5 rules for posting your resume online : Job Tips
Question
I often apply for jobs on Web job boards, but it seems like I never hear back for an interview. I usually have more luck when I go the ancient-fashioned way and send in a paper copy. Is the Internet still viable as a career resource?
Answer
A few years ago I would not have hesitated to tell you to place a lot of time into visiting sites and posting your resume. After all, what did you have to lose? I’ve changed my mind. You can waste a lot of time, and even money, if you visit a lot of sites.
Five rules for posting your resume online : Job Tips
Today, there are literally hundreds of sites, and some are not even based in this country. With the advent of online payment services and inexpensive Web site hosting, anyone can place one of these sites together, and entice you to give them some money to post your resume. Who knows if companies even know they exist or care to search their databases?
Rule #1: Never pay a huge fee for posting your resume on a site or for using resources on a site. The site may look fantastic, but you don’t know what they are doing with your resume. They could also be making up job postings. Reputable sites should be getting fees from the companies that search the cache of resumes, not from you. I can see a small fee such as $10 for 12 months, but $20 a month is way out of line.
Rule #2: Don’t bother posting to a site that is national or international in scope if you are not willing to relocate. If you don’t want to go, then spend your time researching companies in your area and sending them resumes. Check the local papers for jobs, and make sure to check the job postings on the papers’ Web sites.
Rule #3: If the IT job postings on the site require so many diverse skills or an arcane mix of skills, then don’t bother applying for those jobs. Skip job postings that require you to give your salary requirements or current salary. It’s hard to believe, but companies use the online sites to test salary ranges and job descriptions. They have no intention of hiring, but they’re trying to do some research on the cheap.
Rule #4: Post on a broad-spectrum job site only if you can quickly find at least five recent job openings that interest you. Fewer than five means the companies that need your services don’t use this particular site as a regular resource. (This rule doesn’t apply for specialized IT job sites.) Also, if you can’t read the job postings before you post your resume, then the site is of no use to you and you should skip it.
Rule #5: Look for sites that are specifically geared for what you do or want to do, such as trade associations and peer organizations. They often have job and resume posting sections. Savvy companies know to go there, rather than the general job sites, when looking for that one special person with the IT skills they need.
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