified candidates for open jobs. If you stay at the new job for six months and meet or exceed performance standards, you could position the person who referred you to receive extra money. When people ask if they can help you in your job hunt, consider letting them.

Build and maintain a professional online and offline presence. Only post professional pictures, videos and text posts at social media networks. Steer clear of complaining on the job. Keep a positive attitude. Motivate yourself and believe that you deserve and will receive the very best.

Consider how your current work experience aligns with more senior roles. For example, you may currently work as an administrative assistant. If you manage projects, you may have the skills to step into a project management role. This is another benefit gained from keeping an open mind as you pursue new job opportunities.

Start your own business. Learn about local and federal tax requirements that your type of business must meet. Build a website (make sure that it’s mobile friendly), learn about SEO marketing, online and offline advertising, employment laws (if you plan to hire other workers) and business insurance. Seek advice and guidance from successful entrepreneurs. Consider starting a business in your passion area to avoid burnout and to have the motivation to keep going should challenges arise. Be hopeful, yet realistic. Be open to change.

More actions to land new job opportunities:

• Set up job alerts at career boards like Indeed, Monster, CareerBuilder and professional association job boards.
• Practice interviewing with a friend or relative.
• Consider revising your resume and/or job cover letter if you don’t receive responses from 20% or more of the employers that you contact during your search.
• Follow up with recruiter and/or hiring managers four to five days after you apply for a job.
• Create a professional voice mail message on your landline and cell phones.
• Attend professional networking events.
• Be open to relocating to secure the job you want. Ask if the company will pick up your relocation expenses.
• Create an online portfolio. Showcase your copyrighted or patented works.
• Develop a video that puts your communication skills in the spotlight.
• Take courses and get licenses that new job opportunities you want require or ask for.
• Attend company career fairs (some major corporations host or sponsor career fairs that allow prospects to interview on-site with the company’s managers).
• Participate in campus recruiting events if you’re in college or university.
• Search for and be open to working offline or online jobs. Research companies that you want to work for, ensuring that they are ethical, dependable, solvent and forward moving.

Give your personal critic a break and open your mind to positive career possibilities. Pump the brakes when you catch yourself working to believe that you’re too something (i.e. too young, too old, too quiet, too brazen) to get jobs you sincerely want. Incorporate action into your job search. You could create a spreadsheet and track jobs that you apply for each day; be sure to add contact information of hiring managers, recruiters, etc. to the jobs.

And stay open to new ideas, fun ways to learn about new job opportunities. Career boards, networking events and discussion forums aren’t your only options. Keep in mind that an open mind invites more creative ideas, the kind that might find you engaging with potential employers (or clients) in genius ways.