Escaping the Online Job Search Trap

Unemployed in Des Moines networking at Caribou on Ingersoll, Thursday, October 15th at 10am.

Liz Layton works in Career Development Services at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers Florida. She is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a BA Degree in Arts and Letters with a Major in Speech Communication.
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Does your job search consist of surfing job posting websites and applying to any positions that you might be qualified for? And then waiting…and waiting… and waiting to hear something—anything—from the company? A new crop of frustrated job seekers has recently emerged in the United States. This group is being caught in the online job search trap. If you are one of them, it might feel like all you do is wade through postings, to spend hours filling out the applications, and finally submit them into the black hole of the internet. After all of that effort, you never hear from the company. While not even realizing it, you are only passively searching for employment. You are waiting for the employer to find you. In order to secure the best career opportunity, action is required! Using the latest “Source of Hire” statistics from Career Cross Roads to determine the way most companies fill their empty positions, here are some strategies job seekers can take to ensure they do not get stuck in the purgatory of online job seeking:

Target many employers: Over ½ of the 25.7% who report job boards as their main source of hire claim the company website is the source. If that is the case, how do people know about the jobs on the company website? They are using a targeted job search. How can you target your job search? First, research the type of company you want to work for then seek out those companies and pursue job opportunities. Once you have decided the type of companies you would like to work for, you can use reference resources to find them. theyellopages.com and zoominfo.com both provide free lists of organizations with contact information organized by industry. Once you have a list of targets, look for open positions by going to the company website or human resources hotline. If there are no immediate job opening, send your resume and a letter expressing interest in working for the company.

Use networking contacts: 28.7% of all jobs hired externally are from referrals. Networking is key to getting referrals. While you can use Linked-In and other networking social media, stronger relationships are built in person. You can meet people and form professional relationships by joining professional organizations, social organizations, or volunteering. To utilize the network you have developed, think of everyone you know and where they work. This list of organizations is your first target list. Check out each company and see if they are hiring. Then prepare a resume and cover letter for the position you want. You can proudly present your information to your networking contact and ask them to give it to the hiring manager for the position.

Despite the tips above, many organizations still require and online application to complete your application for employment. If you must fill out an online job application remember these tips:

Use exact words: To ensure that your resume does not get screened out, use exact words or phrases from the job description in your resume and application. The program is scanning application documents to make sure that they are similar to the job posting, so HR does not waste time on those without the minimum requirements. Specifically mentioning the skills you posses that match the job description will keep you in the applicant pool.

Customize your cover letter: When submitting applications and documents online, you are very limited. Don’t waste a chance to impress them by submitting a generic cover letter. The cover letter should specifically reference your skills as they relate to the job posting. Make an effort to mention why you like the organization, and why you fit!