How and where we search for jobs has changed quite a bit recently. The internet and online websites have allowed many people to conduct almost all of their job search online. Long in the past are the times where we spent Sunday hunched over and circling the want ads on in the newspaper. So, let’s take a peek at what a “sample day” in the life of today’s online job seeker might be.
When you wake up in the morning, log in right away and browse the available jobs on one of the big national job boards. Use Monster or Careerbuilder to look for matching jobs based on your location and job type and keywords. Also think about registering for a free account (most are free but be sure to check) and setting up job alerts that can send you e-mail when an employer posts a matching job. Sometimes, being the first to see a new posting can be an advantage!
Later, make sure to login to all of your social networking accounts. Make certain that you connect with prior bosses and co-workers, in addition to old friends and neighbors. The net has some really fantastic websites (usually for free) to help you out! Facebook is hugely popular and a great place to start. Also be sure to use some of the more employment or business-focused sites such as LinkedIn and Ryze. Social networking is one of the best and most judicious ways for both finding work, and for finding it fast!
After lunch spend some time looking at a few key employers you are targeting. Employer websites are the best place to find the most complete and timely job postings. As it’s free for the employer to post on their own sites, this is where they will post the most positions and where they are most likely to be current.
Target a few employers in your key industry or location and check their Careers sections frequently. Many employers will now also let you register and receive e-mail notifications for matching jobs. Each day, do some research and expand your list to include additional employers. Be sure to look at smaller employers as well as they have most of the actual jobs.
When supper is over, go to a couple of the local or regional job search sites, and also visit the online site for your local newspapers. Newspapers are still a great job search resource. Almost all are available online, and the larger papers may even have advanced job search tools and capabilities. Local newspapers are a great source for local or part-time work. You might still have to do some manual scanning of the paper (online) as these websites may not have all the tools as the bigger newspapers. Yet, for a specific local search they are hard to beat.
Just before bedtime, check in one last time with your social networking sites again. The get some sleep to start over tomorrow.
The resources available to the online job seeker have never been better or easier to use. Take advantage of these every day and find that perfect job. Good Luck!
If you need to find work in Minnesota, go to MN Unemployment, your best Unemployment MN resource.