Sign of the Times: Job Search in the Internet Age

By Debbie Lipton

Many job seekers I work with at Operation A.B.L.E. have not had to actively seek employment in many years. With jobs harder to find, these individuals need to be that much more proactive in their job search, significantly so since their last job search. The Internet has had a critical impact on how organizations advertise their job openings and locate candidates to fill them. Job seekers who understand how organizations use the Internet as a recruitment tool have a strategic advantage over those who do not. To be competitive in the job market, it is critical to use the Internet to locate web sites, find jobs and post resumes o n job boards, and create an electronic v ersion of your resume.

Computer technology is very often a necessary part of all office and administrative work, regardless of the seniority of your position. Organizations that post jobs on their web sites are seeking candidates that are comfortable with this technology and who demonstrate this by using it to find job openings. Additionally, at an interview, it is likely that the recruiter will ask, “Have you seen our web site?” The candidates that reply “yes” and who skillfully integrate what they have learned from the web site into their response demonstrate their comfort level in using technology to research an organization.

While the Internet can feel like another “hoop” to jump through when seeking a job, it is helpful to understand how human resources organizations use technology to streamline the recruitment process. As a corporate recruiter from 2000-2001, I witnessed how technology impacted the identification and screening of job candidates. Resumes that were sent electronically were easier to rev iew and forward to hiring managers. Electronic resumes stored in a database could be easily accessed when a job opening came in, as opposed to digging into hard copy files. Keeping an eye on changing technology since then, I have observed organizations movin g the “point of entry” into an organization from the printed job posting to a web site, or to an electronic bulletin board such as Monster.com or Bostonworks.com. While this change streamlines the hiring process and helps organizations manage recruitment costs, it also has the effect of putting more responsibility for finding an opening on the shoulders of the job seeker. The technologically savvy candidate will be more effective in finding the openings that are advertised through the use of the Internet.

What does the growing importance of the Internet in job search mean for today’s job seekers?

First, become familiar with doing job search tasks on the Internet. Visit a company’s web site, find their job postings, and explore how the organization guides you to apply for an opening. Many web sites have on-line applications that you can complete, with the room to paste an electronic copy of your resumes.   While you are at the web site, don’t hesitate to learn about the employer a nd make a connection between the employer’s needs and your skills. Tip to the wise: always find a way to include a cover letter so that you maximize the chance to market your abilities.

Second, create an electronic copy of your resume.  You can find assistance in doing this on any number of web sites such as The Riley Guide (www.rileyguide.com), compiled by Margaret Dikel, or in job search handbooks such as What Color is Your Parachute? (www.jobhunt ersbible.com ), by Richard Bolles.

Third, become familiar with local electronic job boards such as Monster.com or Bostonworks.com. (There are many more; the web sites noted above will guide you to them.) Some boards are specific to particular professions. Others focus on regional areas. Not only do they post positions, many allow you to post your resumes at no cost, and employers will call you when they find you are the right fit for their need.

Debbie Lipton , M.S., is a Human Resources Generalist for Operation A.B.L.E. (Ability Based on Long Experience), where she provides career counseling and job search coaching services to adult career changers.  Operation A.B.L.E. is a non-profit employment and training organization that provides services to mature workers 45+ as well as to adults from occupationally, economically, and racially diverse backgrounds.  In her 15 years in employment, Debbie has worked in the non-profit, government, and corporate sectors as a counselor, job search coach, job developer, trainer, and corporate recruiter.  Debbie is a Certified Professional Resume w riter and Certified Administrator of the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory. She has also had the honor of designing and co-presenting “ Job Search on the Internet” as a workshop for employment specialists with Margaret Dikel, the founder of The Riley Guide (www.rileyguide.com).  To learn more about Operation A.B.L.E., please call 617-54-4180, or visit www.OperationABLE.net.