Unemployment rates are at an all-time high, and with no signs of dropping anytime soon there are a lot of people looking for work. Depending on your skill set and desire, a lot of opportunities await, but paging through the classified section of the newspaper isn’t the solution for most folks. Technology has changed the prospective employment landscape, and like everything else, there is a better and easier way to go about looking for a job these days, thanks to the Internet.
While you may be familiar with Monster.com, one of the more popular sites for job seekers, there are a lot of others available to you, and some can get downright specific in the types of jobs they list. For example, one site I found is geared towards sales positions, a market where experience in selling one type of product or service can certainly help in getting a job selling another type of product or service. SalesGravy.com allows you to post your resume rather easily, and like most sites, you have the option of uploading your existing resume, which in turn converts it to a format that the prospective employers can search. With a little tweaking, this can be an effective tool for tracking down a multitude of prospective employers, all of which need a competent and effective sales person.
Tech jobs are always in demand, and one of the most popular sites for tech employment is Dice.com. While the term “tech” can encompass a vast spectrum of jobs, Dice.com lists them all, and you can specify different technologies or skills that you possess, enabling you to find the perfect job for your talents. Quite a few companies list with this site, both large and small, and these days, the opportunity to “telecommute” can be an option. For self-motivated folks with a good background of working efficiently and independently, this can be a huge advantage for people in markets that are devoid of technology, so relocation isn’t necessary.
Another option for the job hunt is placement through an agency or a “headhunter”, who is compensated by the employer for the difficult task of finding the perfect candidate for the position. Again, finding an agency or headhunter that will work best for you and your skill set can be easy thanks to the internet, just focus on doing searches for key words relevant to your field and “jobs”. Many times companies prefer to use a third-party agency to do the weeding out process, so that the choices are narrowed down to the very best. Once the candidates have been “cherry-picked”, finding a winner is easy for the employer, and in turn, a lot of the legwork is done for the employee. For fields that require employees with experience, this can be the best avenue for submitting your resume for a great number of potential jobs.
Perhaps the most important aspect that I have yet to mention is an effective resume. I have seen a lot of resumes in my time, and there is certainly a big difference between a listing of your previous employers and an effective resume. Monster.com offers some advice for developing a great resume, but there is software available as well. ResumeMaker, WinWay Resume, and Resume Works Pro are three of the most popular. I have used Resume Maker before, and I have to say it certainly helped me to create an effective resume, one that had employers lining up to interview me.
Finding a job in any economical climate can be a challenge, but taking advantage of the technological tools available can make the task a lot easier.
