ONLINE JOB SEARCH GUIDE from Job-Hunt.Org
Forbes Magazine Best of the Web for Job Hunting, 2002
July 11, 2002 - the first issue for July, 2002

1. INSIDER INFORMATION - Standing Out From the Crowd by Susan Joyce, Job-Hunt's Senior Job Hunter
2. NEW, NEWSWORTHY, and/or INTERESTING SITES - 39 sites specifically for women
3. Subscribing and Unsubscribing - Directions for unsubscribing from (or subscribing to) the ONLINE JOB SEARCH GUIDE

1. INSIDER INFORMATION - Standing Out From the Crowd by Susan Joyce, Job-Hunt's Senior Job Hunter

Differentiate yourself from most other job hunters by researching potential employers.

Dropping a few industry facts or product names will show that you have made the effort to learn about the organization and its marketplace, demonstrating your initiative, skill, and intelligence. Few competing applicants will have invested the time and energy. So, YOU will stand out!

Before you send a resume or respond to a job posting, gather some basic information about the organization:

• What does it do? What industry is it in?
• What are the major products and/or services?
  
• What other organizations are "major players" in
  the industry?
  
• With whom does the organization compete most
  directly or most often?
  
• Were new products and/or services recently
  introduced? Old ones recently retired?
  
• What is recent financial performance?
  
• Any layoffs, class action law suit settlements,
  or product recalls announced?

Now, how do you use that information?

• Screen out organizations that don't appear to be successful or industries you don't like.
  
  You won't waste your time pursuing a job in a company that may lay you off 9 months after they hire you. And, you won't waste energy applying for a job in an industry you don't respect (a job in a Web casino development company if you don't approve of gambling, for example).
  
  
• Drop product/service names in cover letters, resumes, and interviews.
  
  If you've worked with the company's (or a competitor's) products or services, mention that. Interviewing at Microsoft? Include your expertise with Microsoft Office in your cover letter and resume. (Be careful about describing problems with those products/services, but be honest if asked. Feel free to be critical about the competition; just be sure that you are correct.)
  
  
• Include relevant experience in your resume.
  
  For example, include your high school job at McDonald's when applying for a job in a food service or retail business even if you normally don't mention it.
  
  
• Avoid foot-in-mouth disease during the interview process.
  
  Don't gush about how much you love NBC's Today show when you are interviewing with CBS or ABC (unless they ask you specifically about the Today show or about competing programs that you enjoy - but be careful about "gushing" in that case).

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2. NEW, NEWSWORTHY, AND INTERESTING SITES - 38 Web Sites Specifically for Women

Associations provide you with a window into the famous 'hidden job market." These Web sites are from associations and societies that exist to help women:

• 9 to 5, Natonal Association of Working Women - local chapters and other resources
• American Association for Women in Community Colleges - regional chapters, national events, and other resources
• American Association of Women Dentists - information, diretory of women dentists, and other resources
• American Association of University Women - JOBS (a few), plus conferences, fellowships, grants, research, and tons of other information
• American Business Women's Association - no jobs, but a directory of members, local councils, and other resources
• American Medical Women's Association - for women physicians and medical students; no job listings, but extensive information about women's health issues, educational resources, student information, meetings, and more
• American Society of Women Accountants - JOBS (a few), plus a member directory (members only), a national conference, and local chapters
• American Woman's Society of Certified Public Accountants - JOBS (a few) plus local chapters ("affiliates"), national conference, scholarships and awards, and more
• Association for Women Geoscientists - JOBS, annual meeting and other information encouraging women to enter and succeed in geoscience
• Association for Women in Architecture - meetings, news, and other resources (Los Angeles area)
• Association for Women in Communications - JOBS (members only), and local chapters and an annual national conference, plus other services for members only
• Association for Women in Computing - JOBS (see local chapter Web sites), plus chapter meetings, events, articles, and other resources
• Association for Women in Mathematics - JOBS, plus events, workshops, a "Mentor Network," prizes, newsletters, events, and more
• Association for Women in Science - JOBS, plus news, events, local chapters, and other resources
• Association for Women in Sports Media - JOBS (registration required), plus regional events, news, and more
• Association of Professional Insurance Women - JOBS (members only) plus local chapters and events, news, an e-mail distribution list, and lots of information about the insurance industry
• Business and Professional Women/Canada - no jobs, but events, a national convention, some local chapters, and other information
• Business and Professional Women/USA - JOBS plus other resources in the Career Center, a national conference, print publication, a special section for Women Veterans, and more
• Committee on the Advancement of Women Chemists - JOBS, plus a directory of women faculty members (in the "Chemical Sciences"), a forum, a national convention, and other information
• Downtown Women's Club - JOBS plus local meetings, information, and resources
• EMILY'S List - getting women elected to public office in the U.S.
• Executive Women's Golf Association - no jobs, but great networking at golf events including local chapters and golf game improvement tips
• Feminist Majority Foundation - JOBS, including internships (don't post your resume!), calendar, e-mail newsletters, news for women, research, and many other resources for women
• Financial Women International - JOBS (registration required) plus a national conference and other events
• Financial Women's Association - no jobs, but local chapters and other information and resources
• IEEE Women in Engineering a committee of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. - JOBS (IEEE members only), plus WIE newsletter and forum, a handful of local "affinity groups" (plus funding available to establish new ones), and many other resources
• International Alliance for Women in Music - for women musicians and music lovers, events, competitions and resources
• International Association of Women Police - a few jobs plus conferences, committees, and other information
• League of Women Voters - no jobs, but opportunities to volunteer and lots of information on political issues in the U.S.
• National Association of Female Executives - no jobs, but local chapters, events, and many resources
• National Association of Insurance Women - some JOBS, plus local chapters, events (members only), and other resources
• National Association of Women Business Owners - for women entrepreneurs; no jobs, but extensive resources for entrepreneurs and business owners, local chapters, national conference
• National Association of Women in Construction - jobs through FlipDog, news and other resources (some technical problems, too)
• National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives - JOBS plus newsletter, events, and more
• National Association of Women Lawyers - JOBS plus events, committees, publications, education, news, and more
• National Conference of Women's Bar Associations - no jobs but large list of local organizations for women attorneys, chatroom, and bulletin board
• National Women's Studies Association - no jobs, but news, e-mail lists, resources, and other information for Women's Studies Programs
• National Federation of Press Women - no jobs, but national conference, news, and other information.
• National Federation of Republican Women - no jobs, but national convention and other information, affiliated with the U.S. national Republican Party
• National Organization for Women (NOW) -local chapters, news, and other resources
• National Women's Political Caucus - no jobs, but news and other resources
• Newswomen's Club of New York - meetings in NYC
• New York Women in Communications, Inc. - meeting often in NYC, newsletters, and job postings
• NYC Webgrrls - for women interested in the Internet and technology with meetings and some job postings
• Society of Women Engineers - jobs apparently posted (but you must register before you can see them), also resume posting service (protect your privacy!), national and regional conferences
• Women Chemists Committee (of the American Chemical Society) - JOBS (a few) plus local chapters, a member directory, and other resources
• Women in Aerospace - JOBS, events and links to relevant Web sites and companies with aerospace- related jobs
• Women in Cable and Telecommunications - seem to have jobs available in Career Center (free for members; fee charged to non-members), member directory (members only), a national conference and other events
• Women in Federal Law Enforcement - JOBS plus annual conference and resources
• Women in Higher Education - JOBS, articles from the off-line publication, statistics on women in education, and more
• Women in International Trade - JOBS (members only), plus events, professional development (including a Mentor program), and other resources
• Women in Mathematics (from the Canadian Mathematical Society) - no jobs, but a directory of members; portions are out of date, but may serve as a starting point
• Women in Technology - no jobs, but local e-mail listservs and meetings in the U.S. and across the world (Africa, Asia/Pacific, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East).
• Women in Technology International - JOBS plus local chapters across the U.S. and Canada plus Australia and England, speakers' bureau, and other information and resources
• Women's Professional Rodeo Association - no jobs, but listing of rodeos, standings, and other information

In an election year (U.S.), don't overlook the networking opportunity represented by working on a favorite candidate's campaign. You may not only help your candidate win, you will meet others with similar interests and beliefs.

For tips on leveraging association Web sites in your job search, see the previous issues of this newsletter AND Job-Hunt's newest article, Tapping the Hidden Job Market, excerpted above.

You'll also find more associations for engineering, medical and healthcare, accounting and finance, law and law enforcement, and information technology professionals in the NEW Job-Hunt "Associations and Societies" section.

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Good luck with your job search!!

Susan Joyce
Editor and Senior Job Hunter