Washington State Department of Services for the Blind

Tips for Online Job Searching*

Nowadays, recruiters view the Internet as a easier and more accurate means for reviewing applicants for jobs. Most of the firms searching the Internet for talent are the nation's largest, most geographically diverse employers, and every day more of the small and medium size companies begin making much greater use of the Internet as a recruiting tool. The following suggestions may help you navigate the process of conducting an online job search.

Choose key words carefully.

During an online job search, there are two activities which happen simultaneously – job candidates are searching for jobs and employers are searching for candidates. Each activity uses databases that match the candidate with the employer. These databases organize data according to key words. Key words are words that describe your skills or experiences and can be used as parameters in a search. Most often, they will come from the specific terminology that is used in your job. It’s important that you use appropriate, precise key words in your resume to ensure that the match will occur in a suitable and timely manner.

There are online resources, such as www.eresumes.com, that you can refer to for hints on writing a resume using key words.

Try a search agent.

As a job seeker, you can use search agents. After you post your profile on a specific website, a search agent will monitor your profile. When your criteria matches a job opening that has been posted by an employer, the search agent will send you a notification about the job via email. It’s a static, slower type of job search, and you may get fewer leads than self-searching, but it is a good way to keep track of job openings within a specific field, a specific geographical area, or a specific organization.

Visit key mainstream job search sites.

The following websites are very large and widely used with varying degrees of accessibility. Each has unique features. Choose those that work the best for you.

• www.monster.com
• www.hotjobs.com
• www.headhunter.com
• www.careers.yahoo.com
• www.quintcareers.com
• www.joboptions.com This website has a working relationship with the National Association of People with Disabilities (NAPD).
• For government jobs, try www.usajobs.opm.gov
• For freelancing jobs, try www.guru.com

Never pay for anything.

On most legitimate job sites, job candidates do not pay to access the job site, job listing, or to post a resume.

Prepare for a phone interview.

When you respond to a job posting, expect that the employer will call you. Oftentimes, this step is used to quickly eliminate those candidates who are not interested or those who are not interesting. Be prepared for that telephone interview. Be responsive to the questions you can expect. Think before you respond to a job posting. If you tailored your resume to meet specific qualifications, fine tune your telephone script accordingly. Have your tailored resume available during the phone interview so you can refer to it.

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