The internet is a vast resource that has made great strides over the past several years. Now it’s possible to pay bills, research practically any type of information, get an education, and even find work online. However, there are a few things you should know about looking for work online. These steps paired with common sense will help you to find and secure that job you’ve been wanting – right from your own home!
Use Different Job Sites
When you begin your job search, you should understand that there is not a single site online that exposes all available job listings. Expand your search to multiple websites to see more possible job leads. Check with full-service websites as well as local sites that feature mainly relatively close positions.
Create a Separate, Professional Email Account for Your Job Search
Your personal email address is probably not very professional, and therefore, your employer might not feel so optimistic about replying to it. Instead, create a new email account that speaks volumes about your professionalism. In most cases, you can just include your first and last name, and that would be enough for a viable email address for corresponding with employers.
Avoid Sites that Want Money
Do not, under any circumstances, sign on with job websites that require some sort of fee for joining. Additionally, beware of sites that offer free membership as well as paid memberships for more features. These sites are generally out to merely make a few bucks rather than connect candidates with real employers.
Create a Log for Your Internet Job Search
This will help you keep track of what you’ve done, and it will also help you avoid wasting. Make sure to record things such as the date, the sites that you’ve checked, jobs applied for, resumes sent to whom, etc. This will help you avoid applying for the same job twice.
Google Yourself
When employers hire online, they don’t have much to go off of when reviewing your resume rather than simply Googling you to see what initially comes up. Do a test search for yourself to see what comes up in the search results. You might find that embarrassing information or photos appears, in which case you should immediately take action. A Google search could be all it takes for an employer to decide against hiring you at the drop of a hat.
Steer Clear of Fishy Postings
If a job posting looks fishy, don’t even bother with it. For example, a job posting that promises six figures in one month with no experience is very likely going to be a scam. Likewise, if the post is littered with grammatical errors and misspellings, there’s a good chance that the poster is up to no good. Above all, do not respond to job postings that want excessive personal information. For example, an employer does not need your mother’s maiden name, your birth date, or your social security number prior to being hired. Therefore, do not hand this information over.
Privatize Your Personal Social Networking Accounts
Lastly, privatize (or delete) your social networking accounts to avoid your potential employer snooping through your things. There’s a good chance your personal social networking profiles have incriminating photos or information, such as pictures from a late night at a club or a questionable status update. To keep things on the safe side, make sure that your profile(s) are viewable by only your friends, or delete them altogether. You do not want to lose a job opportunity over your vacation photos from Cancun. Be smart and use common sense when job searching online. So if you haven’t already set up your internet access at home refer to our local isps for internet access. Searching for jobs online can take a lot of time and you will need all the resources you can find to make this process a more convenient.