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

It's all about the network

[andy@petdance.com]

The most important network is your own network of huamn contacts. It's all about who you know and how you work your angles. Get the word out there. Let people know you're looking.

Go thru your Rolodex and hit the phones. Past bosses and colleagues, regardless of how long ago they were, are prime sources for leads.

Don't forget your family and the people they know. Chat people up. Talk talk talk. The best jobs aren't going to be found in the want ads.

Last person I helped land a job was because I saw her reading Webmaster In a Nutshell on a commuter train, and I asked if she was lookin'. She was, and she was good, so we hired her.

Find a headhunter you like, if that's possible. If you're great, they'll do the work for you, and get you in the doors. Just make sure that the job is the right fit.

I'm not saying to ignore postings, whether online or in print, but they're nothing compared to talking to other humans.

Re:Direct contact with companies

[andy@petdance.com]

Why do you think you wouldn't still go to the Chamber of Commerce? That's why they're there: To help businesses grow. What better way to help a business grow than to help them get good talent?

Contacting, or better yet visiting, the CoC also has the advantage of letting you talk to a human and get those all-important contacts.

While you're at it, run out and get copies of The Brand You 50 by Tom Peters, and Ask The Headhunter by Nick Corcodilos. They're all about selling yourself as more than just a bunch of accomplishments and skills.

I recently landed a job via online search

[renehollan]

I registered with a bunch of sites: dice, computerjobs, monster, probably a few others, as well as hit the job search engines. It is a royal pain to enter data for each one. (note to self: develop a resume XML DTD).

It took from May 15th to the last week of June (about) to land a position. In that time, I got about 1/2 dozen calls, two interviews, and two offers, both sent my way by headhunters. None of my personal applications panned out. So, my "saturation" technique didn't result in what I'd consider excessive interest -- you just never know who uses what job engine or site.

I ended up accepting a position near Dallas, TX, and moved from Chicago, IL. Employer payed a flat rate toward moving expenses and left me to deal with the logistics (the allowance was generous, but the headache of dealing with all the logistics was a pain -- apparently outsourcing that kind of stuff is expensive).

Now, my case might be atypical, because in addition to all the other problems related to the downturn in the economy, I required visa sponsorship. Still, I found and got a job I liked using only on-line resources.