By Michail J. Rosencrantz
In Brief
Seek and You Will Find
The Internet is becoming the employment-finding tool of choice for both those looking for a new opportunity and those trying to fill a position. For the job seeker, it is important to have the right computer tools, access to the Internet, and a résumé in electronic form.
The job seeker is now not only prepared to explore the traditional sources--classifieds, recruiters, and networking--but is also ready to try the approach that only the Internet has to offer. A popular employment website on a recent day had 214,544 jobs listed.
Employers and trade associations are using their websites directly to list job openings and explain their employment practices, as well as attract the technologically-inclined job seeker. Job hunters that are not Internet savvy may find themselves a day late when competing for that next great employment opportunity.
People use the Internet to perform a variety of tasks, both professional and personal. Managing investments, tracking a favorite sports team, and keeping in touch with friends and relatives are just a few of the things people do using the power of the Internet. Finding a new job, one of the most important tasks in a person's professional life, can be greatly facilitated by using tools found online.
The human resources industry has embraced the Internet as a tool for finding employees. Currently, there are over 12,000 websites dedicated to employment, and newspapers, magazines, and online publications offer a host of articles giving job hunting advice to job seekers worldwide.
While the Internet has created a number of new opportunities for job seekers, it has created problems as well. The ease and speed of sending an e-mail message to a prospective employer increases the chance of making an error in the communication, or committing a job hunting or Internet faux pas.
System Requirements
Before beginning an online job hunt, the proper tools must be gathered and configured. At a minimum, the following should be at the job seeker's disposal:
* Internet Access. The need for access to the Internet seems obvious, but more than simple access to the Internet is crucial to the online job hunt. Many users access the Internet through an Internet service provider, such as CompuServe, while some use access provided by their employer. At a minimum, the job seeker needs access to the World Wide Web and an e-mail address. Company-provided Internet access raises a concern that the current employer will learn of the job hunt. In this case, a personal address may be better. A number of companies, such as HotMail and Yahoo!, offer free e-mail accounts that can be accessed from any computer on the web.
* Web Browser. Basically, any web browser will allow users to visit a lot of the available employment-related websites. Job seekers, however, should not miss out on that great opportunity because the web browser can't handle some of the technologies employed by the website designer. Users should have a recent version of one of the major web browsers, such as Netscape or Internet Explorer, that support more advanced features.
* Common Word Processor. The résumé is still central to the job search, both online and off. Therefore, job seekers should have access to one of the major word processing programs. Many companies are requesting that résumés be submitted in one of a few formats, and the job seeker must be sure that this request can be met.
The Résumé
Although the Internet has changed some of the rules for job hunting, one factor remains the most important--the résumé. In fact, since the initial contact with the potential employer is electronic, the raw information contained in the résumé is more important than ever. Cosmetic enhancement of the résumé, through the choice of paper, envelopes, fonts, and the like, becomes irrelevant.
The tried-and-true techniques of creating a résumé still remain. Rules pertaining to structure, content, and style are as important as ever. When creating a résumé for an online job search, however, the following considerations must be taken into account.
Format. Many job listings will indicate the type of file the company wishes to receive. Do not send the résumé in any format other than the one requested. When developing the résumé, two formats should be maintained. The first should be a simple ASCII text file. A standard for displaying and storing text electronically, ASCII text can be viewed on any computer. The other format that should be used is Microsoft Word. Over the past few years, Word has replaced WordPerfect as the standard word-processing program. Many organizations request résumés in this format. Job seekers, at a minimum, should have both ASCII text and Microsoft Word versions of their résumés on hand.
Job seekers should be wary of blindly converting the résumé to other formats with a word processor. While the converted file will likely be readable, it may lose formatting or other information during the conversion process.
An additional format that résumés can effectively utilize is HTML (hypertext markup language), the language of the World Wide Web. Using HTML to create a résumé, however, is a double-edged sword. HTML offers a number of abilities that can make a résumé more attractive, such as links to previous employers, e-mail links for references, and other external information. A poorly designed HTML document, however, can do more harm than good. A bad link in a résumé is as bad as a typo, only there is a greater chance of the reader noticing. The need to keep the document fully current increases as well. Links to the websites of former employers, e-mail addresses, and other linked material should be tested extensively before placing an HTML-formatted résumé online.
Putting the Résumé Online. The latest technique is to post the job seeker's résumé online. A number of employment websites offer the ability to place individual résumés in a database that can be searched by prospective employers. This technique will also require special tailoring of the résumé. Since the employers will likely search by keyword, the appropriate words must appear in the résumé in order for it to generate the maximum number of hits. Certifications, software fluency, and other industry buzzwords should be included.
Finding the Jobs
The most wonderful part of searching for a job online is that all the traditional resources remain available. Conducting a job search online only increases the number of job listings available for viewing. Before the Internet explosion, people found jobs primarily through three avenues: Newspaper classifieds, executive recruiters, or networking with friends and colleagues. Using the Internet as a tool in the job search increases the exposure to these tried and true resources.
Classifieds. Nearly every major newspaper places their classified ads online. Many have built interfaces that allow readers to search the ads for keywords as well. A well-organized job search should include a daily search of the appropriate newspapers' online classifieds. Many classified ads include an e-mail address or web page where the applicant can submit a résumé or receive more information about the position.
Recruiters. Executive recruiters have not ignored the power of the Internet either. Many recruitment firms have developed websites listing the current positions available and other valuable information, such as articles on how to prepare for an interview or make a résumé.
Networking. Getting job leads from friends, relatives, and colleagues, considered one of the most effective methods of finding a job, is facilitated by using the tools found online.
Finding these networking contacts is easier with the Internet as well. Many high schools, colleges, and independent companies maintain sites dedicated to keeping in touch with fellow alumni.
The New Stuff
The Internet offers more than just the existing methods in a new format. A host of websites exist that offer new ways for people to find work. They range from the very large, national sites, such as Monster.com to the somewhat smaller, more specific sites, such as the New York New Media Association's job board. A well-planned job search will include visits to sites in the entire range.
National Sites. Large national sites offer thousands of job listings. At the time of this writing, Monster.com boasted 214,564 jobs listed on their site. Of course, the job seeker doesn't have to sort through them all to find the right job. Each site offers some degree of search capability. The national sites generally allow the user to limit the search to a geographic location, type of employment, and keyword. For example, when looking through Monster.com's thousands of jobs, limiting the search to New York State and using the keyword "CPA" resulted in a set of 238 listings.
Regional Sites. Instead of listing jobs for the entire country (or even the entire world), some sites focus on a geographic area. For example, JobCityUSA.com offers job listings in the N.Y. metropolitan area. While the database of listings is not as extensive as the big national sites, they may be all a New Yorker wants to consider.
Industry-Specific Sites. Sites centering on a particular profession are often part of a professional organization. Usually smaller than others, these sites offer a predefined search. Some sites divide the listings into specialties, such as financial, technical, and management, further narrowing the search for the user. The NYSSCPA.org website, for example, has a classified advertising section listing accounting job opportunities and situations wanted.
Like newspapers, trade magazines are placing their classified ads online. Job listings found on the websites of professional publications offer the same advantage of browsing the sites of professional organizations--a very narrow and specific search. Often the sites are focused not only on a particular specialty but also on a particular region.
Mailing Lists. Another service available to job seekers are e-mail lists, often referred to as "listservs." The job seeker receives an e-mail message at regular intervals-- usually weekly, sometimes daily--containing a list of available jobs. Like job search sites, the type of information received ranges from the very broad to the very specific. Some of the larger, national sites offer a detailed mailing list service. The job hunter fills out a short questionnaire, defining the type of employment sought, the geographic area, and other information, such as salary requirements. The system queries the databases, generates a list of jobs that fit the user's requirements, and e-mails the list.
As mailing lists are easy to set up and require very little interaction afterwards, job seekers should receive as many as possible. Recipients should remember to save any message from the list maintainer to make cancelling the subscription as easy as possible at the end of the job search.
Newsgroups. Usenet newsgroups, the bulletin board of the Internet, have lost many users to the World Wide Web, but still offer some opportunities to the job seeker. Most Internet service providers offer Usenet access to users, but if direct access is not available, several websites, such as Deja.com, offer a web-based interface.
The employment newsgroups are normally divided by location. For example, the newsgroup ny.jobs.offered contains postings related to jobs in New York, while ne.jobs contains messages related to employment in New England. There are more generic employment newsgroups as well, such as alt.jobs. A job offer posted on a newsgroup usually includes a description of the job offered and contact information.
Some newsgroups offer the ability for people to list situations wanted. Newsgroups such as fl.jobs.resume and nyc.jobs.wanted allow users to post their résumés. Job seekers who have placed their résumé online can provide a short description of themselves with a link to the HTML version of their résumé.
Going to the Source
The most defined job search of all is directly searching a company's website for the company's offerings. The type of information available ranges from the specific to the nonexistent. At a minimum, companies generally list the procedures for submitting a résumé to the human resources department. The majority of companies, however, offer a very detailed service, listing the type of position and desired requirements.
Finding the company is a fairly simple task. Nearly every large company, and many smaller companies, have sophisticated web presences. The obvious approach is to try typing "www" followed by the company's name and ".com." If this yields the wrong or no results, any search engine should help locate the company's web page with minimal effort.
The location of the company's human resource information should be evident from the first screen of the web page. If not, a search interface or site map should be accessible from the home page. At a minimum, the site should include a general e-mail address to request more information about the company.
The large accounting firms, who have almost a perpetual need for personnel, as do many other accounting firms, use their websites as a place to offer employment opportunities. KPMG LLP recently noted that it had, for a period of time, replaced General Electric as the number one user of the Internet for employment purposes.
Submitting the Résumé
The Internet allows users to perform in-depth research on a variety of topics right from their desk. This ability is invaluable when considering a job opportunity. A small amount of research can prevent a job seeker from accepting an offer from a company that is not financially stable or does not fulfill the job seeker's career goals.
Researching the company offers an edge in the application and interview process as well. Many companies post an archive of press releases, annual reports, and other company information online. Other independent websites, such as CorporateInformation.com, provide a similar service. Research can be helpful in customizing information to the company in the e-mail message or résumé. Of course, be sure to remove any customized information when sending the résumé to other companies.
After finding a suitable opportunity and researching the company, direct contact should be made as soon as possible. The most important advice is to follow their instructions exactly. If the company requests the résumé in Microsoft Word version 6.0, do not send it in version 7.0, ASCII text, or any other format.
Before sending a résumé by e-mail, perform some tests to ensure that the receiving party will get the requested information in the intended format. Having multiple e-mail addresses is useful for this. Send the résumé to yourself in the format you plan to submit to the employer. Open the file and e-mail message, and check to see that all the formatting and information appears as desired.
Another good testing technique is to send the résumé to another computer. This is the best way to check that the e-mail message and résumé survive travelling over the network and being reopened.
After the Search
In most online job searches, ending the search involves more than simply ceasing to e-mail résumés. Résumés remain in online databases, network contacts are still keeping their ears and eyes open for job opportunities, and mailing lists continue to arrive in the inbox. The following steps should substantially decrease the after job huntrelated communication:
* Contact any online databases containing your résumé. Most will remove the résumé or mark it as inactive.
* Contact any person involved in the networking stage of the job hunt. Thank them for their effort and include the reason for the end of the search. Include new contact information so the favor can be returned.
* Inform any recruiters of the end of the job search. This will decrease the number of calls informing you of "great new opportunities."
* Cancel any e-mail lists, if desired. E-mail lists are less intrusive than direct contact and may be useful to keep track of opportunities in the profession. *
Michael J. Rosencrantz is a programmer with Ovid Technologies and a former editor of The CPA Journal.
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