By Barbara Ling
Ah, the joys of looking for a new position. Granted, at times it can seem comparable to the joys of shoveling snow in preparation for the Winter Olympics in Utah, but it doesn't always have to be you against the elements.
One of the great resources the Internet provides for professionals is the ability to network with fellow job seekers in a proactive, positive fashion and uncover resources you'd never consider yourself.
Following are some of the rather tremendous peer resources I've discovered during my past 14 years online.
One of the best, most cutting-edge quality boards I've come across is Barbara Sher's boards at http://www.barbarasher.com/ubbcgi/Ultimate.cgi. Author of many books, including "I Could Do Anything I Want, if Only I Knew What It Was", "Wishcraft: How to Get What You Really Want" and others, her boards burst with helpful participants who are most willing to provide suggestions and advice on finding that perfect career. This is a definite must-see.
Now, what if you'd like to network with fellow professionals about different companies, interview processes and more? http://www.jobreviews.com/cgi-bin/index.pl will provide you with just that - you can see what your peers are saying about salaries at http://www.jobreviews.com/cgi-bin/getsection.pl?select=salary , different industries at http://www.jobreviews.com/cgi-bin/getsection.pl?select=jobposition and more. Vault.com also offers company and industry message boards at http://www.vault.com/community/mb/mb_home.jsp too - these are one of the most popular sites for the job seeker on the Internet.
What if you'd like to get your toes wet regarding entrepreneuring or home based businessizing? Two of the most popular boards for that include http://www.ablake.net/forum and http://www.friendsinbusiness.com/board1.
At those boards, you'll find peers who have already survived their trial by fire, and will give advice on transitioning to this type of work.
Another great resource for networking with your peers involves the discussion forums that target your professional organizations. Many professional association sites include boards where their members can share information and advice. Future newsletters will go into this in far more detail, but for now, you can uncover associations for your industry at http://www.associationcentral.com or http://info.asaenet.org/gateway/OnlineAssocSlist.html.
Remember, you're not alone when it comes to finding your next career! Take advantage of the wealth of information the Internet offers to you; you'll be surprised at the gems you uncover.
ThankYouVeryMuch!
-- Barbara Ling is the author of the compelling guide that shows you how to penetrate the hidden job market, Make Them Beg To Hire You at http://www.MakeThemBeg.com . A free excerpt is available at http://www.MakeThemBeg.com/freesample.html , and free Career S.O.S. cards are also your for the taking at http://www.MakeThemBeg.com/cards/card.html.
