Jarret writes:
Can you tell me the best way to use the Internet in terms of job-hunting? I have not been having much luck in finding a new job and I am at a loss for what I am doing wrong. I post my resume on a bunch of job sites and I reply to job postings… so what am I doing wrong?
The Career Doctor responds:
The good news is that the Internet is seeing a kind of renaissance — if we can call it that — in terms of its value in helping job-seekers find job leads and new career opportunities.
The bad news is that many job-seekers are still using the Internet incorrectly as a tool of job-hunting.
There are now many ways to use the Internet to assist your job search, but I must again state that you will be much more successful in your job search if you use all the tools available to you, not just those online… but for the sake of your question, let’s stick to Net sources.
In my mind, there are two powerful ways to use the Internet in job-hunting.
The first, and just a variation of an old favorite, is networking online. As I have stated many times before, all studies show that networking — obtaining job leads from people you know — is the most powerful tool of job-hunting. And, with more and more networking and community sites online, there are more ways to expand your networking. Sites like Facebook and LinkedIn offer many ways to connect with and expand your network.
The second is the thoughtful use of online job sites — but not the way you have been doing it. The best job sites are not the big job boards but rather company sites or niche sites. More and more employers are developing very user-friendly career centers on their Websites — and if I had a specific list of employers I wanted to work for, this is where I would start. If I had a specific industry or geographic location where I was searching for a job, I would use one or more of these targeted job sites.
And please don’t forget about the value of the Internet as a research tool for your job-search. You can find information about companies, organizations, and even the people interviewing you.
