How to Find a Job on the Internet

The inevitable has come. The economy has gone to a slump and you are sitting at home filling out your unemployment online when it suddently hits you that you don't have a job.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• A Computer
• Scratch Paper
• A Resume
• A Cover Letter

1. HAVE A RESUME-Make sure you have updated your resume, cover letter and list of references. This is extremely important since most employers will not consider hiring you without these three key things. If you do not have a resume, then it's time to start working on one. See "How to Write a Simple Resume" for advice. It is very important that you have a Microsoft Word version of all three of these loaded onto your computer.
2. POSTING YOUR RESUME-It's evident that many of the employers out there simply have search capabilities on monster.com, hotjobs.com or careerbuilder.com. The best way for them to find you in this case is to have your resume out there. Please make sure that this resume is your final copy and does not have spelling errors and any other typos. You will need to make an account with all of the major three to start with. Once you have your resume posted, you will get calls from anyone ranging from Human Resources Recruiters to Executive Recruiters to Avon Salespeople. Some of the calls will not necessarily be matches, but don't get discouraged. This is just showing that your resume is working for you.
3. DREAM COMPANIES-Once that is complete, it's time to come up with a list of companies you want to work for. This is a dream list of companies you have heard of, admired, have wanted to work for since you were 5 years old, etc. Go to those company websites under the career page and hit browse under your state to scan the openings in your area. Once you see a position that may fit, click on it to read the job description. If it is a match (or close to a match) then click on "apply." You will usually be brought to a screen to fill out your personal information such as your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, etc. Usually, there will be an empty field available to scan your resume into their database. In addition to this, you will also usually have a text field to put in your cover letter. Make this as specific as possible to the position. This shows that you actually read the job description. Click submit and your information is well on its way to the cyberspace glory of your potential employer.
4. INDEED.COM-Now, go to indeed.com. This website combines a number of different career search engines. Type in the last title that you had as an employee and your city/state. For instance, if you were an Accountant at your last role, you will have a screen that comes up with a number of open positions in your state with the "keyword" Accountant. It's important that you use your discretion when using this tool because many times a "Business Analyst" may have "Accountant" in the job description but may not actually be a role for an Accountant.
5. LINKEDIN.COM-This website is the networking piece here. Once you sign up for an account in linked.com, invite all of your friends, family members, co-workers, former bosses, etc. to this network. It's inevitable that one of these people will already be a member and have thousands of connections. Once you do this and get a decent number of people in your network, you will be allowed 5 introductions to send to the Hiring Managers, Executive Recruiters, Owners, etc.
6. COLD CALLING-Make a sample speech of your background and career in 30 seconds or less. For instance, "Hello, my name is Karen, and I am a Human Resources Recruiter with experience from a multi-billion dollar insurance company. I have over 4 years of experience in candidate management and have excellent sourcing techniques. My phone number is xxx-xxx-xxxx. Thank you very much, and I look forward to speaking with you soon." When you find an individual on linked.com you are interested in contacting, simply put in the name of their company in 411.com and call the front desk. Ask if "Anna Coleman" is still in the Accounting department. If she is still there, tell the Receptionist that you are looking to e-mail some important documents to Anna, but realize that you do not have her e-mail address. If she doesn't give it to you, you can simply ask to be transferred to Anna. Once you get Anna's voicemail, leave the pre prepared message on her voicemail. She may call you back if she has current or future interest in you. If you get her live, simply state "Hello, my name is ___ and I am in your linkedin network. I wanted to reach out to you because I am currently looking for a career opportunity at your organization and wanted a chance to send you my resume." If she says that there are no career opportunities which is rare but does happen, you can simply say "I understand, but I was hoping that you can put my resume in your file should something open up either because of change or growth. Do you have an e-mail address I can forward my information to?" At this point, she will most likely give you her e-mail address. If she is still reluctant, then find someone else at the company who will give their e-mail address

Tips & Warnings

• Try to keep detailed notes of all of the companies you have applied for because it will help you keep track of which companies you have interviewed at and your success ratios.
• Do not EVER enter your social security number online. Simply state that you will give it at the face-to-face interview.