Make the Most of Your Online Job Search

Job hunting can be a very stressful process. In order to help ease the pain and simplify this endeavor, it is important to avoid making these common mistakes when searching for a job online:

• Under-utilizing available resources. Many job seekers don’t take advantage of all of the valuable and available resources today that will help develop a powerful resume to effectively market themselves to prospective employers.
• Performing too narrow of a job search. Not all employers use consistent job titles; therefore limiting candidate’s results when searching for a job online.
• Not taking advantage of niche specific job sites that cater to specific industries or geographic locations.

Start by Going Niche Job postings on generic job sites can span a wide range of geographic locations and industries, which may be a drawback for some candidates who are not willing to consider relocation or multiple fields. They may find themselves being contacted by companies that they have very little interest in, or are located in another city or state. As a result, many job seekers today are turning to niche job boards for more targeted results that meet their individual interests and career aspirations. Because these niche job boards target candidates that more closely match the open position, the applications received by the employer are more qualified and relevant, in turn increasing a candidate’s chances of getting noticed amongst employers. Leverage the Internet to Find the Perfect Job It is important to utilize the internet to its fullest potential to make the most of your online job search. Here are some tips to help you find the perfect job online:

• Post to niche specific job sites that are targeted towards industries and/or geographic locations to improve your search results and chance of getting noticed.
• Utilize available resources to help develop a powerful resume. Suggested resources to consider include: resume writing assistance programs or resume distribution services. Also try an online portfolio which can showcase skills and accomplishments, as available through Nexxt.
• Perform a wider job search. It is important to widen your search to include various job titles and industries and review all available positions in your area of to ensure that you can take advantage of any appropriate job openings.
• Consider resume distribution services to target key employers.
• Understand your personality traits to clearly identify your strengths, weaknesses and ideal career path. Consider taking a personality test.
• Conduct research to better understand the trends affecting your industry. At Nexxt, we offer reports on job and candidate industry trends across more than 25 different industry sectors.

Protect Yourself from Identity Theft When searching for a job online, we recommend that job seekers take the following precautionary measures to protect their information:

• Carefully review a website before submitting personal information.
• Never include Social Security Number (SSN#) on a resume.
• Read the privacy policy first. If you are asked to provide your date of birth or SSN# this will make certain you understand how this information will be used.
• Consider credit or background checks to identify inaccuracies or inappropriate use of your privacy information.
• Never save passwords or personal account information on a public computer where other people could access this information.
• Be cautious of any employer who posts vague job offers, requests money or transfer of funds.