How to Find a Job Online

The days of finding a job through newspaper ads and by filling out applications in person are gone. In today's day and age the best option for finding a job is to search through online job boards and to specifically search company web sites for job openings.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Before you sign up for online job search sites like monster.com and careerbuilder.com you must first have an electronic version of your resume that you can upload onto these sites. If you do not have a resume, there are a number of sites that will help you build a free resume and give you free advice. Avoid any web sites that offer to send out your resume for a monthly fee as these rarely work and will end up with you going broke.

2. Once you have written your resume you can begin to fill out your personal profile and upload your resume onto these sites. In some instances there are employers who will search for newly uploaded resumes and contact you about job openings. However, the most effective way to find a job is to search for openings in your area by typing in your zip code in the search box. This will then bring up a list of openings which can then be sorted by date, industry, required experience and so on. Once you click on an add you will then have the option of applying for the job right then and there. This will have your resume and cover letter (if you have one) sent to prospective employers.

3. One thing you should consider before applying for a job is making sure your resume fits the job description. Since employers are flooded with thousands of job applications, most resumes are sent through a filter. This filter searches for specific words and phrases that pertain to the position. If necessary, you should re-word your resume so it fits the criteria and will not be filtered out.

4. Once you apply for a job, an email will be sent to your inbox showing that you applied for a particular job and that your resume was received by the employer. Do not make the mistake of applying for every job you see as employers will catch on and not take your job applications seriously. Besides monster.com and careerbuilder.com other job search sites that are very effective include indeed.com, craigslist.org, and hotjobs.com. Depending on the industry you are looking for a job in, there may or may not be specific job search sites dedicated to those industries. For example, if you are looking for a job in sports with the New York Yankees, you will not find that job posted on your average job board. There are specific sites like workinsports.com and jobsinsports.com that list jobs specifically related to sports.

5. Finding a job can be a long and tedious task, but it is well worth the work. Some days there will be a lot of new job posts and other days there will be few. The job market is very competitive these days with unemployment over 8% so it is important to make yourself stand out from the crowd. Good luck with your job search!

Tips & Warnings

• Be wary of sites that ask for monthly payments as they do not always provide the services they say they do.

[ShariJo1960]

on 4/8/2009 Does anybody mail resumes anymore? I worry that e-mail is to easy to delete. Thanks for the article!