|
Internet
provides all you
need to get goingl
By
Jessica Beane
Schneider National, Inc.
The days
of "pounding the pavement" going door to door, asking to
fill out job applications and leaving resumes with the receptionist,
are changing. The trend may still be to go "door to door,"
however, it is from the comfort of your own home, and we
are now going from "site to site." Website that is. No suit
and tie required here.
This stress free browsing has become an all-inclusive way
to find everything you need to make a career change. The
Web provides many avenues for assistance, such as writing
a resume, researching companies and preparing for job interviews.
The utilization of the Internet as a source for job seekers,
is no longer for high level executives or technology professionals
alone. More people are using the Web as a source of employment
information, no matter what their skill level is. And more
companies are utilizing e-mail and job boards as a method
of communication with potential candidates.
The convenience and confidentiality of the Internet has
helped to lessen the stress of looking for a new position,
especially for the candidate who is currently employed and
desires to keep their job search quiet. In addition, companies
can contact you via e-mail to brief you on a job opportunity,
thus giving you time to research that organization ahead
of time in order to decide if this is an avenue worth pursuing.
Before beginning a career search on the Web, it is important
to have your career goals determined and to know what working
environment you thrive in. Some helpful sites to hit that
may help you make those decisions are knowyourtype.com,
or check out the Career Finder off of the AOL home page.
Helpful tests to take at these and similar sites are the
Myers Briggs Personality Test, or the Keisery Temperament
profile.
There are a large number of nationwide job boards to visit
that are highly advertised. Monster.com, jobBankUSA.com
and headhunter.net. for starters. These companies have done
a great job making themselves visible, but how reliable
are they? Are they too big? Are they too confusing? Will
my resume be lost in an unknown sea of thousands of other
applicants? Fear not. These are excellent sites that allow
the job seeker to "shop around" the easy way. Once your
resume is posted, the employer has to contact you. And you
can remain anonymous until you choose to reveal yourself.
Another bonus of using these job boards is that you may
receive an inquiry from a company you have never heard of
or thought to consider, who just may have the opportunity
you are looking for.
Still skeptical of the nationwide route? Try your local
media sites. Television and radio stations, as well as newspapers,
are partnering with area companies to include job listings
on their web sites. While checking out the scores of last
night's game, or the weekend weather forecast, you can be
looking for a new job. All neatly packaged into one convenient
"location."
If a multi-media site still isn't your job hunting preference,
try checking out a community web page maintained by your
local job service organization. Area employers keep an updated
list of positions posted with these services.
For those who have already targeted specific companies that
you are interested in working for, you will usually find
a "job opportunity" or "careers" section on most companies'
home page. This is a great way to find up to date listings
of what is available, as well as how to apply to that organization.
You also may likely receive a response from someone in a
relatively short amount of time, if you apply to that company
directly off of their site.
No matter which sites you decide to use for your career
search, the Internet is an extremely useful tool to utilize
even after you've identified, or been identified by, an
organization or organizations. You will be that much more
attractive to an employer if you have already taken some
time to do your homework.
Things candidates need to know before talking to a human
resource representative or manager include: knowing the
company and what they do, who are their customers and competitors
and what is the history of the company. Most organizations
include some of this information on their site.
Other, information sometimes found on company Websites,
that is of interest to most job seekers is the organization's
benefit package. Having this information ahead of time will
be another factor to help you decide if the position is
worth further attention. And for those looking at relocating,
there may also be an explanation of relocation benefits
as well as services for a trailing spouse.
From start to finish, the Internet has proven a valuable
tool to job seekers and employers alike. Good luck and happy
hunting!
Jessica Beane is the administrative recruiter for human
resources at Schneider National, Inc. and can be reached
via e-mail at [email protected]
|
