|
Articles to assist you
How to Use The Internet in Your Job Search -- an overview of the entire process.
The Internet & Your Job Search || What is a Complete Job Search? || Going Online
Why Bother? || Before You Go Online || Can't Think of Keywords?
Selecting the Right Sites|| Managing Your Time Online
One Last Thing || Suggested Reading for Your Job Search
Using the Internet in your job search is not necessarily easy. It crosses a variety of services and information resources. No single list, network, or resource will contain everything you need for a fully effective online job search.
Many people believe they are hard at work looking for work when they religiously scan the Sunday Classifieds. Unfortunately, what they are really doing is expending 100% of their effort on only 25% of the possibilities.
A Real Job Search has 4 Main Activities:
- Reviewing job leads
- Researching and contacting employers about possible opportunities
- Networking
- Having a resume ready to hand out as opportunities present themselves.
And Now it has 2 Alternatives -- Off-line and On-line
Review Job Leads
Print Newspapers / Journals / etc.
VS
Online Job Banks / Recruiters / Newspapers / Journals / Associations / etc.
Research and Contact Employers
Print Telephone Books / Business Directories / Employer Pamphlets
VS
Online Telephone Books / Business Directories / Association Links / Industry sites / Employer Webpages / etc.
Networking
Meeting with anyone you can through meetings / friends / colleagues (a.k.a. Pressing the Flesh )
VS
Participating in appropriate Mailing Lists / Newsgroups / Chat Forums as well as turning OFF the computer to make calls and attend meetings (a.k.a. Face Time)
Prepared Resume Ready to Post or Email
Having a nicely designed copy as well as scannable copy printed and ready to mail or present on demand
VS
A plain text copy ready to post or email on demand.
Top of Page
However you approach your job search, you cannot put all your eggs in only one of these available eight baskets. A successful job search means using a combination of as many baskets as possible in different ways. While you are the only one who can determine your level of comfort with any given basket, you really must use at least one basket from each main area (job leads, networking, research, and the resume) to get the best results from your efforts. Why?
- If you don't have your well-written resume in plain text, it won't be easy to send in response to ads found online nor to email to new contacts.
- If you don't attend local networking meetings, you could be missing a chance to meet the best person positioned to help you with your search.
- If you don't look at the jobs posted online you could be missing lots of local opportunities you've missed in other places.
- If you don't shut off the computer, how can you call employers and speak with them about possibilities and convince them how much they need you?
Top of Page
If the job search is already hard, why add to the stress by using the Internet?
- You can access current information at all hours of the day or night.
The Internet doesn't recognize holidays, and the whole thing won't go down all at once for maintenance. It's there when you are ready to use it, even at midnight after finally getting the kids to bed.
- You can reach deeper into your local area as well as take your search far beyond your regular boundaries.
There are no geographic limits. There may be employers who would prefer to hire from their local area, but that doesn't mean you can't accept the job and, if it's worth it, pay for your own move. You can also dig down deeper into your local area, finding the smaller employers within walking distance from your house who are dying to find someone just like you.
- Using the Internet in your search demonstrates leading-edge skills.
Whether you found the job listing online or did research online before your interview, make sure you tell the employer. This means you not only know how to use a computer but you also know how to navigate this online morass.
- The Internet lets you meet new people and initiate new relationships with others in your profession or region.
On the Internet, no one can see you sweat. You don't have if you look okay or if everyone can see that your hands are shaking. Take your time, and relax. Find the groups and folks that feel best to you and are discussing things that interest you, and then take your time getting to know them before putting your best electronic face forward.
- The Internet can help you explore career alternatives and options that you maybe haven't considered. Not quite happy with your current job? Is it the job or the career path you've chosen? Not sure? Explore! What sounds like fun? What are you doing now, and are there any ways to can take your skills and apply them in a new direction? You can find some self-assessment tools online, loads of occupations and disciplines to explore, and even lists of local career counselors and career center to help you if you feel you need it.
Top of Page
The answers to these questions will begin to build a list of Keywords you can use in your search.
- What Do You Want to Do? What Can You Do? (Skills and Occupations)
What skills do you have, what interests, etc. Identify general occupations that interest you, not specific job titles.
Think healthcare or sales, not Chief Medical Officer or Director of International Sales.
- Who Do You Want to Work For? (Industries and Employer Preferences)
What industry interests you, what type of employer? If you have some specific companies you want to target, great!
- Where Do You Want to Live and Work? (Location location location)
Is there a particular city, state, region, or country?
California, Southern Maryland, "someplace with sailing, good golf courses, and very little snow."
Saying "anywhere they'll hire me" will not work. There's just too much stuff online. However, you can take the time to research the industry or occupation you're interested in and find out where they are hiring people....
Top of Page
Ask a friend to help. |
Friends can frequently see things in you that you can't. They might also have some good ideas and interesting options for you to consider. |
Ask a Librarian. |
Librarians are usually very good at this kind of exercise, but try to ask for some help when the reference desk isn't busy so he or she can concentrate better on your project. He or she can probably point you to books and other resources that can help. |
Scan some Online Job Banks. |
Search some of the major job lead banks like Yahoo! HotJobs or America's Job Bank for jobs that interest you. Read the job descriptions, note the skills and kinds of experience the employers are seeking, and then use these words in your search. |
Read a Good Book |
Check your local bookstore or library for a copy of a book that contains some exercises designed to help you identify your skills and interest. Your local career center, public library, or employment service center will have even more good resources you can use. |
Top of Page
Now that you've found them, how do you decide which resources you have found are the best and will fit your needs? Try asking yourself these questions as you look at a site.
Provided are questions as a starting point for your evaluation and selection process. You are the only who can say that a site and its resources works well or doesn't work at all for you.
What type of information am I finding here?
- Is it a more formal or informal discussion?
- Is it business listings, academics, or nonprofits?
- Is it just job listings or is there other useful information to be found?
Are the job listings dated so I know when they were added?
- Responding to old ads is not only a waste of your time, employers really dislike getting applications and inquiries about jobs they filled a while ago.
- If you don't see any dates, check the information for employers posting here. How much do they pay and how long will the jobs be posted?
- If you still don't see any information, send an email to the site's webmaster and ask how long they retain position listings in the database.
How long is the information retained here?
- Is it updated or altered daily, weekly, monthly?
- Do information postings expire quickly or remain for an extended amount of time?
Who runs this service?
- Is there information about the people who run this site that I can read?
- What's their background (recruiter, industry specialist, someone looking for a fast buck)?
- Is there a name, address, or phone number for contacting them with questions?
Do I know anyone who has used this service?
- What did they use this for? How did it work for them?
- Did they like what they found?
- Do they feel it was helpful and worth the time spent here?
If there's a fee for this service, is it worth the cost?
- Can I find other sites and services that offer an equal service at no cost?
- What will my money get me?
- What is the refund policy?
- What promises are they making, and are these promises reasonable?
- If I'm not happy with the service, how are complaints and possible refunds handled? (Look for a company name, a phone number and address, etc.)
If I send these people an email asking who they are and can I get more information on their service, do they actually respond to me?
- If they never contact you again, consider your time well spent and your money saved.
- If they contact you by email or phone, then judge them using your own criteria, but ask them all the pertinent questions until you are reassured.
Top of Page
Managing Your Time Online
Remember, move general to specific, but always remember to move!
- Visit the large information databases first. These include virtual libraries and large recruiting sites like America's Job Bank. Looks for links to information in your chosen field or industry. Repeat this search every few days, like Monday and Thursday.
- Move on to the smaller, more exclusive resources and services, including online resource guides and sites dedicated to your field or industry. You want to find links to employers or collected information in your field that can give you leads or networking contacts. Repeat this search every few days, say Tuesday and Friday.
- Use the search engines to locate new and hidden resources specific to your occupation and field. If you have a company you are interested in, search on the company name, any variations or nicknames it is known by, and names of its major products. Repeat this search every few days, maybe Wednesday and Saturday.
- Finally, shut off the computer and spend some time with your family, friends, and yourself. Take the seventh day and relax, do some reading, walk outside, and remind yourself that there is a world out there and people to talk to. Play with your dog or scratch the cat, and if you don't have a dog or cat, substitute whatever pet you have. All work and no play makes every one of us completely stressed out and candidates for heart attacks which are total bummers and will keep us out of work for a long time.
Top of Page
The Internet cannot be the only resource you use
or your job search!
You must continue to utilize all contacts, information resources, and services available to you for the most effective and efficient search for employment. Continue to attend meetings, pick up the telephone and call people, and use the reference books in your local library.
Limit your time online to one-quarter (25%) of the total time
you can dedicate to your job search,
...unless you are a techie who is working in any area related to computer networks or programming. In that case, move it up to one-half (50%) of your time, but make sure your skills are current in order to be your most competitive.
Top of Page
Suggested Reading for Your Job Search
Check your local public library or career service center for these and other titles, or your local bookstore may have some of them in stock. If not, the online bookstores can certainly help.
Top of Page
Contact us today!!!
Let us use the experience we have gained on the other side of the fence to your advantage. We make experienced, professionals and executives from entry level, mid level and supervisory level look even better. Your resume will come to you custom-built, with the best guarantee in the industry.
|
