Job search engines
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Being prepared may just be the key to getting a job. By planning ahead on your job search campaign you increase your chances of success. It is important to learn how to deal with the various aspects of the job search, (for example resume writing), job interviewing, thank you letters, and, ultimately, even learn about entertaining job offers.
- Write a Resume-But it is crucial that job seekers understand that resumes are not a one size fits every job tool. Tailoring your resume to fit the needs and requirements of the job will help you make a big impression. Learn how to write a resume that will make a good impression but above all be honest. Ultimately your prospective employer will be able to determine if you are not honest sometimes with drastic consequences!
Today's world of employment has expanded rapidly to the internet. Studies show that most job seekers are turning to the web to look for their next job. Job search engines have become the new reality in the world of hiring. While many people may find this daunting if you are looking for a job knowing what a job search engine is and what it does may be critical in finding your next job. Here is what you need to know about job search engines-
What is a job search engine?
A search engine is a software program that searches for sites based on the words that you designate as search terms. Search engines (of any kind) include incredibly detailed processes and methodologies and are updated all the time. Search engines will look through their own databases of information in order to find what it is that you are looking for. A job search engine will look through listings of jobs to find ones that match the criteria that you have set up. It is important to keep in mind that job search engines and directories are not the same things. Job search engines will access only listed jobs while directories will bring in jobs along with extraneous information the job seeker may not be looking for.
The downside of job search engines
As rapidly as technology is expanding there are bound to be problems that come along. While job search engines loudly tout their advantages to those seeking a job there are problems that a job seeker should be aware of. Some of these problems are:
- Jobs that are not screened-Some job search engines have much less stringent criteria for posting jobs than others. Some job search engines will post jobs that are from less than reputable companies. Others will post jobs that serve as covers for illegal operations such as money scams and work from home frauds. It is critical to use reputable job search engines that only post real jobs from companies you actually want to work for.
- Out of date jobs-Some job search engines are slow to clean up their job listings. This means that many times you may go through the job search engine, find the perfect job, and apply for that job only to find that the job listing has expired. The best job search engines will clean up the job listings quickly leaving only truly open jobs that can accept applications.
- The job interview-It is crucial to prepare for an interview and find out how to follow up after one. Nothing impresses a prospective employer less than not knowing about the company and/or job you are interviewing for. Simply do a quick search on the web before going to your interview. And above all dress to impress-this is not the time to wear the latest daring style or show up in your weekend casual clothes. Understand how employees at the company dress and make your job interview outfit reflect that you could work there.
- Jobs that lack information-It can be highly frustrating for the job seeker to find a job listing only to find no contact information for the company, little information about the job and an incomplete application process. Reputable job search engines work to make sure that their job listings are as complete as possible making the job search process just a little easier.
- A difficult and complicated application process-If the job search engine you are using has a complicated or overly difficult application process it may be time to move to a different job search engine. Some job search engines make it doubly difficult requiring job seekers to fill out extensive profiles and complicated applications in order to use their services. While this may be helpful if they have the right jobs, job seekers should be sure that they want to invest that much time in paperwork.
- Fees for job seekers-Most job search engines on the internet are free. Even the largest job search engines require only prospective employers to pay a fee to post a job. Generally job seekers are able to apply for a position (or several positions) for free. If you are using a job search engine that requires a fee for job seeking this may be a red flag that this is a less than reputable job search engine and you should move onto another site.
- The unposted job market-It is important that job seekers understand that no job search engine will contain every available job. Many times companies will not post every open position on a job search engine. In addition there are simply companies who choose not to post open positions at all making it necessary for prospective employees to seek these jobs out other ways.
The upside of using a job search engine
While there are certainly some pitfalls to using a job search engine there are a lot of positives. Job search engines on the internet have opened a whole new way for people to find that perfect job. Here are just a few of the positives of using a job search engine-
- You can save a lot of time-Gone are the days of cold calling from door to door. Today jobs seekers can see at a glance what jobs are available. A savvy job seeker can quickly search several job search engines to determine if there are jobs that are right for them. And best of all you can conduct the search without leaving your home or office.
- You can quickly apply for several jobs at the same time-Using a reputable job search engine affords you with the opportunity to apply for several jobs quickly and easily. Many of these job search engines even allow you store several resumes allowing you to access the right one, type up a cover letter and send off all the needed paperwork in a very short period of time.
- You can easily see jobs in other parts of the country or around the world-If you are looking to relocate with a new job using a job search engine can really help. Most of the largest job search engines post jobs from around the country and even around the world. You can even see if that dream of relocating to Paris or Rome can really be a reality with only a few clicks on your job search engine.
- Send a thank you note-To often job seekers forget this crucial step. Writing a thank you note shows the employer that you are taking this job interview seriously. In addition this also gives you the opportunity to bring up something you may have forgotten to say or that you want to reiterate. The bottom line is: it's just good manners!
- The job offer-Be sure to know exactly what you want from the job offer. If you are lucky enough to receive multiple offers than do not be afraid to negotiate. Above all do not burn any bridges turn down unwanted offers graciously since you never know when you may be looking for another job.
If you are in the market for a new job using a job search engine can be a vital part of finding that perfect job. Here are some recommendations for some of the best and most widely used job search engines:
- Monster.com-This is the job search engine with lots of extras. Many people are proponents of using Monster.com. You can narrow your job search by location, keywords, and employer. In addition, Monster has plenty of job search extras such as: networking boards, job search alerts, and online resume posting.
- Indeed.com-This is also a very good job search engine but unlike Monster, you cannot submit your resume from Indeed.com. This job search engine does more than make up for that by being a Meta search engine of many of the major job search engines and job search boards out there. Many users report that Indeed uncovers a lot of jobs that you would not normally find on most job search sites, and they do a good job of making their job search features as easy to use as possible.
- FedWorld-If you are looking for a federal job you can think of FedWorld as your gateway into the huge world of US government jobs. Users can do a detailed federal job search here. FedWorld also offers the serious federal job searcher the opportunity to search FirstGov, search and view Supreme Court decisions, and view GS pay rate schedules.
- CareerBuilder-This is one of the largest job search engines. CareerBuilder offers job searchers the ability to find a job, post a resume, create job alerts, get job advice and job resources, and even look up job fairs. This is a truly massive job search engine that offers a lot of good resources to the job searcher. In addition there are even job search communities for users to network through.
- Dice.com-This is simply a technology job search engine. If you are seeking a job in this industry than Dice.com is a job search engine dedicated to only finding technology jobs. Dice also offers those job searchers who already have a security clearance the ability to search on ClearanceJobs.com, "premier Internet job board" which focuses exclusively on candidates with active or current security clearances.
- America's Job Bank-This is another extremely large job search engine. America's Job Bank is one of the largest job search engines on the Web today. With almost two million jobs in its sizable database at the time of this writing and more than fifteen thousand new jobs are being posted almost every day. America's Job Bank is a must-do job search engine for any job seeker. Users can search by job title, keyword, military, or job number.
- Yahoo Hot Jobs-This job search engine is linked to your Yahoo ID (if you have one), so once you're signed into Yahoo, you are already signed into Hot Jobs. You can search by location with Hot Jobs and you will be able to see all the jobs in your general area in the column to the left. Any of your job searches can be subscribed to via RSS; you can add it to "My Yahoo" or a personalized RSS reader (such as Bloglines).
