With so many online sites beckoning youngsters, job hunting has never been easier. But there are certain do’s and don’ts to be kept in mind when
searching on the web for jobs, writes Roopa Hegde The career-related resources on the web can be divided into various categories: employer sites, job listings, management recruiters, entrepreneurial ventures, résumé postings, homepage portfolios, e-mail communications, networking opportunities, search assistance, career advice, educational programmes, retirement information, Whew! You name it and are sure to get it. While there are a huge number of such resources on the web, it would make it easier for you to land your dream job if you follow some of these tips. Post your profile This is the latest trend in letting your qualifications known to very many organisations. There are innumerable sites where you can find more than a million listings of vacancies such as, http://www.naukri.com, www.timesjobs.com, www.monsterindia.com, www.jobsahead.com, www.jobstreet.com, www.jobsforyou.com and so on. Post your profile on these sites and you are sure to be noticed sooner than you ever thought! Employers and recruiters are able to search electronically through such extensive compilations of CVs for ‘key words’ which point out whether an individual’s qualifications match the requirements for the position or not. Make the most of such websites to stand a better chance. Browse daily Make it a habit to scan at least two websites on a daily basis. First, that of your desired prospective employer, second, that of any professional association in your field. That way, you have every chance of jumping fast into any of the suitable opportunities posted. You can count on the links saying ‘employment’/‘career’/‘openings’ or ‘jobs’ and the like on the site map to learn about the available positions the employer wants to fill. In addition, more than 40 per cent of big employment sites have their own job agents that automatically email you whenever they post a job matching your profile stored in their database. You can save a significant amount of time and effort by signing up with such agents. Create a home page If you own your own website, you have every chance of modifying or creating your own homepage to pass the information. Take every care in furnishing your information that could be of interest to the prospective employer and, of course, to the consultancy firms as well. Yes, you can pep up samples of your work with audio and video recordings of your presentations, but remember not to exaggerate those extras. Include all those letters of recommendations, news media clips and, of course, don’t forget the photographs. In a nutshell, arrange all the relevant information in a manner that could draw many employers to your site. If you don’t have a domain yet, it’s high time you go for one. All you have to do is put aside a small amount of money for your own domain. Several sites allow you to create your domain with them. While ‘Yahoo domains’ fascinate many, ‘Network Solutions’ attracts several others. Some people go by the low-price leader ‘GoDaddy’; the simple-sounding ‘Register.com’ sways others. The main difference among all these registrars being the amount they charge for registration and the extras they offer. Go for online training Online training is becoming an effective and efficient method of acquiring new skills at all levels, providing learners with total flexibility to learn at their own pace. Sites like www.trainingcenter.com allow you to get trained for a value pack. CBT (Computer Based Training) is no different as it allows learners to be trained without specific timescales. Weblogs are usually updated sites that point to the editorials elsewhere on the web often with comments. They’re often perceived as enablers for assembling and archiving knowledge within the community of practice. Classroom weblogs are being used for collaborative group learning, e.g. one group of learners pose questions while another group responds with the relevant information. They can be of much help as they assist learners to construct new knowledge through self-expression and interaction with peers. Networking is the mantra You’d want to be an active participant in online discussions, for hundreds of people get to know you, your background and your skill sets. Sites like http://forums.webhosting.info (on web hosting), http://www.bluegeckonetwork.com/forum/ (on web design, Internet marketing, macromedia, etc), http://qaforums.com/ (on software testing & quality assurance), http://www.vbforums.com/ (on VB) help you discuss much more on the relevant subject. You can also count on the alumni sites and newsgroups for networking. Locate them on Google by clicking ‘Groups’. To discover your school’s alumni chat room, visit your university’s homepage or try Google University search at http://www.google.com/universities.html The smart way is not to spew your résumé all over the web, but to focus on posting it on the specific sites relevant to your field. Also, don’t bother applying for any job where you don’t fit in 100 per cent. For, when your key words don’t match, your profile doesn’t get looked at. Keep an eye on new sites; keep reading newspapers and newsgroups to keep you updated with current trends and issues. |
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Gone are the days when most of us would walk directly into the big online job boards whilst on a hunt for a new opportunity. Today, a large number of businesses, the government as well as non-profit organisations are employing the web to recruit employees. Online boards, serving as a hub for extensive information on pursuing a career and job hunt are impacting almost every industry in the working world. 
