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Finding
employment using online job sites
By
Brittani Bixler
Daily Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
With
the help of Internet job sites such as
Monster and Craig's List, millions of
job seekers are able to submit resumes
and apply for positions without ever
leaving their house.
The
U.S. job search market has turned to
the information superhighway to further
advance its progression. The number of
job search sites has grown by 15 percent
in the past year.
These
particular sites are helpful in finding
a job opening, or for company managers,
a qualified applicant. Posting jobs online
shortens or completely eliminates the
lengthy hiring process because potential
employees are able to fill out and submit
their applications online instead of
in person. This puts an end to waiting
for applications to arrive via snail
mail and then having to enter the applicant's
information manually.
Many
online job networks help applicants find
exactly what they are looking for. These
options include sifting through job openings
by using narrow searches, which include
salaries and hourly positions, location
and job type. Online career assessments,
interview coaching and even tips for
negotiating salaries can also be found
on these sites.
Company
heads realize the benefits of job search
Web sites and utilize their presence
to encounter potential applicants. Michael
Riley, vice president of STDR Architects
in Costa Mesa said posting a job opening
on a Web site provides "exposure
to job candidates outside of the area
normally served by newspapers."
Monster.com
possesses the largest resume database
in the industry. On average, they receive
47,000 resumes a day, which can prove
overwhelming for some hiring managers.
The
foremost concern in the minds of online
job seekers is usually not personal security.
Investigations have proved that thieves
posing as employers often respond to
resumes, which are submitted on the Internet.
Thieves then contact the applicant on
the grounds that they are offering a
position, which matches the applicant's
preferences. Under the false pretense
that a "pre-employment background
check" is required for hiring, unassuming
applicants will submit personal information
like their Social Security number or
even their bank account numbers.
CNNmoney.com
warns users of these Web sites of things
not to do while searching for jobs. For
example, do not put personal data on
your resume. Do not provide non-work
related information such as eye color
or marital status. Lastly, it warns not
to pay for job placement. Legitimate
firms will charge employers, not those
seeking for jobs.
The
Career Development Center (CDC), located
in Brotman Hall 250, is a great place
for first time online job seekers to
go for help. There, Cal State Long Beach
students can use computers equipped with
BeachLINK. BeachLINK has been set up
by members of the CDC and aids students
in finding jobs related to their specific
areas of interest and/or study.
Use
of these computers and time spent with
the knowledgeable staff is completely
free of charge. As graduation time nears,
frantic students find a visit to the
CDC a calming experience.
Senior
Tiffany Tran entered the CDC with no
job offers and "left with more opportunities
than I ever knew existed. It will take
me a while to sort through all the applications." |
