5 Tips to Improve Your Job Hunt Online

There are a ton of career resources available online that allow for a comprehensive job search. Use these five tips for job searching to get the most out of your online job hunting and find your perfect job more quickly.

Job Searching Tip 1: Use Job Notification Agents

Many online job boards like Monster, Careerbuilder and Jobing give you the option to conduct a job search on a regular basis and have the results of those agents emailed to you. These emails make it easy to find out what jobs are currently open, whether you are actively seeking employment or just want to stay abreast of possible career opportunities.

Job Searching Tip 2: Apply With Care

Apply only to jobs that you are truly qualified or interested in.  It might be easy to submit your resume to many jobs that aren’t a very good fit.  Resist the temptation. Human resource professionals are very busy people, and who knows – the same HR person may have another job posted that is actually right for you – the next day!  Applying to jobs indiscriminately sends a poor message about the focus of your job search and the quality of your candidacy.

Job Searching Tip 3: Tailor Your Resume

Research the companies that you apply to and tailor your cover letters and resumes to fit the jobs and the positions you are applying for.  There is no better way to impress a recruiter than to help them easily understand why you fit their culture and the job you are applying to. Thoroughly review the job posting, pay the company website a visit, read the company profile and view their employment video. Doing your company research really pays off.

Job Searching Tip 4: Find What Works

Use a variety of different job boards and career resources at first and find out what works best for you. With time you learn which job boards and career resources work best for you given your geographic location and career field. The big job boards like Monster and Career Builder are good for searching a wide variety of jobs. If you are unwilling to relocate then you may want to keep your job search local with job boards like Jobing and Simply Hired. Job boards like Dice and The Ladders cater to a niche set of individuals seeking very specific types of jobs. Once you find what works best for your job search you can begin to budget your time accordingly.

Job Searching Tip 5: Keep Your Resume Fresh

Keep updating your resume.  When searching for a job, notice how recently the position was posted. You may even consider filtering your search to view only the newest jobs around. Similarly, employers search resume databases to find candidates that recently updated their information. Keeping your information current tells employers:

a.  You are actively looking for new employment – now.
b.  Your employment background, work experience and contact information is current.
c.  You are ready to interview, and even start your new job on a reasonable timetable. 

Whatever career resources you use or advice you receive, remember there is no magic bullet to finding a job you’ll love.Your job hunt is a process that requires patience, passion, due diligence and constant improvement.