Networking and online job search

Networking is one of the most important if not the most important job skill you can have. In order to ensure that you are maximizing your networking remember to:

• Before you beat the path to people you don’t know, ask the people that you do know about any jobs available.
• Don’t waste anyone’s time when speaking to them. It will set a bad example and it will waste your time also.
• Find someone in the business that you would like to be in and ask them for advice.
• Make sure that you have plenty of business cards available to give out.
• Join a club or organization the plan is to meet people.

Consider a video resume as a tool in your job search

You don’t have to throw away your hard copy resume or delete your online resume but you might want to consider a video resume as a tool in your job search.

What is in a video resume? Basically the same things that go in other resumes: job skills, experience, achievements and education. Instead of you reading you resume to your hopefully future employer you will talk about yourself, sell yourself on camera.

Of course you have to practice delivering your message many times before you will get the final product. Remember that this is for business, not something that you would send to your friends. Wear business clothes and speak in a friendly and business like manner. Don’t film your video in your garage or outside where there might be a lot of background noise. Film it somewhere where the background doesn’t stand out.

Where do you send the video when you are done? If you have a resume post it there. Or you can post it on professional job sites like LinkIn. And if you send a hard copy of your resume first write down your web address and where you can find the video resume.

job search help news

The number of online jobs listed is still going down.
http://www.wzzm13.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=108949&catid=2

Learning SEO will help in looking for a job
http://www.thestreet.com/story/10496361/1/five-skills-to-learn-if-youre-looking-for-a-job.html?cm_ven=GOOGLEN

A Portland man starts a nonprofit organization after unsuccessful job hunt
http://www.komonews.com/economy/44417747.html

good news about job openings at monster.com
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/2310049/

Why the internet is the place to look for a job

You have just been laid off and now you are wondering what to do about finding a job. Twenty years ago you found your current job in the want ads. It was easy. You also went to the unemployment office and registered there just in case you wouldn’t find anything in the paper.
So are you going to change your strategy?

Of course you are. Have you looked at the want ads in the paper lately? There isn’t much there. You still have to go to the unemployment office especially to sign up for unemployment. But now the best ways to look for a job or career is to network and to use the internet.
This post is just about the internet but networking is still very important.

There are jobs sites everywhere on the internet, not just the big companies like monster, or careerbuilder but sites that cater to certain professions and even age groups. On an earlier post I discussed something called job aggregator that drives employees to employers. Indeed and simplyhired are two examples.

Companies, big or small, usually have job openings listed on their websites. It is a perfect opportunity to look at companies that you have always wanted to work for to see if they have any openings.

Years ago you had to print out many, many resumes and send them out with a personalized cover letter. This was tedious and probably not that successful. Now online resumes can be sent directly to the company along with a cover letter making it easier to customize the process to fit the employer.

You can still look in the paper for a job but I wouldn't spend that much time there.

Stand out so a future employer can find you

Employers don’t just use the major job sites to find employees they also use candidate sourcing programs such as Notchup and Airs Sourcepoint which searches not only for active, aggressive job seekers but passive ones as well. So it is important that your website or online resume has the information that they are looking for.

• Use any of the keyword searchers available to find main keywords in your particular field.
• Build profiles on sites such as LinkIn where a candidate sourcing program can make a connection between you and an employer.
• Do a google search on yourself to see if there is anything out there that might be damaging to you. If you have any information on a social network make sure it isn’t inappropriate.
• Continue to update your resume. Some job search engines seek out the newest information online.

Search Word tips for online job searches

When searching for work online it is important to use the correct keywords in the search engine.

• Use a specific keyword that will narrow your search. Not too specific. The word ‘jobs’ by it wouldn’t be helpful.
• Excluding words will also help narrow your search. You don’t want to go through page after page of irrelevant listings.
• Use quotation marks around an exact phrase. This will indicate to the search engine not to look for each individual word.
• Set up a feed that will direct search results to your email account. Google has a good reader that allows you to set up alerts.
• Put the most important words first in any search.
• Use aggregate websites that utilize many search engines.

The Pluses and Minuses of working at home

There are definitely pluses in working from home but there are also things to consider before starting.

Pluses:

• You will be your own boss, in charge of how you work.
• No daily commute which will save you lots of money and wear and tear on the car. No more worries about how the traffic is.
• Your wardrobe isn’t important at home because no one will see you. This could be a big money saver for some people.
• If you have to run an errand you can do it without worrying about getting into trouble.

Now the minuses (You’ll find that some of the minuses are related in a way to the pluses):

• You will be at home all day. The only interaction that you will have is probably on the phone, no face to face. Some people are okay with that and some aren’t. If you don’t mind the quiet and lack of social interaction then it wouldn’t be a problem.
• Can you stay focused on day on your job? You are at home and there isn’t a boss lurching around so it is up to you not to goof off. If you need a lot of direction working at home might not be for you.
• Will your family interfere with your job? Make sure that the rest of the family knows that even though you are at home, you are there to work.
• There aren’t as many opportunities available to people working from home. And the pay isn’t that great.

Increase your chances while searching online for a job

There are ways to increase your chances of getting a job online. Here are just a few basic ones.

• Before looking online narrow your search to just a few areas that you are interested in. This will help you save time and remain focused.
• Use social networking sites to find connections that might lead to a job. One of the leading sites is LinkIn.
• Set up a schedule and keep to it. It is easy to get off track when surfing the internet.
• You might want to check out the local library’s computers. They could have information readily at hand to help with your job search.
• Participate in discussion groups online that pertain to job searches.
• Consider blogging as a way to get your name out there on the internet. Make sure the blog is about your professional life not what you like to do in your spare time.
  

Online Job Search News, April 3rd

Bad news about online jobs…
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_12051297

finding part time jobs online at Craigslist might be the way to go
http://blog.marketplace.nwsource.com/careercenter/finding_a_mix_of_short-term_gigs_online_is_a_way_to_make_ends_meet.html?cmpid=2627

a man in Columbia S.C. tries to better himself by taking online courses
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/03/business/03jobless.html?hpw

Microsoft and Monster joined together to form the Job Seeker Career Center
http://blogs.zdnet.com/igeneration/?p=1366

Online Job Search for March 30th

How to conduct a job search is a lot more complicated then it used to be
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2009/mar/30/when-did-a-job-search-get-so-complicated/

There are still job opportunities in this job market for college graduates
http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/personal-finance/lifestyle-money/career-center/college-graduates-land-job-offer/

In San Francisco the Stride Center will work with Jobing.com to help job seekers find work
http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/bay-area-based-stride-center-joins-online-employment-search-outlet/

good advice on researching the companies that you want to work for
http://www.phoenixvillenews.com/articles/2009/03/30/life/srv0000004989460.txt

A bad experience on applying for work at a store on a pc dedicated to entering job applications
http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-job-blog/2009/03/30/the-job-application-kiosk-from-hell/

online job search tips for March 27th

A terrific list of online job search sites
http://www.graduatedegree.org/blog/2009/03/the-100-best-resources-for-an-online-job-search/

Good advice from EmploymentDigest
http://www.employmentdigest.net/2008/05/how-youre-screwing-up-your-job-search/

10 great tips on online job search
http://www.piercemattiepublicrelations.com/2009/03/optimizing_your_online_job_sea.html

job search tips from the Atlanta Journal Constitution
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/hotjobs/careercenter/articles/2009/03/29/job_search_approach.html

Online job search tips for March 24th

TransitionXpress is a web portal for job seekers that is offered only by CEO Inc . You sign up for a year and they will work you through a career path with online research and coaching and training.

From Kansas City job tips from HR systems Inc.
http://www.fox4kc.com/wdaf-job-seeking-tips-story-32409,0,2943302.story

5 job search strategies from ABC News
http://www.abcactionnews.com/content/taking_action_for_you/story/5-Job-search-strategies-to-conquer-the-recession/iZcdTTF5g0e_4hec0pfFdQ.cspx

Some are getting away from the old paper resume and putting it directly on the web
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102243287

baby boomers and online job search

Operation Able is a program in Boston that helps job seekers over the age of 45. Not only do they help with the basic job searching skills they also focus on computer skills.
http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=9909328

In Dallas coaches help baby boomers with job searches and other issues
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-boomercoaches_12bus.ART.State.Edition2.4a5ee90.html

Basic information on job searching
http://www.examiner.com/x-4952-College-Guidance-Examiner~y2009m3d11-How-to-land-a-job-in-the-down-economy

A good blog on finding online resources for baby boomers
http://coachingtip.blogs.com/so_baby_boomer/2008/11/online-resource.html

Online Job search news March 18th

Instead of some of the big online job sites try Facebook instead. The author of the article makes the point that more people find jobs through referrals than job sites.
http://www.thebigmoney.com/articles/0s-1s-and-s/2009/03/18/how-find-job-online

Be careful when going online to find a job
http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/itlead/2009/031609itlead1.html?hpg1=bn

Are you looking for a ‘Green job’ then read this…
http://www.mnn.com/business/green-jobs/stories/green-jobs-primer

do you have your resume ready in case you get laid off? Are you ready to look for work?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090318.CAECONOMY18/TPStory/Business

News on online job scams

As despicable as it is, there are people out there who prey on folks that are in the hard times. The Internet has always been a place for scams, so be informed when ever you see a deal that seems to good to be true.

Be careful while looking for a job online there is a lot of scammers out there
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008861141_jobscams15.html

You can be a victim of identity theft while looking for a job online.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29642263/

A good article on how to spot an online job scam
http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs25a-JobSeekerPriv2.htm

Five online job tips

1. Before doing any search on the internet write down a list of potential jobs that you would like. If you aren't sure about certain jobs do a search on them first.
2. Keep track of your searchs. You don't want to type in the same keywords over and over again.
3. Search on company websites, especially companies that you are familiar with. Most if not all have job listings.
4. Join online networking site like Linkedn.com. You can never know enough people or contacts.
5. Don't just relay on the big job websites like Monster and Careerbuilder. There are smaller job sites that just might have what you are looking for.

Online job search tools

There are many online job search tools that you can add to your blog, website or desktop. You can also add search devices to social networks such as myspace and facebook. Linkin allows you to add a linkin button to websites, blogs and desktops.

Google gadgets are also an effective tool that you can easily add to anywhere. The difficult part will be deciding which ones of the thousands offered will you select.

Yahoo also has widgets that you can use that are similiar to Google's gadgets

Many of the job search websites offer email alerts that you can specify to what you are looking for.

Online Resume tips

In the age of the internet an online resume is a must. Of course if you have been working for a place for many years you never thought about updating your resume and certainly not putting it in an electronic format. With all the places to send resumes on the internet you have to have something that looks good and conveys a positive message about yourself.

There are different types of formats that you can choose from.The most basic form is the ASCII text which is similar to your text in an email. This is very popular and the most convenient. The drawback to an ASCII resume is that it is limited compared to the html resume. Basic text can look plain and less inviting then something html format.

Another format is the html format. This is the language that websites are written in. If you aren’t familiar with the language that’s okay. You can type your resume into WORD and save it out as html. But you need to see how the final resume looks in different browsers. Not all browsers are the same.

If you are totally confused by the different formats there are many websites that will take your information and format it for you for a price.And whatever type of resume that you choose make sure that you can print it out when you go on an interview.

online job search

Welcome to online job search! I will be listing articles and tips on searching the web for jobs. I will also list my favorite job site links.

I know in these difficult times job searching can be draining and disappointing. Hopefully some of the information that I provide will help you in your job quest.