By Adrienne Erin
Contributor, Online Career Tips
Indeed, Monster, CareerBuilder and Craigslist are all sites we love to frequent when we’re job hunting. A good many of us turn to the Internet as first and last in our job search, but how often has that worked out the way you hoped?
Most people know to be careful on Craigslist, since scammers are so prevalent there. However, CareerBuilder and Monster are both respectable sites, and since you have to pay to search resumes, these companies are legitimate. The downside is that you only see what those sites want you to see. You may have been in sales for about 30 days right out of college, but if it’s listed on your resume, that may be all you see.
Limits
The bigger sites like these have to use filters to steer people in what they think is the right direction. Unfortunately, that filter can also be a kind of a black hole that sucks resumes in and never gets them to the right people. On a broad scale, it makes sense. Not everyone has time to go through all the resumes, looking for the perfect fit. For the individual, however, there is nothing more frustrating.
This kind of filtering black hole isn’t the only pitfall of these sites. You’re also missing out on unadvertised jobs. These can pop up out of nowhere, and are often given to the people who are ready to take them; either someone already in the company or someone with connections. Leaves of absence, a new product launch, or someone quitting are all great opportunities, but the position is often filled before it ever makes its online debut.
Swoop In
For all these job possibilities, you have to be just a little bit unorthodox. A trip back to the 90s is useful in job hunting, where you apply for jobs by actually stopping by or sending in your resume. However, there is a real key to jobs in today’s world – networking. This is the magic key to your dream job, but most people simply don’t want anything to do with it. We want to do it on our own, or wait for it to come to us.
Just for fun, let’s think about this another way. Say you’re looking to buy a house. Online it seems easy enough. You simply scroll through the listings and see which ones you might like, and request more information. It’s the same idea when job hunting, but the online search is just the beginning.
Actually finding your dream home comes from a combination of research, vision, work and help. If you’re buying a house, you’ve got an idea of what you’d like, but you don’t want to miss out on one that’s not listed online. So, you might call up a place like Triple Crown Corporation and ask for a one of their professional’s words of advice – in other words, you make an effort to network. Suddenly you realize that you had barely scratched the surface with your online browsing, and the best deals, or jobs, were unpublished.
Finders, Keepers
There are plenty of advantages that come with this sort of job hunt. First of all, you’ve managed to cut out a significant chunk of the competition you have online. However, the people you will be competing against will likely have something you don’t. A fast response time, along with being able to showcase your best qualities, should help you to keep your edge.
You also have an “in” with the company, especially if you’ve gotten the opportunity because you know someone. Plus, you’ve already shown that you’re willing to go the extra mile, a trait that most companies will reward handsomely.
Sometimes, even with the edge of a smaller pool, a direct “in” and a good understanding of the company, you still don’t get the position you were hoping for. The thing to remember is, that’s OK. You put a lot of work into gaining those contacts, so you shouldn’t let them go to waste. Stay in touch, offer a few suggestions, and make sure to stay on their radar. You might be surprised to find yourself first in line for the next unadvertised opening.
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