Find the Right Job Online

Michael Gowan

Soon after Susan Bruton moved to San Diego to take a job as human resources specialist at IXL, an e-business services company, she was laid off. Since she had few contacts in the area, she turned to the Internet to find a new job.

She signed up with national job sites such as Monster.com and HotJobs.com, where she searched for job openings and posted her résumé for prospective employers to review. She also frequented regional sites, HR-specific sites, and the Web sites of companies she particularly wanted to work for. Three weeks later, Bruton got a new job at CSA Travel Protection. A recruiter found her résumé on Monster and called her for an interview.

Piece of cake, right? It may sound that way, but finding a job online isn't easy. Even though she got several bites from interested companies, most of them were just nibbles. "The job sites gave me a false sense of security," Bruton says. "I'd get really excited about getting e-mail responses from different companies requesting more information. But then I'd never hear from them again."

Of the 82 prospective employers who looked at her résumé on Monster, only 1 called for an interview. Fortunately, that single call turned into a job she wanted. "I lucked out," she says.

Her frustration with online job hunting seems to be commonplace, according to both anecdotal evidence and a study by Forrester Research. Ads for some career sites suggest that you simply go online, check the listings, post a résumé, and--voilà--get a job. But in fact, there are a lot of additional steps involved. Finding a job on the Web requires quite a bit of legwork--even for human resources specialists, like Bruton, who are familiar with the ins and outs of the hiring process.

Nevertheless, the Internet offers bountiful resources that can help you. You can find career-development advice, tips for writing résumés, and industry gossip online to help you locate the right job. You'll need to research your field, craft a strong résumé, and look for jobs at relevant national, regional, and industry-specific sites.

Most important, however, you need to network--both online and offline. "Contacts are key to finding a great job," says Richard Bolles, author of What Color Is Your Parachute? and a number of other job-hunting guides. "Without contacts, job hunters usually look for work in ways that are opposite to how most employers prefer to hire."

What's more, having good contacts will give you access to jobs that may never hit the career sites. When companies have a job opening, they look first within the company because they already know whether their employees do good work and have a personality that fits their office environment. If the cupboard is bare, employers seek recommendations from people in the company. As a last resort, they post an ad at a job site or in a newspaper, or turn to recruiters to look for viable candidates. Before we look at making contacts, however, let's explore the phenomenon of job hunting online.

Surveying the Situation

Many job sites, especially those listed in our table, list thousands of openings in a vast range of professions. But the quality of the jobs some sites post is less than stellar, according to a recent Forrester Research survey that asked 3000 users about their experiences with job boards. Some job seekers feel that ads are frequently misleading, according to Forrester Research analyst Charlene Li. "It's unclear if these jobs are real or if headhunters are just gathering résumés," she says. Instead of going through sites themselves, employers may hire headhunters to collect résumés, and then decide whether to pursue those prospects.

When Peter Weddle, publisher of Weddle's Newsletter and other guides for recruiters, asked people about their online job-hunting experience, he discovered that job seekers dislike how job sites work. Job hunters' expectations often exceed what they find online. They expect in-depth job descriptions, quick responses, and sites and links that actually work. But too often they encounter brief job ads (employers often use the same ads online as they do in the newspaper classified sections, where they pay by the word, so job descriptions are scaled down), long delays between the first contact and an interview, data forms that don't work properly, and sites with broken links.

Now for the good news: More employers are turning to the Web to find employees. And as more companies go digital with their want ads, the types of jobs listed online are growing more diverse. Today, as many administrative jobs as information technology positions are posted on the Web; just a few years ago, almost everything was technology-related.

One thing the Internet can't do for you is ace the interview. But Web sites such as Vault.com and WetFeet.com can give you pointers on how to impress your prospective employer when you finally do meet face-to-face. Now that you have a basic picture of the online job-hunting world, it's time to consider five essential steps that will help you find your dream job.

Step 1: Research Your Field

Where do you start your job hunt? That depends on whether you're ready to pursue a new career or plan to stay in your current field. If you're looking for an entirely new career path, start by taking some free aptitude tests on the Web to see what your talents are. Try several different tests, since no single test is perfect. For starters, check out the registration-required Princeton Review Online and the Career Key. Remember: These tests only give you suggestions. Just because one tells you that you'd make a great electrician doesn't mean you would not be an equally successful accountant.

If you're looking to stay in your current career--or if you've already settled on a new one--bone up on the latest events in the field. What are the current trends? Who are the major players? Researching your field online can give you useful data for determining where to apply--and it can also help you look knowledgeable during an interview: "Oh, yes, I've heard about the recent developments in Slinky technology. It seems to me that..."

Reading up on the latest industry gossip could save you from joining a failing company. One place to get up-to-date information on your industry is at Vault.com. Another possibility is to join a discussion group at WetFeet.com. Or find out about salaries at CareerJournal.com. One-stop shoppers can do many of these same things at job megasites such as Monster and CareerBuilder, which have research tools, discussion groups, and advice.

If you're Web savvy, you probably already use the best research tools on the Internet--search engines. AltaVista, Google, and HotBot are three great places to start looking. Search for a company name and keywords associated with the field. You can also use metasearch tools, such as BullsEye and Copernic, which prowl through several search engines and newsgroups simultaneously and then list the results in one tidy screen. In addition, job boards--formerly just places to see want ads--have expanded to include news databases. When you search for a company at Monster, for example, the site pulls press releases from PR Newswire, Business Wire, and other news sources.

Step 2: Make That Résumé Shine

A polished résumé is "like an extended calling card--it helps you get to the interview," Bolles says. Craft your résumé before you start looking for a job--that way, when you find a job you want to apply for, all you have to do is modify it. You should tailor the résumé you submit so that it appeals to the particular employer you're considering.

Look at keywords (such as manager and HTML-proficient) in the job ad and match them to your experience and training. Make sure those words appear in your résumé. A company may use software that searches for specific words; if your résumé lacks them, it will sink to the bottom of the barrel.

Keep your résumé concise (a single printed page is best), but try to convey as much information as possible about your qualifications. Use verb phrases ("Initiated casual Mondays") instead of drawn-out sentences ("I was instrumental in forming a committee to study the bureaucratization of our company processes through the accretion of ad hoc committees.")

Check for and remove typos and other errors. An employer flooded with résumés is likely to reject those with misspelled words and grammatical errors. Cite all the industry awards that you've received. Include a professional objective so that prospective employers can recognize your career goal. Articulating your goal makes you look focused and determined. Indicate that both references and a hard-copy version of your résumé (assuming that you've e-mailed your résumé) are available upon request. If you work in a creative industry (arts, entertainment, or journalism, among others), indicate that you can send samples of your work.

Another thing: Include a cover letter that explains why you want the job and why the employer should hire you. Then ask a friend or colleague to proofread and critique your résumé and cover letter before you send them to an employer.

If you plan to send your Word-formatted résumé via e-mail, save it in Word as "Text Only with Line Breaks"; then copy it and paste it into the body of your message. Many employers don't want to receive résumés as attachments.

For additional tips on crafting a dynamite cover letter and résumé, consult Web sites such as CareerBuilder, Monster, and Yahoo Careers. Also check out Rebecca Smith's ERésumés & Resources; it's full of formatting tricks for HTML-, scan-, and text-based résumés. You'll also find a gallery of excellent résumés to imitate. After all, sometimes the hardest part is getting started.

Step 3: Network, Network, Network

Once you're done with your research and have a killer résumé in hand, it's time to start talking to people. "To find the right job, talk to people in the industry that you'd like to work in. By asking what they like and dislike about their work, you can understand what you're getting into," says Bolles. "Networking can help you make the right decision."

"The Internet excels at helping you find contacts," Bolles adds. Participating in chat rooms and newsgroups is a good way to meet people in your field. Monster, Yahoo Careers, and several other career- and employment-related sites offer chat rooms and discussion groups for just that purpose. Recruiters have been known to hang out in chat rooms on occasion, looking for viable candidates.

Peter Weddle warns against silently lurking in these chat rooms in hopes of picking up the names and e-mail addresses of essential contacts. You need to participate in the discussion. Ask questions and offer opinions. Become known.

Professional associations host discussions as well. If you're an energy engineer, for instance, why not go to the Association of Energy Engineers' site? To find associations in your field, go to AssociationCentral.com. Spend a couple of minutes every day reading the posts and responding when you have something to contribute. That gets your name in people's minds. Your new contacts may know about jobs before the openings are listed online or in newspapers. It's also vital to network in person. Go to job fairs. Attend alumni and professional association events. Mingle.

Step 4: Use National Job Sites to Your Advantage

Having plenty of online options is great. But the surplus of career-oriented sites can easily lead to information overload--especially since features vary from site to site. So stay organized and be selective about the places you frequent. To get started, see our appraisal of the features of ten big national sites.

Two national contenders came out on top: Monster and Yahoo Careers. Both list tons of jobs (over 461,000 and 1 million, respectively). Their vastness may increase your chances of success, but it also means hours of searching. Although some sites offer more job-search tools than others, you can usually narrow your search by specifying the job type, keyword, or location. Yahoo Careers lets you zoom in by location, company, keyword, job term, job type, or job title. Keep in mind that the professions job sites cover vary. Some (including Dice.com) are better for high-tech jobs, while others (such as Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition) are better for financial jobs.

National job sites also have such tools as résumé-building templates, job-search agents, and forums. Monster, in particular, is popular among job seekers for its ample research tools and helpful advice. Yahoo Careers, Monster, and a few others offer chats and discussion boards for networking, career advice to get you started, and industry-specific information to keep you up-to-date with what's going on in various industries and professions.

Many job sites, including our top picks, let you post your résumé for recruiters and employers to view. This might seem like the easiest way to find a job, but most employers don't want to sift through hundreds of résumés to find yours. Still, you might get lucky, as Bruton did. If you're not concerned about confidentiality, Weddle suggests, post your résumé on as many sites as you can, dating each file. You don't want to confuse a prospective employer who happens upon your latest résumé and a six-month-old version.

Another thing to bear in mind: On many sites, your résumé is available to anyone who wants to look at it, including your current boss. And anyone who sees it can collect your name, address, phone number, and other personal information. To protect your privacy, consider providing only your e-mail address.

If you don't have time to go through the myriad job listings on the Web, sign up for an e-mail agent. JobBankUSA and NationJob Network are among the job sites that offer these. You tell the agent you want a job as a marketing director, for example, and it e-mails you every time it comes across a job listing that includes that title.

Some sites, such as CareerBuilder, have an agreement with and gather listings from local newspapers and put them in one place. And if these Web options don't pan out, ask your colleagues which sites have worked for them.

Step 5: Localize Your Job Search

Faced with more than 40,000 national, regional, and field-specific sites on the Web, how do you choose the best one for your job hunt? The best strategy is to spread yourself around. Big national sites (such as Monster, HotJobs, and Yahoo Careers) are a good place to start, since they enjoy heavy traffic and have so many postings. But local and industry-specific sites can be more effective than national ones. "Monster and HotJobs are just too big. Neither offers the best jobs, especially in the design industry," says Megan O'Toole, a freelance graphic designer. "It's better to get industry-specific. For design work, Communication Arts is by far the best."

David Javate, who recently graduated from business school and has been looking for a job in marketing or in the music industry, finds local job sites useful resources. "Craigslist, a San Francisco Bay Area regional site, works because its listings are local and sorted based on job fields," says Javate. A national job site such as HotJobs can be useful, too, because "it gives my résumé nationwide exposure--something that regional sites can't offer."

Still, "many employers favor locally based job-posting sites because they don't want to deal with an employee's relocation costs and other potential hassles," Bolles says. In addition, Weddle believes, recruiters tend to frequent one or two big national job sites and several regional ones, simply because they can find people more efficiently. Why not go where the employers are? Before Bruton found her new job, she spent time at regional job sites, including JobSummit.com--a site focusing on employment opportunities in Southern California--and at several HR-specific job sites such as HR Solutions.

You might also browse employment listings at company Web sites. "I like checking a company's Web site for job openings, but sometimes the listings aren't up-to-date, and overall, getting a response seems to take a long time," says O'Toole.

The Verdict?

This multitude of options may make finding work seem like too much work. But the best way to look for a job on the Internet is to take advantage of all your options. Do the research, put together a résumé, make contacts, scan the job listings, and post your résumé. Spend some time away from your PC. The traditional methods of finding a job remain worthwhile and can augment online efforts. Go out and talk to people, hit the libraries, and check the newspaper listings.

Keep in mind that online job hunting has its share of hazards--occasionally nonfunctioning tools or links and misleading and outdated job listings. But it raises your profile and significantly increases your chances of finding the right employment opportunity. And if you don't pluck that golden job right away, don't fret. Hang on to your self-esteem, and remember, there's always the lottery.

Freelance writer Michael Gowan, a two-time victim of dot-com failures, frequently browses Craigslist for that ever-elusive job. Associate Editor Grace Aquino also contributed to this article.

Secrets of an Online Recruiter

Whether you use the Net to find the ideal employee or a great job, you need to think like a recruiter. How and where do these professionals search for candidates online? What must you do to hire or get hired? Here's an insider's perspective from a recruiter who works for one of the biggest companies in the nation--Bank of America.

BofA, like an increasing number of other companies, uses the Web to find candidates for its job openings. "Out of about 50,000 new hires each year, approximately 3000 are found through the Internet," says Tim DeVries, vice president of corporate staffing at Bank of America. The company lists jobs on national and industry-specific sites. But the Web still isn't a perfect resource for recruiters. Here's the scoop:

PC World: What advice do you have for job seekers who are planning to look for work on the Web?

Tim DeVries: Use keywords. Job seekers are still stuck in the build-a-perfect-résumé mind-set--make it look great. Instead, worry about the keywords you build into the résumé. Include words that describe your skills and experience.

PCW: What advice do you have for other companies recruiting on the Web?

TD: You can learn a lot through networking. Talk to others who have been where you're going. Call people who use the Web sites to find out if the sites are worth your while. You can easily save yourself a lot trouble if you ask users beforehand about their experiences.

PCW: What sites does Bank of America use for recruiting candidates, and why did it decide on those particular sites?

TD: We use America's Job Bank, CareerBuilder, Dice, Headhunter, HotJobs, and Monster. We also purchase individual postings as needed at organizational sites such as the Association for Financial Professionals. We look at sites that will give us the most exposure. Monster, for instance, receives almost 5 million unique hits a month. But we've found that there are too many recruitment sites right now. Being at every site would be an administrative nightmare. Every time we sign up at a new site, we have to create new processes. A lot of technicalities are involved.

PCW: Has the proliferation of job sites helped Bank of America efficiently recruit employees?

TD: Yes and no. It's kind of a catch-22. With so many sites available, we often question if we should spread ourselves thin by being on all of them. Having an overabundance of job sites can be a negative thing. In a tight labor market, job sites have given us additional avenues. But at the end of the day, the whole thing is still a difficult process, since we have to be at so many different places. Ten years ago, there was a single main avenue: Employers would place an ad in the newspaper; then résumés would come in. Now with so many tools on the Internet, it's hard for recruiters, including us, to keep up with them.

PCW: What sorts of jobs get the most response on the Web?

TD: We list middle-management-level positions and technology jobs such as Java developer and Unix programmer. We see a lot more responses for our mid-management positions, though.

PCW: Are there any improvements that you think job sites ought to make to enhance their ease of use?

TD: There should be a standard interface for posting jobs, so recruiters don't have to rewrite the ad each time.

Regional Sites

To help you get started, here's a list of regional job sites worth checking out:

Midwest

• Chicago Jobs.com
• Chicago Tribune Career Finder
• Michigan Works

Northeast

• Smartdog (Rochester, New York)
• BostonWorks
• New York New Media Association
• TriStateJobs.com (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut)
• WashingtonJobs.com

South

• Carolinas CareerWeb

Southwest

• Arizona Jobs
• Houston Employment, LLC

West

• Craigslist (predominantly San Francisco Bay Area)
• Seattle-Jobs.com

Industry-Specific Sites

If you're looking for a job in a specific field, consider visiting these Web sites:

Accounting/Finance

• Accounting.com
• ExecuNet
• Wall Street Journal

Design

• Communication Arts

Education

• Academic Employment Network
• Higher Education Jobs
• K-12jobs.com

Engineering

• Engineerjobs.com

Government

• U.S.A. Jobs

Health Care

• HealthJobSite.com
• Journals of the American Medical Association
• MedCareers.com

Hospitality

• Hospitality Career Net

Legal

• Law Jobs
• LegalHire.com

Marketing/Sales

• Accessalesjobs.com
• Marketingjobs.com

Science

• ScienceJobs.com

Technology

• Dice.com
• Techies.com

How the Job Sites Stack Up (chart)

Comparison of Job Site Features for Employers (chart)