Career Sites: Another Weapon in the Job Hunter's Arsenal

With the rapidly growing popularity of the Internet as a career source, job seekers are finding the value of well-planned and executed career sites to outweigh the traditional newspaper classifieds by leaps and bounds. The days of sifting through messy newsprint, running to the local postal depot to fax resumes, and waiting hours for phone calls are over. The time saved by surfing the web for career opportunities has become an invaluable asset to candidates, freeing them up for interviewing and, ultimately, getting a good job quickly.

According to the 1999 Electronic Recruiting Index Executive Summary by Internet Business Network, employers and recruiters posted almost 29-million job openings on the Net in 1998, thus changing the ways employers look for employees as well as the way employees look for employers. Electronic recruiting has improved employer-employee contact and has streamlined the way in which they meet and interact forever.

The Internet has also opened the doors allowing candidates to easily search for out-of-state job opportunities or even international openings that were almost impossible to find just a few years ago. With the click of a button, candidates can search for and communicate with employers all over the world and land career opportunities like they never could before.

A few things to have prepared before searching for a job online is an electronic resume that is both email and "Internet Friendly". Also, answer a few questions for yourself:

1. What skill set do I want to use?

Many times employers will be searching for your skill set via keywords. So think about what keywords best describe your qualities. Remember to use industry lingo whenever possible. (Ex. MCSE, CNE, SQL Server Administrator) or (ex. CPA, tax laws, international business).

2. Who do I want to work for?

Are you looking for employment with the government, a non-profit organization, a small start-up or a large corporation? Making this decision will assist you in narrowing down your search. There are a variety of industry-specific career sites that can help you find a job in the industry of your choice.

3. Where do I want to work and is it a determining factor in my job search?

Are you specifically searching for a job in order to relocate? Or are you looking for a specific opportunity that may require you to relocate? There are also a variety of region-specific career sites that can assist you in finding job opportunities in a specific state, region or country. And although we find that newsprint classifieds aren't as popular, many newspapers offer an online version of their classifieds (usually Sunday classifieds, but possibly all week).

Depending on your needs, you may want take a look at Comprehensive Sites for a broader variety of job postings and information. These sites also tend to offer additional features like resume-building applications or templates, career tips, career fair information, "jobs by email" feature, etc. They are great for job seekers who need information and are looking for careers on a broad scale.

For a more in-depth, detailed search, you may want to browse either industry-specific or region-specific sites. They will offer a more detailed search for the exact area you're looking for. They may also offer both articles and additional information on your field, or offer city outlines or region specific information (schools, crime rate, etc.) about a particular area. There are also specialty sites availably for the candidates with disabilities, minorities and women.

Armed with the answers to these questions and a PC, your search for your new career is just clicks away. There are thousands of career sites at your disposal, some better than others, but all built with one purpose - to assist you in finding the right job for you.