The Thrill of the (Online Job) Hunt
March 13, 2008
So, we are graduating college. We must find something to do with ourselves, right? For many of us, that something is a job that could launch us down our career path. As a “techno-savvy” bunch of individuals (among other things) and the first generation to have never known life without computers, naturally in times of a job hunt we turn to our best friend and constant companion-the Internet.
The Internet has transformed (and continues to transform) job searching, recruiting and networking. Check out Job-Hunt.org’s Guide to Finding Online Jobs for some direction.
I’ve been using a number of tools to aid in my job search. I’ve found some to be more useful than others, while a few are just downright frustrating.
I started LinkedIn and Monster accounts around the same time. Both of these have powerful job search engines, but as with most Internet searching, you only get out what you put in. In the midst of a regular SimplyHired (through LinkedIn) search, I found myself endlessly clicking through a stream of positions, few of which were relevant. So, what was I doing wrong? I thought I was typing the right things into the search, but my results were so scattered. Obviously, my search skills needed some refining. I’ve learned to narrow down locations and become ultra-specific (my original thought was the broader the search, the better chance I’d have at a job).
Job boards specific to a particularly industry can also be beneficial. Seventy percent of the 50,000-some job boards are specialized.
I’ve also found myself looking at Craigslist daily. I like the way the classified are broken down, I can take it one step at a time. And as long as I keep up with the listings, I won’t get overwhelmed. But, I still find it hard to rely on the listings’ credibility and validity. I naturally skip things like, “PART TIME WORK, ASAP, TRAINING, $$$$$.” I scrutinize listings and company Web sites.
As I wade through the sometimes ineffective job hunt, I can’t help but get bogged down by the wealth of resources out there. What have online tools have you used in a job hunt (past or present)? Is there anything you’ve found that you think works really well?
-Rachel
Entry Filed under: Career Indecision, Internet. .
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1.
Rebecca | March 13, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Networking works over online classifieds every time. Having said that, I think specialized job sites are more useful than the larger ones. Good luck!
2.
Jun Loayza | March 18, 2008 at 1:07 am
Hi Rachel,
This is the exact thing that troubles many college students who graduate without a job already in the bag. A consultant once told me that once you graduate, you are considered an experienced hire and that you will now be competing against MBA candidates and people w/ 5+ years of experience.
So what can you do to get a job? I think starting a personal blog is one of the best ways to get your name out there. Not only that, but go around the blogging community and push to build your name in the community (I’m sure you’re already doing that).
If you’re still in college, then squeeze every last bit of juice out of your career center. If you’ve already graduated, then tap into your alumni network and see if someone will give you a position in their company of they can refer you to someone. I’m sure you’ve heard it time and time again, but working your network is the best possible thing that you can do.
Let me know what you think. Would love to hear back.
Best,
Jun Loayza
http://www.junloayza.com
3.
Marilyn Haight | March 18, 2008 at 11:56 am
Hi, Rachel,
Choosing a career field early is the most important thing you’ll do before accepting your first job. To find career possibilities, check out the Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ When you find something that interests you, talk with people who work in that field. You can find them through professional organizations—search the Internet for “[occupation] associations.”
Also, Virginia Tech has wonderful career and job-search resources on their Web site at http://www.career.vt.edu/JOBSEARC/coversamples.htm
I admire what you women are doing and have added “Life Before Noon: A Millenial’s Manual” to my blog: “Not Your Father’s Leadership!” at http://www.notyourfathersleadership.blogspot.com
Marilyn
4.
rachelcanfield | March 19, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Rebecca: I couldn’t agree more about the importance of networking. But, there are so many job hunt sources out there that can provide great opportunities as well.
Jun: College career centers are a valuable tool for students. I’ve spent a lot of time reviewing the opportunities available at my university’s center. Unfortunately, some centers focus more on job opportunities for a particular major, which can be disappointing.
Marilyn: Thanks for the valuable resources. Like me, I’m sure a number of soon-to-be grads will find them useful.
Thanks for the comments!
5.
gl hoffman | March 19, 2008 at 11:47 pm
You might try our new site linkup.com. we aggregate jobs from company websites ONLY. best of luck, GL HOFFMAN
http://blogs.jobdig.com/wwds/2008/03/15/xers-and-yers-what-are-your-events-that-when-you-look-back-impacted-you-the-most/
6.
Renata | April 3, 2008 at 11:52 am
You can post your resume and apply for jobs on traditional job sites, but let’s face it, as a new graduate, you don’t have experience. Or only a tiny fraction of lucky ones do, the ones who nailed the cool internships with the big firms during school. For the rest of us, our resume looks like a quilt of irrelevant part time jobs that end in three months. Your big degree means nothing to employers, sadly. In the online job application world, each advertised position gets hundreds of applicants. Think you can stand out among them? Think again. New graduates are meant for the delete bin of any HR inbox. Your best hope is to hook up with an employee referral. I know because my first corporate job I got through an employee referral, a friend of a friend found out I was looking and recommended me. All of a sudden my resume wasn’t so bad after all. I had been looking for nine months unsuccessfully before that.
That is why I founded http://www.EmployeeBuddy.com
It’s a site where job seekers can hook up with employees of companies who offer employee referral bonuses. I think through-employee recruiting is the way to go.
7.
How I Chose My First Post&hellip | May 20, 2008 at 9:41 am
[...] post-grad career opportunity. I scoured job boards and search engines. I wrote about the great online job hunt. I read countless blog posts about resume tips and interview questions. I expanded my social [...]
8.
segan123 | June 25, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Excellent advice. LinkedIn is an exceptional resource nowadays, especially with how quickly you can connect to literally hundreds of people. I would also suggest checking WordPress, believe it or not - a lot of bloggers (myself included) are beginning to use blogs to post job opportunities for those on the hunt.
Keep up the great work, can’t wait to see more posts from you!
-Segan