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I learned a long time ago that 就職 meant "looking for a job".
But just a few minutes ago, I came across a new word- 求職, which I assumed to mean (almost) the same thing. After a quick check in a few online dictionaries, it turns out it does. I know that it is a lot rarer than 就職.
Is there a difference in meaning between them?
就職 means 'getting a job' or 'going into a company' (就 = commit, 職 = job).
It is not 就職 but 就職活動 that means 'looking for a job'.
就職活動 and 求職(活動) are similar, but 就職活動 tends to refer to the job hunting done by young hopeful college students. There are many 就職活動情報サイト for students on the net.
On the other hand, 求職 sounds like something that is done after some unhappy person has lost his job. Top Google results for 求職 include how to go to ハローワーク (the official employment service center for the unemployed people), or how to apply unemployment insurance.
