If you know you want to work in a certain geographic area, there are several approaches you can take to identify local companies and opportunities.

• Chambers of Commerce are professional organizations that many companies belong to and provide a great way to find companies that might be of interest. Chambers of Commerce often compile directories of their members and organize these listings by industry.
• Find a Chamber of Commerce for the city or region that interests you. You can use the U.S. Chamber Directory or do a Google search (like “Manassas Chamber of Commerce”).
• Visit the website for the Chamber of Commerce and look to see if they post a “member directory” or “business directory” that lists all of the member companies located in that geographic area. If you can’t find a listing, contact the Chamber to see if they would email you a list of employers in the field that interests you. (For example, you could email the Chicago Chamber of Commerce, explain that you’re conducting a job search, and request a list of graphic design firms in the area.)
• Check the websites of the organizations and companies you’ve identified to see if they have positions posted, or send a resume and letter of inquiry if you’re not sure whether they’re hiring.

• Use this tool to identify local companies in areas that interest you. Visit Google Maps and search starting with the career field, followed by the word “near,” and the name of the city and state. For example, you could type in “graphic design near Chicago, IL”. This will generate a list of businesses that could be targets for your job search.
• Explore the websites of the organizations and companies you’ve identified to see if they have positions posted, or send a resume and letter of inquiry if you’re not sure whether they’re hiring.

• Most newspapers’ websites feature online classified postings for jobs and internships available in the area. Do a Google search for newspapers in the area to find local positions.
• If your initial searches yield positions that are not college appropriate, this may not be the best source for you. Larger metropolitan areas often provide better results in the online newspaper classifieds can be a great place to look.

GoingGlobal is an online resource with a wealth of information about working in specific cities in the U.S. and Canada, including job search databases, job fairs, cost of living, job prospects and industry trends, and even cultural advice. It also provides information on working overseas.

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Harrisonburg and Shenandoah Valley

• JMU Student Employment (on and off campus positions)
• City of Harrisonburg government positions
• Daily News-Record (Harrisonburg newspaper)
• News Leader (Staunton newspaper)
• Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce (select Browse Member Directory)
• Small Business Development Center (offers consulting if you’d like to start a small business in Harrisonburg)

Virginia

• Virginia Workforce Connection
• Virginia Job Search by Region
• Virginia state government positions
• Craigslist Virginia regions (see information above about finding positions through Craigslist)
• Locanto Classified Jobs