The world has gone "high tech" and
increasingly so will your work search. The
internet and other electronic resources can help
you to plan your career and find work. But unless
you're in a high tech line of work, think of your
electronic work search as one of the
methods to find work, a method that supplements,
but does not replace, the other self-marketing
strategies mentioned on other web pages in this
section.
Where the internet currently is most useful is in
the research phase of your search for work. The
internet is literally loaded with information and
is at your fingertips twenty-four hours a day.
You don't have to have a computer, modem, and
internet service provider yourself in order to
use the powers of this information-age tool. Free
service is available in public libraries and at
career centres in your region. You can also find
internet service at cyber cafes where you may
have to pay a fee for the time you are on-line.
Preparing
For Work Search
Researching
Yourself
Your are the product. You *your skills,
attitudes and knowledge) are what you are selling
to the employers who need your abilities. The
internet has tools that can help identify what
you have to offer an employer.
You can also use search engines to discover sites
for yourself. Choose a search engine your
internet server provides, and enter
"career" then
"self-assessment" as key words.
Researching Occupations, Industries, and
Companies
Once you have a better ideas what you,
the product, has to offer employers, it's time to
explore what fields of work and which industries
might be a fit for your particular skill set and
preferred work style.
The internet has much to offer here as well.
Again, search engines can provide information on
specific industries and companies you want to
explore. Use key words to find the ones in which
you are interested.
Checking out companies' home pages will provide
valuable information on their products and
services, size and location and much more. This
is helpful not only in targeting companies you
want to work for, but also in providing
background information to apply for an advertised
opening.
Your cover letter, resume, portfolio, and job
interview can all reflect your knowledge of the
company and its needs. To go one step further in
your preparation, find out what has been
happening recently with the companies you are
researching by reading news wire services in your
area.
Hyperlinks will connect you instantly to
information on career planning, jobs and
recruiting, training and qualifications, labour
market information, the workplace, community
interests and services, and financial help. Job
openings can also be found on the internet at a
variety of job bank addresses.
Job
Postings Via ListservesRather than look for job
postings yourself, you can subscribe to a mailing
service that actually sends you postings of jobs
as they come on-line. There are a number of such
listserves which you can find using the search
engine specifically for listserves. Don't be
fooled into thinking that subscribing to
listserves will do all the work for you, though.
It is just one of the pieces in your repertoire
of resources and strategies.
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