| u haven’t already starting using the internet | | | | cases, and will give you direct access to any local |
| to assist you in the job search, then you are missing | | | | position openings. |
| out on a huge employment trend. There are | | | | Posting your Resume Online |
| numerous reasons to take advantage of this | | | | Resume banks are large online databases that allow |
| powerful tool, the most important one being that | | | | you to post your resume to be accessed by |
| employers are using the internet more than ever to | | | | recruiters and potential employers. The advantage to |
| find candidates. If recent internet usage studies are | | | | keeping a copy (or copies) of your resume online in a |
| accurate, nearly 48% of businesses do at least some | | | | visible location is that allows employers actively |
| of their recruiting online. Not utilizing the internet in | | | | seeking candidates to consider your credentials |
| your job search means that you are flying under the | | | | without you having to submit your resume directly to |
| radar for many potential job opportunities. | | | | the company. Individuals worried about confidentiality |
| The internet is useful for a number of job | | | | can opt to leave personal identifying information off |
| search-related activities including: | | | | of the resume and simply provide an anonymous |
| -- Searching for Jobs Online | | | | email address at which interested employers can |
| -- Posting your Resume Online | | | | reach them. |
| -- Networking | | | | Many job boards also have resume banks, so take |
| -- Company Research | | | | the time to browse around your favorite job sites to |
| Searching for Jobs Online | | | | determine your options for posting your resume. |
| Million of job openings are posted online each year, | | | | Resumes can frequently be uploaded directly to the |
| many times more openings that you could possibly | | | | site or cut and pasted for quick posting. In the event |
| access on your own outside of the internet. There | | | | that the site does not support this technology (or if |
| are a number of general employment sites that allow | | | | you only have a hard copy of your resume), you will |
| postings in all professions, industries, and experience | | | | need to manually enter your resume into the site by |
| levels. These sites are very large in both size and | | | | filling out a form or typing into a pre-designated text |
| scope, but are popular with employers and job | | | | box. |
| seekers alike. | | | | Technically-savvy job seekers may also choose to |
| If you are able to narrow your job search to a | | | | post their resume on their own hosted website, on a |
| specific profession or industry, niche sites will be | | | | free personal site provided by your Internet Service |
| incredibly valuable. Niche sites are those websites that | | | | Provider, or on a company website (such as |
| specialize in a particular industry or profession, as | | | | Careerhunters.com) for a small fee. |
| opposed to allowing for the postings of any position | | | | Networking |
| imaginable. The advantages of using a niche site are | | | | Networking is one of the most successful ways to |
| (1) that you will not need to sort through nearly as | | | | find a new job, since personal relationships often lead |
| many job openings to find those that fit your | | | | to opportunities that you might have otherwise |
| qualifications, and (2) that traffic is much less at niche | | | | never knew existed. The internet offers innumerable |
| sites. As a result, the competition for these positions | | | | opportunities to network with other professionals in |
| is not nearly as fierce. Examples of niche sites in | | | | your field. Online forums, newsgroups, and |
| particular fields include: | | | | professional journals/blogs allow you to connect with |
| -- For Human Resource Professionals: SHRM ( | | | | professionals who may be able to point you (and |
| -- For Teaching Professionals: Teaching Jobs ( | | | | your job search) in the right direction. You may even |
| -- For Medical Professionals: Med Search ( | | | | be able to find a mentor to help guide you in your |
| -- For Accounting Professionals: Accounting Job | | | | career development. |
| Search ( | | | | Company Research |
| In addition to standard online job boards, many | | | | The internet is a powerful tool for conducting |
| government agencies (from the local to federal level) | | | | research on a specific company in which you are |
| now list all available positions online. Companies with | | | | interested. Using a major search engine to scour the |
| corporate websites also frequently post any job | | | | web for information on a company will turn up a |
| openings on the company’s job | | | | company’s corporate webpage (if they have |
| announcement board. You can use any major internet | | | | one) as well as a variety of other web sources |
| search engine such as Google or Yahoo to find a | | | | disclosing information that may be highly pertinent to |
| specific government or company website. | | | | your job search. Use the internet, for example, to |
| A final note on online job searches: a large majority | | | | research the company’s products and |
| of newspapers with widespread circulation publish | | | | services, industry, competitors, financial information, |
| classified ads, including job openings, on the internet | | | | history, and reputation. |
| now. These ads can be accessed for free in most | | | | |