Online Job Search Tutorial Part 2 Implementing Your Search

Data and people tell us, networking is THE way a successful job search ends for most successful job seekers. Yes, you will hear stories and know a few people who found a job through LinkedIn or Monster. That definitely happens, but it is estimated to happen less than 10% of the time.

So start reaching out to your network and expand your network.If you belong to a professional association, look for a "career center" (or something similar) on the association's Website, or go to a few meetings to see if you can connect with other job seekers.

Based on your ground work in Part 1, you know what job you want and who you want to work for. Now, prioritize the job you really, REALLY want and the employer which looks like the best (and most secure) place to work, and plan your campaign to get employed there. Then, do a Plan B, in case the timing is bad for your first choice (don't assume it's bad - check!). And a Plan C.

Using your job search tracking system (# 1 above), plan your job search campaign. Through your network (off-line as well as online), find the people who work at the target employer and reach out to them. Do NOT bluntly ask if they know of any jobs open, unless you know them really well. Read Job-Hunt's job search networking articles for more tips, and see Step 7 below for more resources.

If you don’t Google yourself regularly, you are at a severe disadvantage. In 2010, Microsoft released a online reputation study indicating that employers conduct online research about job applicants 80% of the time! So, you will be Googled, and if you don’t know what they will find, you are defenseless. A strong personal brand will help you stand out as the real you, and help you put your best foot forward.

Further, as mentioned in Part 1, if you don’t have a good LinkedIn Profile, you are at an increasing disadvantage in the job marketplace. In 2011, a Jobvite recruiting study has shown that 89% of recruiters are using, or planning to use, LinkedIn and other social media for recruiting. Can you afford to be invisible for all those recruiters? No, you really can't.

It has been estimated that there are 80,000 Web job sites. And there are thousands of other sites that have job openings -- company Web sites, professional association websites, Chamber of Commerce websites, college alumni/ae websites, etc. That's more options than you could probably use in a lifetime!

How do you navigate through all of this to your new job? Pick the ones that are best for you - that have the jobs and employers you want in the locations you want.

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If you have identified potential employers of interest to you, track down and visit the employer's Web site. Frequently, particularly for larger employers, the company Web site will also have job opportunities posted. Job-Hunt links to over 8,000 employers by state, so check your state's listings to see what you can find.

To find out which employers are hiring in your target location right now, be sure to check out Job-Hunt's sponsor Indeed.com to see what they have found for you.

Follow up tells the potential employer that you really are interested in working for them.

See Job-Hunt's Pro-Active Job Search article for more ideas.

7. Spend More Time OFF-Line than ON-Line >> Off-Line is Where the Jobs REALLY Are!

The Internet is an awesome information source, but think of it as a "tool" in your job search toolbox. You will be hired by a person who will probably want to meet you and talk with you before offering you a job. So, use the Internet's vast information resources to help you, but don't limit your efforts to this on-line world.

Reality is that the vast majority of jobs (estimated at 85% or 90% of them!) are NOT posted on a Web site or even advertised in your local newspaper. They are never advertised at all! These jobs comprise "The Hidden Job Market."

The people hired in the HIdden Job Market jobs are known to the organization before a job opportunity has been documented or, sometimes, even recognized. They are the "friends of the friends" of the hiring manager or of another employee. Don't be discouraged! You can find those jobs, and the Internet can help you get started.

Your personal network is one of the best ways to find that next job (and the job after that, and the job after that!). Read the articles in Job-Hunt's Job Search Networking section, the "Tapping the Hidden Job Market" article, and the Hidden Job Market section of California's wonderful JobStar site.

Millions of people are job hunting right now. We have some recommendations for how you can Stand Out From the Crowd. And, you've probably heard this message hundreds of times, because it's true, back to the first task on this page - networking is the most effective way to find a job.

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About the author...

Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. Susan is a two-time layoff "graduate" who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. In 1998, her company, NETability, Inc. purchased Job-Hunt.org, and Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt since then. Follow Susan on Twitter at @jobhuntorg and on Google+