Job Hunting on the World Wide Web
Version 1.0
Copyright 1997
The West Virginia Rehabilitation Research and Training Center
Barron Drive, P.O. Box 1004
Institute, West Virginia 25112-1004
Voice Phone (304) 766-2680
TDD (304) 766-2697
Fax (304) 766-2689
Project Enable Bulletin Board (304) 766-2690
Inquiries by E-mail: [log in to unmask]
World Wide Web: http://www.icdi.wvu.edu
This project is supported in part by grant number H133B30074
from the United States Department of Education, National
Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research to the West
Virginia Rehabilitation Research and Training Center.
Copies of this manual are available in alternate formats.
Written by Dave Whipp
June, 1997
Table of Contents
* About this Manual
* Features of On-Line Job Searching Systems
* Accessibility
* Quality of Job Listings
* Source(s) of Job Listings
* Search Flexibility
* Information Items That Can be Searched
* Information Returned by the System
* System Speed
* Resume Banks
* E-Mail Notification and Personal Agents
* Beginning the Job Hunt
* Appendix A
* Boolean Logic
* Appendix B
* Features of Job Search Systems
* Job Search Systems I've Used
About this Manual
What is this publication? This manual is intended to help you
find job openings by searching the World Wide Web. It will help
you decide what features are important to you when you use a
"job search system," then begin locating the systems that work
best for you. The goal of the manual is to support you in your
goal of finding a job.
What is a job search system? Job search systems (often called
"job banks") are computerized lists of job openings that are set
up so you can search for specific types of jobs. This manual
looks at systems that are available on the World Wide Web.
What equipment do I need? In order to use the World Wide Web,
you need a computer that is linked to the Internet either
directly or with a modem. The computer will need to have a Web
Browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer(c) or Netscape(c).
What do I need to know? You should know how to use your computer
and the browser to access documents (including forms) on the
World Wide Web. If you do not know how to do this, you may
contact the West Virginia Rehabilitation Research and Training
Center for a copy of The One Minute World Wide Web Manager.
When should I start searching for job openings? There is nothing
wrong with looking at these systems while you are developing the
skills that will help you get a job. This may help you better
understand how to describe yourself and your skills. However,
before you begin to actually apply for jobs, you should:
* know what jobs you are qualified to do,
* know how to describe yourself and your skills using
several different terms,
* have a resume available on paper and as a computer text
file,
* know how to write a cover letter for a specific job at a
specific company, and
* have a system set up to track your applications and
contacts.
A good place to learn about resumes and cover letters is The
Riley Guide on the World Wide Web at
http://www.jobtrak.com/jobguide/.
Is it ok to copy this manual? Yes. As long as you copy the
entire document including publication credits, make no changes,
and do not charge for the copies. If you distribute many copies,
we would very much appreciate getting a count from you so that
we can report on the impact of this publication to our funding
agency. You may copy the form in Appendix B separately as
needed.
Features of On-Line Job Searching Systems
It is estimated that there are at least 500 systems on the World
Wide Web that allow you to search through a bank of job postings
and obtain the information needed to apply for a job. In
addition, many large companies have set up a searchable list of
available jobs.
You will probably find it nearly impossible to even locate all
500 systems, let alone use them. Instead, you may find it more
useful to locate a handful of systems that work well for you and
use these extensively. The system that works well for you may be
useless for another job seeker, so you will have to do some work
to find out what you need.
This brief document covers some of the more common features of
job search systems and should be considered as only a starting
point. As you use the systems, you will learn quite quickly what
you like and what works well. The chart in Appendix B provides a
framework for comparing different systems.
Accessibility
The best system in the world will do you no good if you cannot
use it. Some systems may be a problem for people using speech
output systems with their computer or people who have only a
text Web browser. If your connection to the Internet is slow,
you may find systems that use a lot of graphics less accessible
than others. You will need to judge each system on how well it
works with you, your computer hardware and software, and your
connection to the Internet.
The image of a globe, marked with a grid, tilted at an angle
with a keyhole cut into its surface is used to identify that a
web site contains accessibility features to accommodate the
needs of users with disabilities.
The University of Minnesota Disability Services office provides
information for job seekers with disabilities at
http://disserv3.stu.umn.edu/CSS/no-css.html.
Quality of Job Listings
The primary consideration in selecting an on-line job search
system is the quality of the jobs posted. Some issues you should
consider are:
* Does the system contain the type of job you want? If you
are looking for a position as an accountant and the
service lists only high tech jobs for computer
professionals, it is not of good quality for you.
* Are the listings up-to-date? New listings are more likely
to be open.
When you are looking at a job search system for the first time,
you may want to quickly run a search for the job you want in
order to see if there are enough listings on the system to make
it worthwhile to explore the other features.
Source(s) of Job Listings
Information about job openings can come from a range of sources.
Quite often the listings provided directly by employers are more
complete and have more search features. However, you may find
jobs posted in newspapers and news groups that are not listed
elsewhere.
* Information provided by employers - Many employers are
finding the Internet to be an excellent source of
potential employees and post their jobs there. They may
post the same job on a number of different job search
systems in order to increase the number of applicants, so
you may find the same job listed on different systems.
* Newspapers - Many newspapers now post their classified
ads, including job openings, on the Internet. Some job
search systems pull these together in one place and
provide search capabilities.
* News groups - News groups are a method for many people who
are interested in a subject to share information using
E-mail. Some job search systems put the lists of job
openings from news groups into their search systems to
make these available on the World Wide Web. You can also
check news groups directly using this feature of your Web
browser.
Search Flexibility
There are a tremendous range of features provided by different
job search systems. However, what is good for one person may not
work well for you. As you work with different systems you will
discover that some features are helpful to you while others are
not necessary or may even get in your way. In most cases the
simplest system that gives you good job leads will be the best.
Appendix B provides a form to help you keep track of the
features provided by different systems. Here are some search
capabilities to watch for:
* Menus - Menus (pull-down lists of terms) may be useful if
the job title or skills are more common. Some systems
allow you to select multiple items in a pull-down menu by
holding down the "Ctrl" key on your computer as you click
on a term with your mouse (See "Boolean Logic" in Appendix
A)
* Keyword - Some systems use keyword (fill-in-the-blank)
searches for various descriptors of a job. The keyword
searches may be more useful if the title of the job or
skills required are uncommon. Many systems allow you to
put multiple words or phrases in the blank. (See "Boolean
Logic" in Appendix A)
* Wild cards - Wild cards allow you type in a word root and
have the system search for that root with any extension.
For example, "weld*" would find "welder," "welding shop
manager," etc. Some systems require that you use a symbol
such as the "*" while others may assume that any word used
is a root.
* Highlighted search term - Some systems highlight the
search term in the returned information, allowing you to
quickly see how the term is used.
Some systems may have a single keyword search while others may
allow you to search in several different ways. Again, you will
need to decide what works best for you.
Information Items That Can be Searched
Job search systems vary tremendously in the details that you can
specify about a job you hope to find. Here are some common areas
that may be searched:
* Full text - This type of search allows only one word or
term to be specified. Typically the search covers the job
title and description, but this varies from site to site.
* Job title - It is often helpful to be able to search the
job title separately from the description and other
information. If you are looking for a secretarial
position, a search that includes the term "secretary" may
locate management job descriptions that say "will directly
supervise a secretary."
* Description - This typically covers the required skills
and job duties. It is helpful for narrowing searches. If
you have experience as a carpenter, you might specify
"construction" as a term that should appear in the
description. If your talents do not fit neatly into a few
specific job titles, you may find a description search
more fruitful than a title search.
* Date Posted - If you check a site frequently, the ability
to specify how recently jobs were listed on the system
saves you from looking through job descriptions you've
already seen. Also, newer jobs are more likely to still be
open. Some sites keep listings for only a limited amount
of time, others may have very old listings.
* Location - You may not be able to relocate or you may want
to relocate to a specific area. Some systems allow you to
specify a portion of the country, a state, or a city.
Note: Some systems may find jobs by a city within a state,
even though a search of the state did not locate the job
listing. It is a good idea to use both searches to be
certain.
Information Returned by the System
The better the information provided by the system, the better
the decision that you can make about applying for a job you have
located. Here are some items that you may find useful:
* Multistep - Some systems use a multi-step process, sending
a list of job titles with minimal information such as
title, location, and company, then allowing you to select
specific listings and receive greater detail. Too much
information can be a problem. If your search finds 200 job
listings and returns a screenful or more of information on
each, working through the results can be quite time
consuming.
* Name of Company - If you know the name of the company with
the job opening, you can learn more about it in order to
tailor your cover letter and resume. The name of the
employer may not be provided by systems run by recruiters
and some systems may keep this confidential at the
employer's request.
* Postal Address - This allows a paper copy of your
application to be mailed. It can also be helpful to you in
learning more about the employer.
* E-mail Address - This is faster and cheaper than the
postal service. Companies that receive many applications
often put them into searchable databases. E-mail can be
directly entered into databases while paper must be
scanned, resulting in delays and possible errors. Unless
the information indicates another format, include your
cover letter and resume as text within the mail message
rather than as an attached file.
* Voice Phone Number - This is often not included as
companies don't want staff to be tied up on the phone. It
is generally not necessary at the initial contact stage.
* Fax Number - Some companies prefer faxed inquiries and do
not publish other contact information. If your computer
has a fax/modem card, you may be able to fax your resume
and cover letter directly from the computer. Check the
documentation to see if the correct software is on the
computer.
* Job Description - The cover letter and even the resume
should be tailored to the needs indicated in the
description. Also, a good description can allow
inappropriate jobs to be eliminated.
* Qualifications - A list of qualifications expected of
candidates can allow you to highlight your skills that are
most desirable to the employer.Your cover letter and even
your resume should be tailored to the needs indicated in
the qualifications. A description of the qualifications
can allow inappropriate jobs to be eliminated.
* Location - The location of the job is not necessarily the
same as the postal address for the employer. Many
companies have a number of locations.
* Date Job Was Posted - Newer postings are more likely to
still be open. Also, you can look at only those jobs
listed since your last search.
* Link to the Employer's Web site - This allows you to find
more information about the company and possibly the job.
Some companies list information on benefits, policies,
etc. in the employment section of their Web site.
Information found here can be used to tailor your cover
letter and resume to the company.
System Speed
Some systems simply work faster. This can be the product of your
Internet connection, the hardware and software used by the job
search system, or the amount of text and graphics used by the
system. Speed is also affected by the number of times you must
access the system to get needed information on job openings. As
you may do many searches and look at many pages of job
descriptions, the faster systems will be more productive.
Resume Banks
Many on-line job search systems allow you to store your resume
in a "bank." The stored resume can then be used both to apply
for jobs and to be searched by employers. Features of resume
banks include:
* Auto Send - This allows you to send a copy of your resume
in response to a job posting by clicking on a button.
* Employer Search - Many systems allow employers to search
the resume bank to look for potential employees. You may
generally specify if you want your resume to be searched.
* Public - This allows all users of the system to search and
retrieve the resume. In some cases only employers
registered with the system may search resumes.
* Confidential - This allows you to specify which potential
employers may search your resume.
* Cover Letter - Some systems allow your cover letter to be
stored separately from the resume.
* Your resume vs forms - Some systems provide a blank form
into which you paste a copy of your resume (using your
computer's "cut and paste" system) and perhaps fill in a
few blanks with name and contact information. Other
systems may have quite complex forms which limit the
amount of cutting and pasting you can do, thus taking
longer to complete. However, the more complex forms may
provide more flexibility for employers to search for
potential employees.
* Touch Up - Some systems allow your cover letter and resume
to be edited before they are sent. This allows you to
tailor the information to the employer and job.
E-Mail Notification and Personal Agents
Some systems allow you to create a profile of desired jobs, then
automatically send you E-mail messages when potential jobs are
listed. This system may be useful when the profiling system
allows you to define the job completely.
Some systems have "personal agents" which help you search for
jobs based on the profile of information you provide.
Beginning the Job Hunt
At the beginning of this manual we suggested that you are ready
to look for a job when you:
* know what jobs you are qualified to do,
* know how to describe yourself and your skills using
several different terms,
* have a resume available on paper and as a computer text
file,
* know how to write a cover letter for a specific job at a
specific company, and
* have a system set up to track your applications and
contacts.
In addition to these items, you should now have a basic
understanding of how job search systems work and the features
they offer. Now, you can begin searching for job openings.
Appendix B has a form that lists several job search systems and
their features. These are good places to start the hunt. Try
several different types of searches on several systems to see
what results you get and how well you like the system. Try to
develop searches that give you many job listings that are
appropriate for you with as few as possible inappropriate jobs.
Allow yourself some time for experimenting--trial and error is a
good way to learn these systems.
You will probably want to look at other job search systems as
well. There are several sites that list systems. At
http://www.100hot.com/jobs/ the list is updated daily with the
most popular sites. Just click "Jobs" in the list at the left of
the screen. As you use the World Wide Web to develop your job
seeking skills, you will discover many search systems and other
resources.
The back of the form in Appendix B gives you a place to record
information about the sites you visit. Remember that you don't
need to fill in every column, just the ones you have decided are
important to you.
And now, it's up to you.
Go for it!
Appendix A
Boolean Logic
Boolean logic allows complex searching and can be quite helpful
in focusing your search. Check the help information on each
system as these vary considerably. Some common Boolean terms
are:
* AND - A search for "secretary AND medical" will find only
those listings which contain both words. The words may be
in either order and they do not need to be together in a
phrase. Use AND for terms that are different, but which
all of the words must be found.
* OR - A search for "janitor OR custodian" will find
listings which contain either word. Use OR for words that
are similar when any of the words may be found.
* AND NOT - A search for "management AND NOT trainee" will
find only those listings which do contain "management" and
do not contain "trainee." The AND NOT option is rarely
found in job search systems.
* NEAR - A search for "carpenter NEAR finish" will find only
those listings in which the two terms appear with in a
specific number (depending on the search system) of words
of each other. This is generally not needed in job
searches as the blocks of text are small.
* Parentheses - These allow for more complex searching and
are seldom found in job search systems. "(Trainer or
instructor) and driving" would find listings for "driving
trainers" or "driving instructors."
* Phrases - Phrases are a set of words that must be found in
that exact order. Some systems allow phrases to be marked
with quotation marks, other systems may assume a group of
words to be a phrase.
Some systems allow the use of Boolean Logic by typing the
appropriate term(s) in the search term blank. When this method
is used, the system may require that the Boolean terms be in all
capital letters. This method typically allows the user to mix
terms (e.g., "office AND management AND NOT sales").
Other systems have a pull down list for the user to select the
Boolean term. This does not allow the mixing of terms. In some
cases you may list a series of words in a blank or pick multiple
items on a pull down menu and the search will automatically be
treated as an "AND" or an "OR" search depending on the system.
In most systems, it does not matter if you use capital letters
when entering the search term in a blank.
Appendix B
Features of Job Search Systems
The following chart lists major features of several job search
systems and, on the back, provides space for you to save
information on other systems you explore. The systems included
are not necessarily the best, they are merely the first ones
that the author located that had a range of features and
contained a reasonable number of jobs in the areas selected.
The date in the first column shows when the system was checked.
These services change, so check back occasionally to see if
improvements have been made to make the system more useful to
you.
Note that items marked "Yes" in the Information Returned column
may not be provided for all jobs.
The jobs that were used for the search are taken from the list
of the 50 Top Occupations* for people with disabilities who have
received services from state vocational rehabilitation agencies.
The five jobs were selected to represent a range of skills and
education--they are not the top five jobs.
The Speed and Accessibility columns in the chart have been left
blank. These are assessments you must make based on your
experiences with the system.
*Walls, R., & Fullmer, S.L. [in press]. Competitive Employment:
Occupations After Rehabilitation. Rehabilitation Counseling
Bulletin.
SERVICE: America's Job Bank 1
URL: www.ajb.dni.us
DATE INFORMATION COLLECTED: 10-June-97.
JOBS FOUND:
Accountant: 774
Carpenter: 1781
Programmer: 4292
Janitor: 928
Secretary: 2151.
SOURCES OF LISTINGS: State Job Service.
SEARCH CAPABILITY:
FULL TEXT: No.
COMPANY: No.
JOB TITLE: Y
DESCRIPTION: No.
DATE POSTED: No.
LOCATION: State, City.
INFORMATION RETURNED:
JOB TITLE: Yes.
COMPANY: No.
POSTAL: Yes.
EMAIL: No.
VOICE PHONE: No.
FAX: Yes.
DESCRIPTION: Yes.
QUALIFICATIONS: Yes.
LOCATION: Yes.
DATE POSTED: No.
WEB LINK: No.
MULTI-STEP: Yes.
ACCESSIBILITY:
SPEED:
RESUME BANK: No.
E-MAIL OR AGENT: No.
ON-LINE APPLICATION: No.
OTHER JOB RESOURCES: Yes.
SERVICE: Best Jobs in the USA
URL: www.bestjobsusa.com
DATE INFORMATION COLLECTED: 30-June-97.
JOBS FOUND:
Accountant 26
Carpenter: 1
Programmer: 1012
Janitor: 1
Secretary: 4
SOURCES OF LISTINGS: Employers.
SEARCH CAPABILITY:
FULL TEXT: Yes.
COMPANY: Yes.
JOB TITLE: Yes.
DESCRIPTION: Yes.
DATE POSTED: No.
LOCATION: State
INFORMATION RETURNED:
JOB TITLE: Yes.
COMPANY: Yes.
POSTAL: Yes.
E-MAIL: Yes.
VOICE PHONE: Yes.
FAX: Yes.
DESCRIPTION: Yes.
QUALIFICATION: Yes.
LOCATION: Yes.
DATE POSTED: No.
WEB LINK: Yes.
MULTI-STEP: Yes.
ACCESSIBILITY:
SPEED:
RESUME BANK: Yes.
E-MAIL OR AGENT: No.
ON-LINE APPLICATION: No.
OTHER JOB RESOURCES: No.
SERVICE: CareerPath
URL: www.careerpath.com
DATE INFORMATION COLLECTED: 19-June-97.
JOBS FOUND:
Accountant: Many
Carpenter: Many
Programmer: Many
Janitor: Many
Secretary: Many.
SOURCES OF LISTINGS: Selected News papers
SEARCH CAPABILITY:
FULL TEXT: Yes.
COMPANY: No.
JOB TITLE: No.
DESCRIPTION: No.
DATE POSTED: No.
LOCATION: City
INFORMATION RETURNED: The contents of the newspaper ad are
returned. This may include any of the following: Job Title,
Company, Postal, Email, Voice Phone, Fax, Description,
Qualifications, Location, Date Posted, Web Link, Multi-step.
ACCESSIBILITY:
SPEED:
RESUME BANK: No.
E-MAIL OR AGENT: No.
ON-LINE APPLICATION: No.
OTHER JOB RESOURCES: Yes.
SERVICE: CareerSite
URL: www.careersite.com
DATE INFORMATION COLLECTED: 25-June-97.
JOBS FOUND:
Accountant: 48
Carpenter: 0
Programmer: 114
Janitor: 3
Secretary: 8.
SOURCES OF LISTINGS: Employer.
SEARCH CAPABILITY:
FULL TEXT: Yes.
COMPANY: No.
JOB TITLE: No.
DESCRIPTION: Yes.
DATE POSTED: No.
LOCATION: Fill in blank
INFORMATION RETURNED:
JOB TITLE: Yes.
COMPANY: Yes.
POSTAL: No.
E-MAIL: No.
VOICE PHONE: No.
FAX: No.
DESCRIPTION: Yes.
QUALIFICATIONS: Yes.
LOCATION: Yes.
DATE POSTED: No.
WEB LINK: No.
MULTI-STEP: Yes.
ACCESSIBILITY:
SPEED:
RESUME BANK: Yes.
E-MAIL OR AGENT: Yes.
ON-LINE APPLICATION: Yes.
OTHER JOB RESOURCES: Yes.
1 America's Job Bank is a service of the Public Employment
Service in all states. Applications are typically sent to the
local Employment Service Office which sends them to the
employer.
Job Search Systems I've Used
Service:
URL:
Date Information Collected:
Jobs Found:
Sources of Listings:
Search Capability:
Full Text:
Company:
Job Title:
Description:
Date Posted:
Location:
Information Returned:
Job Title:
Company:
Postal:
E-Mail:
Voice Phone:
Fax:
Description:
Qualification:
Location:
Date Posted:
Web Link:
Multi-step:
Accessibility:
Speed:
Resume Bank:
E-Mail or Agent:
On-Line Application:
Other Job Resources:
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