How To Job Search With Cyber Savvy

Debra Feldman

CareerLaunchpad

If you listen to the news you will hear that the good times may be ending. For dot-commers that time has already arrived, but for employees in more traditional lines of work the ax may yet drop. Perceptive employees will prepare themselves for possible career transition in advance so that when the time comes, they will be ready to hit the job market with a running start and winning strategy.

If you have not been in the job market for a few years, then you are going to notice some very big changes. Just as casual Fridays seem to have a beneficial effect on daily haberdashery, the impact of the Internet has virtually transformed how job searches are conducted. The convenience and speed of e-mail for business correspondence are swiftly replacing faxes. The fancy stationery is practically obsolete, but not quite. The good news is that job search now entails more options for communicating your value to potential employers: faxing, e-mailing, electronic and postal delivery all have a proper role.

In a recent survey by a major career outplacement and consulting firm, eighty percent of recruiters surveyed reported that they preferred receiving resumes by e-mail rather than by fax or post. The implications of this preference is the absolute necessity to have access to the Internet, to establish an e-mail account, have your own e-mail address, and know the basics of sending and receiving e-mail messages and attached files. If a job seeker has these communication skills available, then the real work of job hunting, networking, can get started.

First things first: prepare a current resume and customizable cover letter, develop a list of companies and individuals that you consider potential employers, create a list of recruiters, headhunters or employment agencies in your field and identify business colleagues and other contacts who can help you network. Next keep on the lookout for jobs matching your specifications announced in the media, including the classifieds help wanted sections of local, regional and national newspapers and job websites. Submit your resume for positions that interest you and follow up on your application with a phone call or e-mail after several days. And keep on networking until you have accepted a written offer.

The crucial role networking plays in job search cannot be emphasized too much. Despite the explosion in the number and diversity of job banks on the Web, still almost all new situations are found through personal referrals. The key to success remains effective, targeted one-to-one networking. Advertised job openings, print as well as on-line, still represent only the tip of the potential job market. Most candidates find jobs by word of mouth, through creation of a new opportunity designed for a particular individual or through an unexpected change in circumstances leading to creation of a new position.

Finding a job in the hidden job market continues to offer the greatest potential for success; there is less competition for your candidacy. Do not stop submitting applications for posted jobs or writing unsolicited letters, but recognize that your next career move will most likely be derived through relentless networking, in person, by telephone or on-line with e-mail.

Just as mail-merge revolutionized job search methods when we all mastered the basics of word processing, the almost pervasive use of e-mail has had a similarly dramatic effect on our ability to get the word out about our interest in new career opportunities. Delivery is free, practically instantaneous and you can even get a confirmation of receipt using some e-mail programs. It is easy, cheap and even some fun. Whichever way you accomplish it, the objective is the same: to get a recruiter or potential employer to take an interest in you and connect you to the person who can offer you a suitable job.