The number of people looking for jobs online is on the rise, but many people are wasting valuable time during the process. A recent study of more than 1,500 job seekers showed that 34 percent found their last job on an Internet job board, according to Peter Weddle, CEO of Weddle?s L.L.C., a human resources consulting firm and an authority in Internet job search. However, many don?t know the right way to approach this type of search.
?I have witnessed many a job seeker waste hour upon hour reading through job listing after job listing on Monster.com or CareerBuilder and other career and job boards,? says Richard Beatty, author of Ultimate Job Search. Beatty?s book is available at major bookstores and from the publisher at www.jist.com, or by calling 800-648-JIST.
Use of job aggregators.
?Aggregators scrape job content from thousands of Internet Web sites, including major job boards, niche job boards, employers? Web sites, newspapers and so on, based on keywords you supply,? Beatty says.
?They automatically bring these job listings back to you based on your personal job search criteria. You can only begin to imagine the huge time savings and efficiency these new Internet-based tools have brought to the job seeker.? he says.
The most effective results have come from aggregators such as Indeed.com, SimplyHired.com and Jobster.com, Beatty notes.
Networking
Although Internet job searching is on the rise, Beatty points out that networking is the most powerful resource in finding a job. Estimates show that 60 percent of jobs are found through old-fashioned networking. He says networking works because it allows access to the ?hidden job market,? where openings are only known to a handful of internal employees. It also helps employers, since the person comes to the table as a known quantity rather than as a stranger off the street.
He also notes that employers may give more consideration to a person referred by an employee. A key time to start networking is during an internship. According to a poll by MBAcareers.com, 89 percent of men and women developed key contacts at this stage of their careers.
Follow Up
A survey of 150 executives showed 82 percent said job seekers should contact hiring managers within two weeks of submitting application materials. Only 5 percent said not to follow up at all. The survey was conducted by an independent research firm on behalf of Robert Half International Inc., a staffing service. ?Employers value initiative and enthusiasm,? says Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half International, ?and thoughtful post-resume communication underscores these traits.?
Asked the best form of contact, e-mail topped the list followed by telephone (33 percent) and a handwritten note (23 percent). ?Whether communicating in writing or over the telephone, job seekers should demonstrate their knowledge of the company while reinforcing their qualifications and sincere interest in the position,? Messmer says.
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