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Online Job Search:
Some Tips and Techniques
By Angelina Nachimuthu
 The Internet is a logical choice for conducting job searches. It is much easier
to search for jobs from the comfort of your home or workplace using the Internet. But how does one choose from the thousands of job-related sites and from millions of jobs on the Web?
This article is my attempt to share some of the techniques and tools I learned and applied during my job hunt.
Some tips and tricks
- Research online search
Talk to friends
and recruiters in your area and make a list of the most useful
websites. Browse five or six sites to get an idea about how online
search and Internet recruiting work. Understand the different
classification standards and search options. Many of the job posting
sites allow you to search according to job title, location, employer,
tax category, etc.
Some useful sites:
- Make a master list
Based on your research, make a list of search options and personal preferences and
expectations. For instance, list the following:
- Possible types of job titles (Technical Writer, Publications Specialist, Writer)
- Qualifications (experience, tools you have mastered, tools you are familiar with, knowledge of different industries, etc.)
- Expected salary (STC and many other job sites provide salary calculators based on qualifications and location)
- Tax Category (full-time, contract, etc.) and work authorization status (if a foreign visa-holder)
- Type of company (public, pre-IPO, etc. Many sites provide company information.)
- Search for appropriate jobs and narrow your search
Visit the job databases, and perform searches based on your master list. After searching the
different databases, you will be able to narrow your search down to the databases that are best suited to your requirements. For instance, after a week, I was able to decide I would search
two sites daily and others weekly.
- Post your resume and set up automatic job search
If you are sure that the website is useful for your needs, post your resume. I found many responses to my resume from dice.com. A technical recruiter friend mentioned that recruiters routinely search many job posting sites.
- Be careful about the privacy policies of the website. A recent report in the Riley Guide examines the privacy policies of job posting sites, especially of monster.com.
- You can also set up customized searches that will automatically search for jobs based on your search criteria, and notify you of new jobs.
- File the job applications
After sending applications, file them using some easy rule. I found this useful when recruiters
called me for a phone interview. I could look at the exact job description and formulate responses that emphasized my strengths accordingly.
- Search the company websites
For instance, I have experience in documenting routers. I know the companies that sell routers.
So I searched their websites. If you don't know the company website URL, use search engines to find the websites and bookmark them. Look at their career pages.
- Technical recruiting agencies
Another alternative is registering online with job agents (for example, synergistech.com), especially if you do not have enough time to spend on Internet research. Once you tell them
your preferences, these job agents send e-mail messages with job descriptions and provide you with useful tips. Usually this is a free service because employers pay the agent's fees, but
double-check to determine if a fee is involved from your side.
- Search classifieds online
Still haven't found the perfect job? You can even search the classifieds online, using searches like CareerBuilder.com and yahoo.com. CareerBuilder is a mega job-search engine that allows
you to search sites like Dice as well as classified ads in newspapers.
Best wishes on your job search--and remember, don't get "Internet-addicted."
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