The Internet and Your Career: The Internet as a source of job opportunities

Increasingly, instead of searching for jobs in newspapers, we hunt on the Internet. It seems that this is now the best source of information about vacancies and it gives many opportunities. We can search pages with job postings, visit specialized forums, or explore career opportunities directly on the site of our perfect employer.

The keys to success are patience and perseverance. Keep in mind that job searching is not easy. You may have to spend several weeks searching for an interesting post, sending out your resume, and waiting for responses. The lack of response or a negative one may be daunting, but do not be discouraged. There are many offers and many opportunities, but you have to find them. According to the U. S. Department of Labor, the average unemployed person spends 18 minutes a day hunting for a job.

To put it simply – it’s not enough!

You may say that there are not enough job advertisements to spend the whole day searching, but there is more to looking for a job than just sending standard resumes to 3 or 4 prospective employers daily.

The Internet and your job search as a source of advice

You should not only search for vacancies but also constantly work on improving your resume and cover letter. After all, it’s not quantity, but quality that matters. You might benefit from advice posted on the Internet. Reading a blog like this will definitely do no harm. When it comes to writing a resume remember the following:

• grammar and spelling
• appropriate vocabulary
• readability
• attract the attention of the reader (avoid unnecessary facts and draw attention to what is relevant to the particular job listing)

Once you get invited for an interview, prepare as much as you can. Do not to blow the opportunity. Do some research to find information about the company. Visitthe official site and also search for news articles and opinions. Find a list of the most asked questions and practice your responses.

Show yourself

More and more people are using social networking sites. They are using them to gain new friends, new knowledge, and, increasingly, a new job (for example thanks to head hunters). Before an interview, recruiters often browse the Internet for additional information about a candidate. If you’re registered on social networking sites, there is a strong likelihood that your profile will be reviewed. If you want your presence on networking sites to work in your favor, follow these suggestions:

1. Fill in all the fields in your profile. This may require considerable time, but treat it as an investment in knowledge and contacts. Remember that if the portal has its own search engine, the recruiters and prospective employers will form queries with keywords. Make sure your profile appears in the search result pages for the keywords that are interesting to you. If you want your profile to work for you, do not hide information – show your strengths.

2. Don’t be boring. To shape a positive image, your profile has to be interesting. Write in the first person and write something more than standard formulas. You can add your motto, but preferably something more original than “Carpe diem!” Be creative – there is no need to be overly formal. After all, it’s not your official resume. Do not, however, exaggerate with jokes.

3. When describing your job experience, take time to explain what tasks you performed and what you learned. It may take some time, but this effort will be rewarded. If there is room, provide information on training and courses you have participated in.

4. Focus on one or two key specialties. Don’t try to prove that you are good at everything, because you won’t be perceived as an expert in anything.

5. Describe your hobbies. Show that you have passions and find time for what interests you. It will prove that you are able to manage your time.

If you take the time to provide a full and interesting profile, more and more people will visit it. Consequently, you will get more private messages from prospective business partners, recruiters, and corporate head hunters.

Hopefully this advice will be of help, and you will be able to make full use of online opportunities to find your perfect job. What do you think of the internet and your job search? Leave a comment below.

Good luck!

For related articles about personal branding and job search, review these articles:

Personal Branding Interview: How Mark Cummata Got a Job Through Twitter

What Should You NOT Do At a Networking Event

Your Professional Brand Pre-During-Post Interview

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This entry was posted on Thursday, January 28th, 2010 at 10:38 am and is filed under Career. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.