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Making_Sense_of_the_Internet_Job_Search_Fine tune_your_job_search_and_save_valuable_time
| Making Sense of the Internet Job Search... Fine-tune your job search and save valuable time!
When I first started job hunting on the Internet, I would spend
countless hours searching for anything and everything. I would
search one site, then jump to another, and search some more. One
of the most frustrating things about job searching on the
Internet is that most of the same job postings are duplicated
across hundreds of job search sites! It's like having three
hundred Houston Chronicles from the same day on your desk!
--- Why so many? ---
Monster.com (http://www.monster.com) and Headhunter.net
(http://www.headhunter.net) contain numerous newly posted job
opportunities. Out of those opportunities, the webmasters of a
hundred or so telecommuting sites search for work-at-home jobs
and post those jobs on their sites. Out of those jobs, numerous
career-specific site webmasters extract work-at-home jobs in
their career categories. In a matter of minutes, one job is
duplicated hundreds of times on various sites.
Another place to search for opportunities is in the USENET
newsgroups. The newsgroups have hundreds of jobs posted from
various recruiters and employers. But, many of the smaller
posting sites go to the USENET and post those jobs on their
sites as well. Again, the same job posting is duplicated
numerous times.
You could spend an entire week hunting for jobs and see the same
job posted 60 times on 100 sites!
--- I'm over here! ---
Numerous companies don't post their jobs because they don't want
to be inundated by unqualified resume posters. Instead, these
companies search for resumes on various sites. To make sure that
you're seen, post your resume on several job sites and update it
often!
The easiest way to do this is to create a text version of your
resume as follows:
1. Create your professional resume in your favorite word
processor. Make sure it's correct and all spelling and
grammatical errors are resolved.
2. Export the resume to a text file.
3. Edit the text file and, for each "paragraph," remove all
internal carriage-returns. If you look at it in Notepad with
word-wrap turned off, each paragraph should be on a single, long
line. Since many sites automatically word-wrap your text, this
will prepare the resume for proper formatting.
4. When you post the resume, simply paste it into the resume
site's entry form.
It's a good idea to keep the resume's length to about two or
three pages since many sites don't accept anything more than
8,000 to 12,000 characters. If you're concerned about leaving
out important job-related talents, add a short section at the
top of the resume that lists the information (e.g., ASP, ODBC,
CORBA, etc.) This will provide the needed keywords for the
search while minimizing the length of the resume.
Some of the better posting sites include:
* Monster.com - http://www.monster.com/ * Headhunter.net -
http://www.headhunter.net * Guru.com - http://www.guru.com *
Ants.com - http://www.ants.com/ants/ * CareerShop -
http://www.careershop.com/ * Employment911 -
http://www.employment911.com/ * Net-Temps -
http://www.net-temps.com/
Don't be surprised if you're already posted on some of the
sites. Believe it or not, many of the larger search sites also
own and operate some of the smaller sites. This way, they have
various front-ends to attract individuals while using the same
core data. The important point here is: don't waste time posting
to every site you find---target your postings for the greatest
exposure.
Once you have it posted, make sure that you update the resume at
least once a month. I noticed that when I edit my resume and
update it, I get a few hits from various companies and
recruiters. This happens because the resume is raised to the top
of the stack again. If you notice that your hits are decreasing
after an update, delete the old account and start a new one on
the target sites. This will give recruiters and potential
employers fresh meat to go after when they search for candidates
to fill their positions.
It's also a good idea to post a resume on your Web site. It
doesn't have to be promoted to any search engines, but you can
send the URL to prospective employers so they can see your
experience. I broke my resume up into several pieces (i.e.,
Education, Experience, Skills, etc.) and created an e-book style
presentation. I also added some of my work in a Samples section
for their review. This way, potential employers can see my
resume without having to download a lengthy document.
--- The Search Methods ---
One definite way to reduce the amount of time you spend
searching is to visit "meta-search engines." A meta-search
engine is one that provides a front-end to search several other
search engines. In other words, when you type in a keyword, the
engine searches other sites in parallel and returns the results
to you. Some of the more relevant keywords I've successfully
used with meta-search engines include: freelance, telecommute,
telecommuting, telecommuter, , work at home, work
from home, telework, off-site, offsite. The keyword
includes any keyword that would apply to your field or any field
of your choice.
Some of the more popular meta-search engines are as follows:
* JobSleuth - http://www.jobsleuth.com * Job Search Engine -
http://www.jobsearchengine.com/ * Wanted Jobs -
http://www.wantedjobs.com/ * JobVertise -
http://www.jobvertise.com
These meta-search sites reduce the number of different sites
you'll have to visit by bringing the results back to you. Note
that JobVertise is not an actual meta-search engine, but it is
updated from several different locations periodically.
Another group of time-wasters are "centralized databases." A lot
of sites like JobVertise and Wanted Jobs allow smaller job sites
to provide a search mechanism into their databases. What this
means is that you could hit 20 sites and perform a job search,
when in fact, 12 of them are using the same source database!
--- Using a Tool ---
I use two great tools for searching and managing information on
the Web ... especially for job searches. One is a search tool
called Copernic (http://www.copernic.com) and the other is an
organizational tool called Correlate (http://www.correlate.com).
Copernic is a meta-search engine application that runs on your
local computer. It allows you to select a category and perform a
search on numerous search engines simultaneously. The results
are placed in an ordered list of items so that you can select
which site to access with a simple double-click. For job
searching, this tool is invaluable! When you search in the "Job"
category, duplicate job postings are grouped together in the
results list eliminating the need to manually filter the results.
As for Correlate, it allows you to organize information in a
tree structure. You can group items by category and add links to
perform organized searches. I use this tool for articles, books,
promotions, and job searches on a regular basis. When you find a
job that interests you in Copernic, you can drag-n-drop that
posting into Correlate!
--- The Presentation ---
Once you locate a matching job opportunity, send them a cover
letter and your resume. The cover letter should identify the job
you're e-mailing about as well as your qualifications to perform
the job. Also, provide contact information so they can reach you
for an interview.
Using Correlate, or some other utility, keep track of the jobs
you apply for and which ones reply. This way you don't apply for
the same job a hundred times and you know with whom you are
speaking when they contact you.
--- What's next? ---
Once you find your dream job and the employer responds, don't
panic! Converse with them, whether it be over the phone or via
e-mail, and negotiate for your position. If you land your first
interview, you should be proud. It usually takes a few tries to
get it right. Don't feel disappointed if it takes some time to
get it right!
One thing to be aware of is that, if a recruiter contacts you,
it's probably not a telecommuting position. Most recruiters only
work with in-house hires and will usually not contact you again
once you claim that you're a telecommuter.
Once you do land a job, now comes the hard part ... staying
disciplined! That's a different story, but one that's very easy
to master.
Good luck!
About the author:
Edward B. Toupin is a freelance consultant, writer, and
published author living in Las Vegas with his singer/actress
wife. He currently handles technical writing tasks for various
companies in New York, Chicago, and Denver as well as imagineers
and markets feature-length screenplays.
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