Top 10 Online Job Search Tips

While the popularity of online job boards puts millions of jobs at one's fingertips, it has also made the job applicant pool that much bigger.  For this reason, national job search sites and the Internet as a whole have gotten a bad rap from some industry professionals as an ineffective job seeker tool; on the contrary, the Internet actually can be a great resource for job seekers -- they just need to know how to use it.

When it comes to a fruitful online job search, successful job seekers follow these 10 guidelines.

1. If you build it, they can come.

Instead of simply posting your résumé on a Web site, take it one step further and design an easily-navigable Web site or online portfolio where recruiters can view your body of work, read about your goals and obtain contact information.

2. Check yourself to make sure you haven't wrecked yourself.

Google yourself to see what comes up -- and what potential employers will see if they do the same. If you don't like what you find, it's time to do damage control.

3. Narrow your options.

Many job boards offer filters to help users refine their search results more quickly.  You should have the option to narrow your job search by region, industry and duration, and, oftentimes, you can narrow it even more by keywords, company names, experience needed and salary.

4. Go directly to the source.

Instead of just applying for the posted job opening, one of the best strategies to finding a job is to first figure out where you want to work, target that company or industry and then contact the hiring manager. Also, many employers' career pages invite visitors to fill out candidate profiles, describing their background, jobs of interest, salary requirements and other preferences.

5. Find your niche with industry Web sites.

Refine your search even more by visiting your industry's national or regional Web site, where you can find jobs in your field that might not appear on a national job board.  More and more employers are advertising jobs on these sites in hopes of getting a bigger pool of qualified applicants.

6. Try online recruiters.

Recruiters will help match you with jobs that meet your specific skills and needs.  Not sure where to start?  Sites such as recruiterlink.com, onlinerecruitersdirectory.com, searchfirm.com and i-recruit.com provide links to online headhunters for job seekers.

7. Utilize video résumés.

Video résumés are just one more way to stand out to employers.  Intended as supplements to -- not replacements for -- traditional résumés, video résumés allow job seekers to showcase a little bit of their personalities and highlight one or two points of interest on their résumés.

8. Run queries.

You run searches on everything else, from your high school sweetheart to low-fat recipes, so why not jobs?  Enter a query that describes the exact kind of job you're seeking and you may find more resources you wouldn't find otherwise (but be prepared to do some sorting).

9. Utilize job alerts.

Most job boards have features that allow you to sign up to receive e-mail alerts about newly available jobs that match your chosen criteria.  Or go a step further and arrange an RSS (really simple syndication) feed from one of these job sites to appear on your customized Internet homepage or your PC's news-reader software.

10. Get connected.

How many times have you been told that it's not what you know, but who you know?  Thanks to the emergence of professional networking sites like LinkedIn.com, job seekers no longer have to rely on the old standby of exchanging business cards with strangers.  These sites are composed of millions of industry professionals and allow you to connect with people you know and the people they know and so forth. (A word of caution: When you sign up for online social networking sites, you are in a public domain.  Unless you are able to put a filter on some of your information, nothing is private, and it can be difficult to erase once it is posted.)

Safety Tips for Your Online Job Search

SlugQuest and other online job systems have made it easier for you as job seekers to find positions posted by employers seeking candidates. Unfortunately, the same technology makes it easier for scammers to create fraudulent positions to take advantage of you. While we try to screen employers and the positions they post to SlugQuest, it is very important that you as a job seeker exercise common sense and caution. You need to read position descriptions carefully.

If a position or job offer seems to be too good to be true, if you feel uncomfortable with some of the information requested, or something just doesn't seem right – either back off or proceed with extreme caution. Even if the original position description seems valid, if you receive follow-up e-mails, phone calls or job offers that seem unusual, you need to proceed cautiously.

Here are some red flags:

• You are asked to give credit card, bank or PayPal account numbers.
• You are asked to send a payment by wire service or courier.
• You are offered a large payment or reward in exchange for allowing the use of your bank account - often for depositing checks or transferring money.
• You receive an unexpectedly large check.
• You are asked to transfer money, including via e-Bay, PayPal or Western Union money orders.
• You are asked for personal information such as your Social Security Number.
• You are requested to send a photo copy of your ID, i.e., driver's license to "verify identity".
• You are asked to complete a background check before you can be considered for a position.
• The posting appears to come from a legitimate company or organization, but the contact's e-mail address doesn't match the company's website domain (i.e., jdoe@live.com, jdoe@gmail.com rather than jdoe@companyname.com).
• The job posting doesn't mention the responsibilities of the job; rather it focuses on the amount of money you will make.

In addition, you may receive a job offer in response to your application to a legitimate-appearing job description that is actually just a marketing e-mail to sell you job search "help." Some other tips:

• Be wary of postings for Mystery Shoppers, work at home, or virtual Administrative Assistants or Bookkeepers.
• If you are an entry-level candidate with little experience, be wary of an offer with a salary that is way out of range.
• Are there multiple misspellings in the job notice?
• If the position listing is for an international opportunity, does it include travel expenses? Upfront program fees? Research the company and compare its program/benefits with other similar opportunities.
• If the ad mentions upfront fees, proceed cautiously.
• Verify that a URL listed in the ad goes to the internet domain of the company that listed it. For example, if the ad lists "www.ucsc.edu/hr" but when you click on it, goes to "www.ucss.edu", it could be a scam.
• When using other job boards than SlugQuest, read their privacy policies carefully. Also read how easy it is for employers to post jobs by going through the site's employer links.
• The position initially seems to be a traditional job, but upon further research or contact, is actually an independent contractor or franchise opportunity.

If you encounter suspicious postings in SlugQuest:

• Please report your experience to UCSC Career Center at slugquest@ucsc.edu or 831.459.4767 and to The Internet Crime Complaint Center
• End all communication with the employer, and if personal information was disclosed, monitor your accounts over the next few days, to be on the safe side.
• Contact the police and report the fraud or scam.
• If you have sent money to a fraud employer, contact your bank or credit card company immediately to close your account and dispute the charges.
• If the incident occurred entirely over the internet, file an incident report with the FCC at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or at http://www.cybercrime.gov

More Resources for Safe Online Job Searching:

• Job-Hunting/Job Scams from the Federal Trade Commission
• World Privacy Forum: Job Seekers' Guide to Resumes: Twelve Resume Posting Truths
• Privacy Rights Clearinghouse: Avoiding Online Job Scams
• 6 Safety Tips for Online Job Seekers
• Monster.com: A Safe Job Search

SlugQuest Disclaimer:

The UC Santa Cruz Career Center SlugQuest site is for the listing of legitimate full-time, seasonal, and short-term positions by businesses, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, on-campus employers, households, and individuals who adhere to Equal Employment Opportunity guidelines.

This system is provided by the UCSC Career Center in partnership with two non-profit associations - the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) andDirectEmployers Association, Inc. All data collected for our job listing/resume database and on-campus recruiting services are stored on NACElink secure servers. Jobs listed on the NACElink Network are not screened by NACE.

While we carefully monitor the recruiting process of participating employers, we do not assume responsibility for any errors, omissions or misrepresentations in job descriptions, qualifications, or remuneration.

We urge you to use good judgment in your interactions either with employers. If you believe someone has inaccurately or unprofessionally represented themselves, please contact the UC Santa Cruz Career Center immediately at slugquest@ucsc.edu.