What You've Always Wanted to Know About Job Seeking But Were Afraid to Ask The Internet

By: Neoli Lancel Marcos

So you've got a fairly decent PC, you've got pretty fast Internet connection, you've got a smashing résumé, and on top of that, you've got patient fingers and wrists. All checked. So why don't you have a job yet?

Probably because you haven't been looking in the right directions. Yes, the Internet may be all-powerful and all-granting, and there is certainly at least one perfect job waiting for you in it somewhere. But part of the equation in getting a job requires you to know how to wield that power of the Internet effectively.

Resume and Go!

Start with your résumé. A carefully prepared résumé communicates a good deal about you to your prospective employer. And besides, in this age of spell check feature in word programs, it is downright unforgivable for a résumé to have even just one misspelling or typographical error.

Along with this is your cover letter, which lets the company know specifically your intentions. Get the name of the person who does the hiring in the company and be sure to address the letter to him or her—a sure-fire way for that letter to get read and not just deleted as junk mail.

Now, you can start uploading your résumé and cover letter to various job search websites. Don't just stop at general job sites; expand your search in industry-specific or geographic-specific websites so that you know you're zeroing in your search more effectively.

Ideally, you should submit more than one version of your résumé, instead of a generic one, to highlight your skills depending on particular demands of different companies. Some job search websites such as Oz Free Online Job Search (http://jobs.ozfreeonline.com) even allow users to create their resumes online based on a template, a feature which employers appreciate as this lets them view the applicants' credentials at a glance.

Posting your résumé on job websites isn’t only time-saving, it also ensures you maximum visibility to employers on a much broader range. Simply put, you let them find you.

Of course, this doesn't mean you can relax now. Follow up your application from time to time, and also hunt for classified ads in newspapers the old-fashioned way. Learn a new skill or computer software. Be a busy bum for the meanwhile. Persistence pays.

The Other Half of Cyberspace

Knowing where to strategically post your resume is just half of the battle though.

Your résumé is your virtual presence which anyone can look up in the Internet. But, let's admit: it’s a rather stagnant kind of presence.

For this, it would be good if you try maintaining a blog where you can write journal entries, random thoughts, more carefully studied essays, or just about anything insightful, entertaining, and worthwhile. You don't have to be a novelist to keep a good blog; write what you feel like writing; and write to express not impress. Consider your blog a sort of subtle promotional of yourself. Meet friends and broaden your network, and let prospective employers see your good side.

Also create a web-based portfolio. If you’re a writer, photographer, or visual artist, then all the more reason for you to then compile your previous works. Constantly update your masterpieces in the portfolio. Employers will be more receptive if they see that their applicant is active and prolific and really does something, instead of just some piece of static résumé set floating in cyberspace.

So insist your presence on the Internet the right way. Before long, you're on your way to becoming the busy professional!