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Job Hunting with a Point and a Click By Laurie Fenlason "I don't know how we ever did career development before the Web," marvels Smith Career Development Office director Barbara Reinhold-only half in jest. These days, the question is not whether to use the Web for job searching but how. Reinhold, who moonlights as an on-line expert for monster.com, the world's largest career management site, offers the following Web-savvy advice for students and alumnae. DO use the Web for researching organizations before you apply on-line-so that you can target your cover letters and résumés appropriately. Vaultreports.com, monster.com and wetfeet.com are good sites for general research about career fields. Smith's CDO also maintains up-to-date research about companies and organizations at www.smith.edu/cdo/net_resources/careers1.html. DO remember to use the results of your job research when applying for jobs on-line. It's a waste of time to apply quickly and sloppily. On monster.com, for instance, you can see sample résumés, do a practice "virtual interview" and ask for strategic help from experts before committing yourself to paper. DO send your résumé in the body of an e-mail rather than as an attachment. Many organizations are wary of viruses and hence concerned about receiving attachments. DO remember that on-line searching should not be the only tool in your toolbox. Networking is more likely to get you a job if you're lucky enough to have some connections (such as family, friends, professors, coaches, alumnae). The Wall Street Journal reports that 94 percent of jobs come through networking. For people without access to networks, however, the Web can function as an equalizer of sorts. DON'T apply indiscriminately to multiple third-party representatives, such as headhunters or résumé referral services. That's a quick way to put your résumé in your current boss's hands. DON'T assume that the ease and informality of e-mail communication extends to people doing the hiring (or to your boss after you've been hired) unless you have been specifically instructed to use that form of contact. DON'T assume that your résumé is only about you. An effective résumé is half about you and your talents and half about what a potential employer might need from you. One size definitely does not fit all. On-line job-seekers often feel that if they make up a general résumé and blanket the world with it, somebody, somewhere, is bound to come and find them. Not so! Customize, customize, customize. |
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