Working the Web

Recruiters fill jobs by scouring the Internet for posted résumés, says a young alumna who has been both recruiter and candidate. Here's what she learned about job-hunting online.

Like many UCLA alumni, I recently began to look for a new position to expand my career opportunities. Unlike many alumni, I have firsthand experience working for an information technology consulting firm in San Francisco representing Fortune 500 clients. This knowledge not only gave me information about how to interview and portray myself properly, but also information about industry and salary trends. One of these resources is the Web, courtesy of UCLA in 1969. Almost four decades after the first message was sent on ARPANET, the Internet has the ability to help job seekers land their next job. Here are a few of the methods I have learned from my experiences as a recruiter and a successful job hunter.

Be strategic.
Many recruiters rely solely on posted résumés to find candidates for their open positions. I speak from experience in telling people that they should post their résumé online, and often. While the job board en vogue can vary depending on the location (Computerjobs.com is huge in the South), industry standards are Monster.com, HotJobs.com, CareerBuilder.com, and craigslist.org. Also, you want to match your description to words that prospective employers might type into the search tools on these job sites. If you are a Java programming expert, for example, make sure the word Java is listed in your résumé numerous times so it shows up at the top of the rankings. A former project manager who did heavy business analysis can write "Business Analyst" when applying for a role of the same title to ensure they are not rejected as overqualified. Just make sure that you actually did the job you say you did; don’t list yourself as an executive if you were an executive assistant. And be picky: The Internet makes it so easy to send your résumé that it's tempting to blast everyone under the sun, but you’ll show your skills as a spammer more than your professional skills. If you don't have any of the skills in the job description, don't waste your time. You will look like an idiot, and that same recruiter probably won't contact you about a position you are actually qualified for.

Put your best foot forward.
I once received a résumé from a man describing himself as "inteligent" with exclamation points after every sentence. If you know that you have difficulty writing, make friends with someone who can help edit your e-mails before you send them. Send a personalized e-mail instead of a handwritten card to a manager following an interview, and you won’t be perceived as sending "junk mail."

Make sure you are Linked In to an online network.
For those who would rather find a job than a date, the professional version of an online community like MySpace.com is LinkedIn.com. In my own recent job search, I identified a company I was interested in working for, and looked on LinkedIn to find out if anyone I knew had connections there. By having an e-mail passed from professional contact to professional contact, I was eventually linked to the hiring manager in the department I was interested in, who brought me in for an interview. While I wasn't the right fit for that particular position, I kept in contact with a manager I connected with during the interview process. That manager not only referred me to several other positions, but also became a personal contact. I gained an ally and a potential mentor. Even if you don't have a large personal network yet, you have access to one of the best networks of all. The UCLA Alumni Association has a link to its own page on LinkedIn, allowing alumni to tap into the UCLA Alumni Network (as well as the extended networks of alumni) easily. And use the UCLA Alumni Association's e-mail forwarding benefit.

Prepare electronically.
You should Google the prospective company to ensure you can answer any interview questions addressing it, but you can also Google the name of the person(s) you'll be interviewing with. If you find out that Manager Joe Smith is an avid runner, and you are a triathlete, you now have a leg up (pun intended) on the competition. And Google yourself to make sure that when a manager Googles you, he or she won't find anything that will work against you. Blogs can be dangerous when searching for a job. If you reveal how much you hate your current job, Joe Smith will think that you’ll publish your feelings about his company and about Smith himself. Employers also won’t want to bring a person with too much drama into the office. When I was asked for a writing sample for the position I just landed, I told the interviewers to "Google me." I knew ahead of time that they'd find three Heather Goyettes: me, a librarian/ runner who likes Harry Potter and a 3-year-old girl. Luckily, I can't be confused with the little girl, and the runner has good taste in books.

Published Jul 1, 2006 12:00 AM