Your Best Job Search Tool May Be Your Computer
ave you ever been capability of any computer for
frustrated at the lack of use in producing resumes, letters
job possibilities and other job-related materials.
advertised in the classified
section of your local newspaper? The Cyber Job Solution
Large papers may offer more
choices, but you will still be For many employers and job
limited by the number of openings hunters, the Internet has become
listed at any one time, not to the common denominator. It
mention geographical limitations. connects people from both ends of
Even at its best, this approach the hiring equation with ease.
just won't cut it anymore. Employers can post job openings
Searching through the classifieds with the knowledge that they will
may have been good enough at one be available to large numbers of
time, but today that's about as job applicants. At the same time,
progressive as pounding out a job seekers can easily explore
resume on a manual typewriter. possibilities for all kinds of
With an impressive array of jobs offered by companies,
Internet resources just a few government agencies, non-profits
mouse clicks away, your computer and other employers. They can
is the ticket to that next great also submit resumes and
job. applications electronically.
As any human resources officer A major advantage of this
can tell you, the use of the PC approach is that it breaks down
as a job search tool has become geographical barriers. Instead of
the norm in the last few years. being restricted to job openings
This includes creative use of listed in your community or the
e-mail and the Internet, as well region covered by local media,
as the taking advantage of the your search can include any
number of cites or states, or the offices. You can also visit
entire country, for that matter. Websites of area employers for
You can also pursue career job-related information. In fact,
interests in other countries, if regardless of location, one of
that sounds appealing. simplest approaches is simply to
peruse websites of possible
Another plus is that the use of employers to look for postings
online communication is less and related information. In
intrusive than traditional looking such a site, you will
methods. If you're already probably see a heading "jobs" or
employed, you can spend time "position openings." Click here.
during nights and weekends you will see a list of current
perusing sites maintained by jobs openings along with the
employers or job search qualifications for each one, the
companies, posting resumes and application deadline and other
more, all without conflicting relevant details.
with your current job. If you
don't have a position, you can For a first-class example, a look
work to maintain an electronic at the home cage for State Farm
presence that far surpasses the Insurance (www.statefarm.com). It
scope of other job hunting shows a heading of "About State
techniques. Farm." Clicking here will bring
choices that include "careers,"
Even if you're tied to a specific and then "careers home page."
location and are only interested This section provides a wealth of
in local employment, you'd find information on current job
plenty of information available openings, State Farm recruiting
online. Many newspapers now events across the United States
include Web-based versions, as do and Canada, benefits, and more.
state and local employment In addition to searching current
openings (which are listed at potential employers. Obviously
HotJobs.com), you can go to an the more you know about a
"opportunities" page that prospective employer the better,
describes the various jobs for from determining the kinds of job
which applicants might be sought, openings to boning up on the
including position descriptions organization's background so you
and a geographical breakdown of can individualize cover letters
jobs available around North or resumes. The employer's
America as well as those located Website can often be a great
at the company's headquarters in source of such information. If
Bloomington, Illinois. You can you browse the main page for any
even find info on how to prepare but the smallest business or
the ideal resume for scanning and non-profit organization you will
submitting to the company's find links to items such as news
database. releases, annual reports,
earnings reports, executive bios
Not all companies offer such and contact info for company
well-developed Websites, but most personnel.
large organizations provide
updated information about job You can also obtain corporate
openings. The practice has become profiles from third party
so common, in fact, that many business information services
small businesses and non-profits such as Hoover's
also offer some type of job (www.hoovers.com). And don't
information. overlook sites that provide
salary information such as
In addition to finding nextSource's People Ticker
information directly related to (www.peopleticker. com), those
jobs, you can conduct maintained by professional
Internet-based research about associations and the Bureau of
Labor Statistics site at with others, and obtain free
www.bls.gov. advice on writing resumes,
preparing for interviews,
Career Site Solutions negotiating salaries and more.
You can also sign up for
Perhaps the ultimate in Web-based fee-based services in these and
career information is available other areas of career
at a number of comprehensive development. Career Journal,
sites designed specifically to offered by the Wall Street
serve job seekers, employers or Journal at www.careerjournal.com,
both. For example, Monster.com provides daily updates as well as
(www.monster.com) connects users thousands of archived articles on
to hundreds of thousands of job news, trends and topics related
openings. You can create a free to career advancement. It also
account and then take advantages features a searchable database of
of a number of helpful options. job postings from top companies
Once you provide information in areas such as senior and
about your particular job general management, sales,
interests, e-mail messages about marketing, finance and
job openings matching your technology. Basic access is free,
interests will be automatically but users also have an
mailed to you. You can also opportunity to subscribe to
search online for jobs of WSJ.com, which offers additional
interest, and also create resumes resources including an extensive
for use in applying online for list of "briefing books"
job openings. providing complete detailed
background on a given company's
In addition to all this, the site business and recent news.
offers extras such as the ability
to research companies, network The Career Journal site also
features a confidential resume" HotJobs (www. yahoo.
database. Here you may create a hotjobs.com), CareerBuilder.com
brief profile or use online (www.careerbuilder.com),
instructions to create a America's Job Bank
full-fledged resume', choosing (www.jobsearch.org) and
from a number of formats. Career.com (www.career. com).
Some sites, such as that offered
Employers Online by Quintessential Careers
(www.employersonline.com) serves (www.quintcareers.com), serve as
employers, recruiters and job portals to others, in this case
seekers by posting both jobs and offering links to "the top 10 job
resumes. It focuses on Websites for job-seekers."
sales/marketing, computer/IT, Another is AllJobSearch
medical/professional, (www.alljobsearch.com), which
engineering/technical and acts as a comprehensive, easily
management/executive positions. used job search engine. All you
Those seeking jobs may submit do is key in a word or phrase
resumes which are entered into a (such as administrative assistant
database for viewing by employers or sales manager) and then
and recruiters across the indicate whether you want to
country. Services include access search Websites, newspapers or
to jobs posted on the site, tips newsgroups. Next you specify
on writing resumes and handling geographic preferences, job type
interview questions, and more you (such as full time, contract,
can search the database at no part time or internship), posting
cost. Registration is required to dates ranging from one day to
post a resume, but that process thirty days, and job category.
is also free. Here the choices range from "all
categories" to specific areas
Other useful sites include such as accounting, architecture,
biotech and real estate. Once you but it's much less than
click on the search key, the comparable postage costs for
engine takes you to a listing of mailing hard copies.
all job openings matching that
profile. The Resume Development Solution
The services offered by job sites Of course, your computer can do
vary considerably. Some are free, much more than simply help you
while others are fee-based. find jobs. It's also a great tool
Typically the more basic services for preparing resumes, cover
will cost nothing, but you will letters, portfolios or other
have the option to purchase documents.
additional services such as job
counseling, resume development Conventional wisdom makes clear
and career interest profiles. that a resume, won't get you a
job-just the chance to sell
One strategy is to use services yourself through an interview.
that broadcast your resume to Fortunately, the resources
multiple sources. At available through your PC can
www.blastmyresume.com, you can help here, too. With Microsoft
instantly e-mail your resume to Word or any other word processing
thousands of recruiters, software, you can create
headhunters and employers. While professional looking resumes and
the jury is still out on just how cover letters that once would
effective this approach will have required the skills of a
prove to be, it does offer the highly skilled typist. Once a
advantage of putting your resume basic resume has been developed,
into play on a more diverse basis you can revise it as often as
than would be possible by using needed, print any number of
regular mail. A fee is charged, copies, or transmit it
electronically to potential totalresume.com), a fee-based
employers. You can also create service that allows you to create
individualized versions adapted a resume by using templates
to appeal to specific employers, accessed online. In this process,
or emphasize different you complete forms by filling in
qualifications for different your own unique personal and
types of positions in which you professional information while
might be interested. taking advantage of useful action
words and phrases, spellchecking,
An alternative is to obtain previews of your resume, and the
software such as WinWay Resume chance to view sample resumes.
Deluxe, offered by WinWay
Corporation (www.winway.com). Once the resume is completed, you
This package includes a resume can download it as a Word
writing program, thousands of document, email it to potential
sample resumes, key phrases that employers and add a cover letter.
can be added to the resume, a You can also maintain it on site,
letter-writing program and sample update it as needed, and make it
cover letters. available as a Web page.
You can also take advantage of So you can see that your computer
the resume-building services can be a very powerful tool in
offered at broad-based career aiding you in your job search.
sites or those specializing in Use your computer effectively and
online resume development. An you will find your job search
example of the latter is efforts rewarded to your
TotalResume.com (www. satisfaction.
Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com
Marv Ko is the senior editor of www.upublish.info ... your source for Career Articles. Authors wanted!
Submitted with Article Distributor.
|
|
|
|
