<p>So, I’m looking to re-enter the work force after 7 years (hello college tuition/astronomical EFC). </p>
<p>Everyone says go on the job posting websites (I have). I’ve also sent letters/resumes to firms in my field (unsolicited) and informally ‘put the word out.’ </p>
<p>Just wondering if the internet is really a good way to spend time? In the past I’d heard it was misleading…you are posting along w/thousands of others. But…maybe it’s good?</p>
<p>If anyone had any job hunting tips, would appreciate it. Thanks!</p>
<p>I actually got my wonderful current legal job through a legal job board. It was ACC. I got some interviews prior to that from monster etc., but it is true that you are competing against hundreds of resumes. Somehow you have to make your resume stand out while at the same time including the right words so that if the resume is being electronically scanned it will meet the criteria of the ad. Where I never had luck was with headhunters- I got interviews but that was never how I actually got the jobs.</p>
<p>All of my jobs have been gotten through personal connections and the same is true for H. He has been casually looking for a new job for about three years (while still employed) mostly using the Internet and has not had any luck going that route. He is an attorney (in-house counsel stuff).</p>
<p>I think the Internet may work best for new grads and lower level positions, with senior positions more likely to get filled based on word of mouth, but there is always the exception so it can’t hurt to cover all bases.</p>
<p>My husband found his current job by posting his resume online. Other friends did the same even the ones that graduated from schools that are known for its alumni network.</p>
<p>I am an employer who uses a variety of methods to find employees. </p>
<p>I am skeptical of the various internet jobs boards – I kept getting people applying who wanted to discuss the job but they lived an hour away. NOT HAPPENING. I finally posted the job as “apply in person” and got two people the next day. Hired both. So my advice is … watch the geography if you are job hunting on the 'net.</p>
<p>cnp55, half the people in my office commute for an hour or more each way.</p>
<p>In some places, this is normal.</p>
<p>Our office is located in a relatively expensive close-in suburb of Washington, DC. People commute from far away because housing is much cheaper in outlying areas.</p>
<p>Our company would have lost out on some of its best people – including my boss and the majority of the people in our department – if it had a “those who live an hour away need not apply” rule.</p>
<p>Applying for jobs you see posted online is not likely to be useful, unless your qualifications and background really set you apart from the typical applicant. Generally the best way to get a job is through networking and connections. But the internet is a great place to begin RESEARCH to find out where the jobs are (what positions are available, what companies are hiring, etc.). But you generally need a direct, inside connection – otherwise your resume gets lost amid all the others. So if you see that Company A is hiring for a position you are interested in… your next step is to try to figure out who you know at Company A. (Or play 6-degrees-of-separation… which of your friends and acquaintances is most likely to know someone with influence at Company A.) Even if the contact person has nothing to do with hiring, a phone call on your behalf might at least bring your resume to the top of the pile. </p>
<p>It can be very valuable to POST a resume on the internet – sometimes employers or headhunters come looking, and so it helps to make yourself easy to find. In any case, it gets you wide exposure with little effort – so there really is no downside.</p>
<p>I got my most recent contract through a technical job site on the Internet. I posted my resume there and got zero response, but the site has a very good search function that sends a daily email with job openings that match your search criteria. I only responded to job postings that fit exactly what I was looking for - there weren’t a lot - and eventually landed a contract. It took about 5 months and I responded to perhaps 25 posts.</p>
<p>Back when I was hiring people for technical jobs, the only place I advertised was Craig’s List. One job I had open several years ago received about 500 responses, of which approx 20% were qualified for the position.</p>
<p>In the case of the jobs I have open, an hour is way too far. If I was hiring for a job on the top of the food chain – not a problem!</p>
<p>I’m sure that there are certain jobs where a long commute is not an issue, but when I am hiring for a job that requires 3 hours a day, 5 days a week and pays $10 hr … and I am not negotiable on the number of hours or the number of days … and the physical presence of the employee is required … commuting too far is not going to work. “Too far” is going to vary by pay range and the specific job – but I think most people will agree that they aren’t driving more than 10 miles to a job that will pay $30/day.</p>
<p>And yes, my ads always include the location, the hours, and the pay range.</p>
<p>Interesting insights, thanks so much for sharing the experiences and perspectives.</p>
<p>Seems like it’s okay to do the internet job postings, but don’t rely on them solely and be sure to use them as a starting point.</p>
<p>Somehow I am hesitant about openly posting my resume. When I went to a recruiter, he told me it was important that other recruiters ask me before submitting my resume for a temp job because it could ‘diminish the prestige’ (?) of the resume. Not exactly sure what he meant. But, I guess the idea that my resume is out there wouldn’t make it seem like I’m ‘really hard up’ (!) or something? I know you have to network, so maybe that’s a sillly question…</p>