Career Services, Central Piedmont Community College © 2009

Topics & Agenda• Housekeeping• Identify objectives• Misconceptions, statistics, pros and cons of

using the Internet• Maximizing your time on the Internet• Establish and manage your professional

image online• Online job search resources – focus on social

networking sites• Audience Q&A

PowerPoint slides and notes from this presentation will be

available online at www.cpcc.edu/transition

ObjectivesAudience will be able to answer these questions

•How much time should I spend job searching online?

•What online activities are more likely to yield better job search results?

•How can I make the web work for me?

•What are some basic and advanced job search resources and tools on the Internet, and for what purposes can I use them?Career Services, Central Piedmont Community College ©

2009

What words and feelings come to mind when you think about

using the Internet for job searching?

Career Services, Central Piedmont Community College © 2009

Computers don’t hire.

People do.

- Kevin Donlin, Owner, Guaranteed Resume

Career Services, Central Piedmont Community College © 2009

The Best Tool for the JobWe have been led to believe that the Internet makes job searching easy

It doesn’t.

Successful web-based job searches are possible when we plan the time we spend online and use the Web judiciously

Success Rate of Online Job Searches

Roughly 10% of workers hired are typically found as a result of jobs posted on the big online job boards

Companies’ own websites and career-niche websites account for over 70% of internet hires

85-90% of available jobs are posted neither online nor in newspapers

Still ViableDon’t stop using the Web all together

Organize and Maximize your online job search

Depending on your industry, most should devote a smaller proportion of their job search time and effort online

A proactive, targeted approach is best

Career Services, Central Piedmont Community College © 2009

Spend Less TimeWaiting for employers to find you

Using big job boards such as Monster and CareerBuilder.com for anything other than research and collecting leads

Using technology services that aren’t beneficial to you and your career

Sitting behind the computer, not getting out and meeting people

Career Services, Central Piedmont Community College © 2009

Connect with the People Who CountThe best uses of the internet help you connect

with people—especially hiring managers!

•Research companies, industries, and leaders•Identify more opportunities•Market yourself online•Participate in social and professional networks•Keep up with the latest news•Follow-up on your applications

Career Services, Central Piedmont Community College © 2009

Check YourselfRecruiters search applicants’ names

online

Ensure that your existing online representation is accurate, professional, and positive

If your name does not appear in the search results, consider

establishing a basic web presenceCareer Services, Central Piedmont Community College ©

2009

General Online Image Tips

• Do not post questionable photos

• Watch affiliations

• Be careful of others’ content

• Find out what can be traced to your name (full name vs. screen name)

Example (Be extra careful)

Ways to build an online presenceJoin and create a profile on professional

networking sites such as LinkedIn.com

Actively post on industry-specific forums and comment boards. Become a “regular.”

Create basic profile on social networking sites such as Facebook.com

Start using Twitter to comment on your job search and follow others’ experiences

Write and publish an article, essay, or blog If there is a professional, career-related, well-

produced video with you in it, try to get it on YouTube. Career Services, Central Piedmont Community College © 2009

Name a specific online service or tool that

you have tried

Career Services, Central Piedmont Community College © 2009

Job BoardsThe big ones aren’t all bad

Take advantage of job search tips and articles

Postings are a resource for researching companies and finding additional

employers to approach

Read postings to see what qualifications employers in your industry seek most

oftenCareer Services, Central Piedmont Community College ©

2009

Job BoardsAside from

Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com,

there are many more-YorZ.comGuru.com

LinkUp.comCollege Recruiter

Most professional association websites have job boards

NC Job Bank

Social Networking SitesProfessional and Primarily Social

FacebookTwitterGather

eonsLinkedIn

BoomjBlog sites (Blogger, GoogleBlog,

Wordpress)Just about any online forum

Career Services, Central Piedmont Community College © 2009

Yahoo UserGroupsMeetup.com

ListServs

Sign up for a profile, especially if you know many of your friends, family, and peers are using Facebook.

If you already have a profile, check it thoroughly to make sure there is no content that might keep you from getting a job. Employers will check.

Use Facebook updates, group functions, and friends as sources for job leads and for networking.

Pay special attention to what your Info section reveals. If someone searches you, they will see portions of your Info page – even if they do not have a Facebook account.

Twitter is a website that allows users to post very short statements about what they are doing.

WHY? The Twitter website says: Because even basic updates are meaningful to family members, friends, or colleagues—especially when they’re timely.

Tweets (what individually posted updates are called) can be

About mundane topics such as, “I’m having pork chops for dinner tonight.”

Interesting observations from interesting people – politicians, researchers, activists, travelers, journalists…

Useful TweetsDrivers in Charlotte posted

about the availability of fuel and approximate wait-

times at gas stations last fall when

there was a run on gasoline. How can I use Twitter to enhance my

job search?•Follow industry leaders’ and peers’ tweets•Post and get updates about job leads•Write a mini-blog, chronicling industry-specific topics and experiences or keep a journal about your job search- - Other users may start following your twitter profile•Create a 140-character (or shorter) professional commercial about yourself

Lets users get right to the discussion of job related topics comfortably

Use the group features on the site. Participation counts!

Include as much professional informati0n as you can in your profile so that your profile will show up in search results.

Get others to provide recommendation notes for you as a part of completing your profile fully.

LinkedIn shows whether companies you have searched have jobs posted.

Depth & BreadthSocial networking sites can focus on very

specific topics, target people in a very specific industry, or be quite general in their approach.

Some are open, and some are not.Examples

Marketwatch – discussion groups for people interested in finance and investments

National Association of Corporate Treasurers Job Clearinghouse – Membership required

Career Services, Central Piedmont Community College © 2009

Career Services, Central Piedmont Community College © 2009

Strive to find the best type of online tool for your job search needs

Then, look for sites that offer the most effective version of those tools

What type(s) of web-based tools do you think will benefit your job search needs?

Career Services, Central Piedmont Community College © 2009

More InformationLook for links to articles and resources that you find useful for learning more about online

job search tools and techniques.

They will be included here when this presentation is posted

online.

Career Transition Group Sessionswww.cpcc.edu/transition

Sign up for the upcoming sessions

704.330.4846career.transitions@cpcc.edu

Career counseling for community members

What questions do you have?