Your Simple 5-StepChecklist For AnOrganized &Successful OnlineJob Search

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Not much fun, is it? Job hunting usuallydoesn’t rank high on anyone’s top-ten

list of “things I like to do”. The fact thatyou can conduct an online job search

probably doesn’t make it any moreenjoyable. But it can be. In fact, it you

get (and stay!) organized, you may findthat searching for a job online can be

interesting, perhaps even an experiencethat provides you with skills that will

serve you both professionally andpersonally.

Looking for a job?

First, a few words about searchingfor work using the internet. Ours isnow a world full of social media,populated globally by somewherein the neighborhood of 400 socialnetworking sites (SNS). As each ofthose sites have matured, usershave discovered different ways toutilize the strengths eachpossesses.

Sites such as Facebook (friends andfamily) and Pinterest (photos andimages) have morphed intopromotional vehicles for businessesand employment sites forindividuals, for example. Socialmedia is now so pervasive, soingrained in our daily lives, thatanyone who chooses not to havesome form of presence online

some form of presence onlinevirtually doesn’t exist (both literallyand figuratively).

With that being said, it seems fairlyobvious that an online job search

strategy is essential to careerdevelopment. From basic web-

based job boards to setting up JobSearch pinboards on Pinterest or

making extensive use of Twitter tofollow others in your professional

sphere, knowing how to use theinternet and, equally importantly,

ensuring you do so in an organizedmanner, is mandatory for

maximizing your online job searchefforts.

(Don’t keepthings in yourInbox or Sent

Folder-you’ll hatelooking for it

later). Resumes,cover letters,

thank you letters,rejection letters.When you applyvia email, send acopy to yourself

via Bcc. Savecopies of all

materials relatedto each job,

including URL,Facebook name,

etc.

Here are a few items to consider:

JobWebsites

Engage withsocial media

sites.

Save yourinfo!Imme

diately.

Visit websitesof

companies inthe

industries inwhich you

would like towork.

Monster.com,CareerBuilder andthe like. Schedulea time to review

them. Set upBookmark folderon your desktopto make repeatedsite visits simple

and providestorage for

information aboutspecific openings.

Complete yoursearch of all sites

one right after theother, then goback to your

folder and applyfor the openings,again one rightafter the other.

You’ll appreciate

Research andcategorize whichcompanies haveFacebook pages,Twitter accounts

and Pinterestaccounts, for

example. Followthem. Diligently.You’ll not only

learn aboutopenings and the

focus of eachcompany, you canlearn a great deal

about theircorporate culture aswell. Again, set upa separate folderfor each so that

Repeatedly. Createa Bookmarkfolder. Or aspreadsheet.

Whatever formatyou prefer thatenables you to

efficiently accessand work with theinformation you’ve

stored.

1 2 3 4

You’ll appreciatethe rhythm you

fall into.

for each so thatyou can quickly

refer to somethingspecific rather than

have to scrollthrough pages of

info or lists ofdocuments.

stored.

5 It’s a date!Use whatever calendar works for you to meticulously record thewho, what and when of all of your job applications and requisitefollow-ups. Missing a deadline when applying for a job means

doom.

www.distinctiveweb.comresumes@distinctiveweb.com(800) 644-9694

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