| Resume Help Articles
and Resources
The Internet and Your Job
Search 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
The Internet and 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.
What Makes Up The Complete 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:
1. Reviewing job leads
2. Researching and contacting employers about possible opportunities
3. Networking
4. 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.
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?
Going Online - Why Bother?
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.
Before You Go Online, Answer These Questions
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....
Having trouble thinking of keywords?
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.
Selecting the Right Sites
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.
Managing Your Time Online
Remember, move general to specific, but always remember
to move!
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
One Last Thing
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.
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.
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.
“Our clients receive interviews
almost immediately and find positions in 50% less time than average.
I’d love to do the same for you.” -Marty
Weitzman
Every
resume writer offers a guarantee but
few give you the career advantage Marty does.
Contact Marty now…
Marty Weitzman, NCRW, CPRW,
JCTC
President of Gilbert Career Resumes
http://www.resumepro.com
gilcareer@aol.com
Toll Free: (800)
967-3846
Phone: (212) 661 - 6878
Fax: (732) 536-4429
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