Searching for Jobs Online?

Embedded Geek asks: "My wife, a VB/C/C++/SQL coder, was recently laid off from our mutual employer and is on the job hunt. I am also sending around feelers. We've posted both our resumes at our own site (here and here) and at Monster.Com. So far, we have gotten disappotinting results - several headhunters generating a lot of smoke but no heat. Some people have suggested dice.com and other techie oriented sites, but I wonder if we're going about this the wrong way. Are we better off using the Internet to directly find and reach companies (I really dislike headhunters)? Should we find a site affiliated with a major newspaper's want ads? Has anyone out there found other strategies to using the Internet in a job search?"

This related submission from kalanar asks a similar question, but questions whether exclusive online searches are the answer: "With the current economy state, and the increase in unemployment in the US, I'm curious if anyone has had luck with onlinejobsearchengines. I have applied to many job listing (80+) and have not received much of a reply. I'm curious if employers are worried about the relocation factor or if employers are more anxious to hire people that have applied in other ways. (Fax/Inperson)"

So if you are recently employed, especially in the US, what strategies did you use to land your current job?

Comments

Re:I recently landed a job via online search

[babbage]

Note to original poster: reinventing the wheel is overrated. Search on Sourceforge & you'll find at least a couple of XML resume schemes, but Sean Kelly's seems to be the authoritative one.

Otherwise, I'm on a similar track: I was laid off two weeks or so ago, and am temping now for a very interesting company & am hoping it'll become a permanent position. I submitted dozens & dozens of online applications, but the job I'm at was discovered by a *good* headhunter (Randstad -- nice folks, I like working with them because they actually seem to want to place you in a job where you & the employrer will be happy, rather than just filling seats so they can pocket the commission). I had an offer for freelance work & that was found by word of mouth. None of the online applications I tried amounted to anything, and yes I've been following up with emails & phone calls. I've had a handful of "no thanks" responses, but mostly I just get silence.

Keep in mind also that if trying all avenues doesn't work out, now would be a great time to go back to school, consider a career change or reapplication of old IT skills to new non-IT jobs, or, if you're into that sort of thing, enlist in the military. It would of course be risky, but it would also be patriotic (in a *good* way, not a jingoistic one) and it would be a sure paycheck.

Just try to keep all of your options in mind & try everything that seems like it'll help...

job seeking in Australia

[Technodummy]

If you're in Australia, check out seek.com.au. I've just moved cities, and every job I have gotten since I moved was from this site. (I found a few jobs for friends there as well)

Also:

• *do* call a contact number in the ad if there is one, let them know you have sent in your resume, and ask them a few questions about the job.
  this means it's more likely your resume will actually be *looked at*
• *do* include important information in your resume cover sheet. eg - if typing speed is something they are likely to filter applications with, then include it on the cover sheet.
  it saves them the time to read through the resume
• *do* include when you are available for work on your cover sheet.
  same as above.
• *do* send your email applications in plain text. offer to send it in another format if this is preferred.
  not all the people who filter job applications are good with computers, no matter what the industry.
• *do* include special skills you have that may not be specifically job relevant.
  I am fluent in the Phonetic Alphabet, and put it on my resume. I had a lot of companies and recruiters call me to ask what it was.
• *do* email a company if they send you a virus in an email.
  I received one from a company I had emailed my resume to. they offered me a job after I sent them an email detailing what virus they were infected with and how to remove it and prevent it in the future. I didn't accept their job offer, but I think they'll remember me if I contact them in the future.