The way that people look for employment opportunities has certainly changed over time. In older times, finding a job meant opening the paper and searching through the want ads or it meant networking with people you know and trying to create an opportunity that way.
Both of those ways still work, but in today’s ever-changing job market, people are using the internet more and more. In fact, the Internet has become the go-to place for anyone looking to find a new job online. Not only are people using the Internet to look for jobs, but they’re also using the Web to perform many job search functions.
Think for a minute about all you can do online; you can buy just about anything; you can keep in touch with friends; you can pay bills; you can watch movies; heck, you can even pick out groceries without ever setting foot in a store. When you’re trying to find a new job online, you need to let the Internet go to work for you like it does in other aspects of life.
If you’ve been searching for a job and feel you exhausted the traditional search methods—whether scouring the newspapers or meeting with helpful employees at local employment services offices—here’s how you can use the Internet to your advantage.
Get Online
If you’re trying to find a new job online, you need to make sure employers can find you online. That means you need to post your resume online. These days, there are any number of sites — Monster and Indeed are a few — where you can post your resume and keep it on file. This gives you the chance to update it when you need to and makes it easier for employers to see it.
In addition to putting your resume up on a job site, it might not be a bad idea to create an account on a site like LinkedIn, which essentially is a business-themed social media site. It’s estimated that more than 10 million small businesses in the United States have taken time to invest money into search engine optimization because they see its value. When they use SEO, it increases the likelihood they might find your profile or resume online.
One of the best things about posting your resume online is that it may open you open to employment opportunities you might not have thought about previously. For example, if you’ve got several years of experience doing landscape maintenance, companies who are hiring might offer you chances to do similar jobs based on your skillset.
You may find, for example, that you get offers from pest control services since you may have dealt with different pest-related issues doing different kinds of landscaping. Just keep in mind that you’ll have to get certified if you go down this route.
Network
Another good way to find a new job online is to network. If you’ve heard the phrase, “It’s all about who you know,” it’s because there’s a degree of truth to it. Knowing the right people can lead you to opportunities you may have never dreamed of.
But let’s say you’re a recent college graduate, who may not have connections. How do you network? One way to do it is to use LinkedIn, as described above. You can easily find recent graduates of your school and probably even some of your friends. It’s also not a bad idea to try and network with employees of companies you’re interested in working for. At the very least, you can connect with them and get an idea of what it’s like to work there.
Another way to network is to try link up with alumni networks. Depending on your school, odds are pretty good there are alumni groups from coast to coast, who can potentially put you in touch with different employees, depending on your areas of expertise.
Reach Out To Friends
If you’re trying to find a new job online, one easy way to network and talk to people is easy: reach out to your friends. These days it’s never been easier to keep in touch with friends, family, and co-workers on sites like Facebook. You probably know some friends who have jobs in the industry you work in and you can reach out to them to see if they know of any employment opportunities.
Look Far And Wide
Finding a new job online isn’t always easy, but it doesn’t have to be incredibly difficult either. Sites like Craigslist and even Facebook Marketplace have allowed people in need of help to post easily and made it simple for those looking for work to find them.
Let’s say you’ve got a background in construction. While many folks who need work done can go through big companies to get work done, they’re not opposed to hiring contractors either. If you see ads online for people looking to replace their wood flooring before they put down new carpet or looking for heating contractors to fix their HVAC system before winter, you can jump at those chances and potentially get quite a bit of business.
Just as it’s easy to post ads online, it’s also very easy to post reviews online. You’ve probably seen Facebook posts where someone posts a question with the intent of having their friends answer; something like “Where does everyone take their car for service?” If you do a good job at what you do, it can be very easy to get recommendations because word of your good reputation can potentially spread very quickly.
Streamline Your Searches
Finding a new job online can take some time, but you can do a lot to streamline the process so that it doesn’t seem too overwhelming. You can do this by signing up for email alerts so that every time there is an opening for a job you might be qualified for, you’ll know right away.
As you search on sites like Monster or Indeed, make sure to cast a wide net too. You need to really specify your searches so that you can get alerts that are useful to you. If you’ve got a law background, for example, you can’t just search “attorney” or “lawyer.” You need to think about what your area of legal expertise is hone in on that. If your background is in finance, you might try searching “ bankruptcy attorney services” or “bankruptcy attorney” or “corporate lawyer.”
Take Some Time To Learn
Whether you’re trying to find a new job online right now or looking to change jobs in the very near future, it’s not a bad idea to take time and search for different companies you might want to work for.
You might be wondering what the purpose of this is. Much like you might consider connecting with employees from different companies on LinkedIn, it’s beneficial to research different companies. This way you can learn about a company’s corporate structure, its culture, and even what its employees say about working there. Ultimately, this will help you determine if working there would be a good fit for you. There are plenty of lucrative opportunities out there, but not all of them are the best fit.
Check Message Boards
Make no mistake, there are plenty of companies who very effectively use social media marketing to let the public know about job openings. But other companies aren’t as vocal and that’s why it’s important to search online message boards and discussion groups. There are many times where job openings can’t post publicly right away and if you can find out about an opening ahead of time, you might have a leg up against other candidates.
Stay Organized
There are many ways you can find a new job online, but before you too involved, you need to make sure you’re organized. Having a cluttered or unfocused search can prolong the whole thing and make you feel like you’re not getting anywhere. Take time to develop a system that works for you to stay on top of things. Keep track of all the jobs you’ve applied for, keep track of the places you’ve been invited to interview, and make sure you’ve got a solid, but adaptable resume.
Set Goals For Yourself
It doesn’t matter if you work in mobile marketing, construction, finance, or you’re an athlete, you need to set goals for yourself. The same applies to a job search. It can be a difficult, sometimes long process and it can be very easy to get discouraged. By setting goals for yourself to accomplish each day and then meeting those goals, you’re building a foundation for future success and staying motivated.
Don’t Limit Yourself
As you search for a new job, searching online is one of the easiest ways to do it. But you shouldn’t limit yourself. If you’re only applying for online jobs though, you might end up feeling disappointed, especially if you apply for a job and receive absolutely no response.
Sometimes the best thing you can do in a job search is to contact companies you’re interested in or meet with internal recruiters. This will help you get your foot in the door and establish a connection with all the right people.
Not limiting yourself also means keeping an open mind when it comes to applying for jobs too. You may have expertise in a certain area or type of job, but if it’s been a while since you were on the job market, the qualifications and expectations of someone in your line of work may have changed. You might also find jobs that fit your skill set, but you might not know everything required of the position. You can still apply for those jobs because many companies may be ready and willing to allow you to learn on the job and pick up the skills you don’t have.
Sell Your Gold
As you search for a new job, you might be in a situation where you need some money and you need it fast. How can you get the money you need? One easy way to sell your jewelry. If you have jewelry you don’t wear, you might be sitting on a pile of money.
You probably live close to several cash for gold stores, but before you visit one, you need to understand the ins and outs of selling gold. For one thing, different places use different scales and you may find some places don’t pay you enough for what your gold is worth.
Before you go to sell it, you need to know how many karats you’ve got in your jewelry and to keep them separate from your gold. Some dealers might weigh them together and again, you may end up getting shortchanged.
Bottom line: you need to know what you have. The price of gold can ebb and flow, but generally, you should be able to get a good price for it. If your gold comes from a well-known maker, it may add value to the gold you have and you need to be aware of that. You should also be aware of the price of your gold. Before you go to a salesman, you can call local jewelers to check pricing or check out pricing online. You may not get what you paid for your jewelry originally, but you also don’t want to leave money on the table either.
Keep On Truckin
Finding a new job online isn’t an exact science and there may be some days where you don’t find many jobs to apply for. The important thing is to stay positive, stay focused, and keep your eyes on the prize. By building an online brand for yourself—via social media and online resumes–you can make yourself more attractive to employers and increase your chances of eyeballs seeing your information.
With patience and persistence, you’ll be able to eventually land on a job that fits your personality and your skills, whether you’re an influence, an employment attorney, a contractor, a banker, or a journalist. There’s plenty of opportunities out there, you just need to know where to look and how to go about applying for those jobs.
