Internet Job Search

DO

8    Update your online applications periodically to keep them current. Many recruiters and employers search databases for the newest applicants.

8    Carefully check the spelling, grammar, and appearance of all documents you send, including email, and have other people review them, too. This may be someone’s first impression of you.

8    Email your resume and other job search files to yourself as file attachments to provide emergency backup copies. Be sure to resend new email whenever you update any of the files. Create a separate folder in your email account to store your backup files so you won’t accidentally delete the email.

8    Read all instructions and privacy rules very carefully. Share your information only with websites you trust. Watch for check boxes and radio buttons that are already pre-selected—this is a way some websites get your permission to send you email.

8    Contact a website if you have questions or comments (look for a “Contact Us” link on the home page). This is how they improve! Be nice, be polite, be concise. They will appreciate it.

8    If working from a 3½” floppy disk, be sure to keep it in the disk drive as long as the document is open. The quickest way to corrupt a Microsoft Word file is to remove the floppy disk while the document is still open or close the file and Word when the disk is unavailable. Be sure to close one file before opening another from a different disk.

8    Be sure your name is the first line of your resume, followed on separate lines by your contact information. Be sure your email address on your resume.

8    Use a cover letter—even if told it is optional. One is expected. So is a thank you letter after an interview.
 

DON’T

8    Don’t use your email or bank passwords anywhere. Create a new password to use at online job search and career websites. The best passwords contain both letters and numbers.

8    Don’t type email or correspondence (including your resume) IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. It is rude and implies you are SHOUTING at the reader. It is also difficult to read and unprofessional.

8    Don’t spend more than 20-30 percent of your job search to the Internet—networking is still the #1 way to get a job! If possible, use the Internet after hours and save business hours for calls and interviews.

8    Don’t send your resume as an attach­ment to email unless given permission to do so. Create a plain text version that you will copy and paste into the body of the email following a cover letter, and into forms.

8    Don’t keep your resume and cover letters in a Works format (*.wps) or use a resume building software unless you save or export the document to Rich Text Format (*.rtf) or Word format (*.doc). Even PDF and HTML files can present problems sometimes.

8    Don’t post your references online with your resume—they may not appreciate having their names and contact information posted on the Internet. References do not go with your resume.

8    Don’t print a resume posted on a job board (for example, monster.com) to send to employers. The font is tiny, there is information normally not listed on a resume, and the website headers and footers will print, too. An online resume is not the same as a formal resume.

8    Don’t forget to protect yourself and your personal information when posting on job boards and sending email. Never give out your bank account information or PIN numbers.