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

1. INSIDER INFORMATION - From the Front Lines in the Battle to Get a New Job -- Great Tips from a Successful Job Hunt
2. NEW, NEWSWORTHY, AND INTERESTING SITES - 28 Web Sites Specifically for Human Resources Professionals
3. Subscribing and Unsubscribing - Directions for unsubscribing from (or subscribing to) the ONLINE JOB SEARCH GUIDE

1. INSIDER INFORMATION - From the Front Lines in the Battle to Get a New Job -- Great Tips from a Successful Job Hunt

This message originally appeared in an e-mail sent recently to members of the WIND job networking group in Boston when the writer ("Kathleen") accepted a job.

Several important points to notice -

• the follow up process she used to make sure that her resume was noticed by the HR manager AFTER she applied for the job online
• the way she asked for permission to continue to stay in touch
• the way she used networking through an association to help her to the finish line
• the support she got from fellow job seekers (MORE networking!!)
• that she didn't always do everything "perfectly" but she still got the job she wanted

To all,

I have accepted the perfect job!

How did I find this job? Monster.com (really) BUT then I went at it with all the networking skills you guys taught me. Sometimes better than at other times.

In May, it popped up on my Monster search email. I applied electronically. Then I called them and asked for the fax # to HR. I sent a letter and resume by fax.

Then called back and bluffed my way into the name and email address of the manager of HR. I sent my cover letter and resume by email.

Then I waited 3 days and called that person, "just to see if he had received my resume." I asked when they would be calling people for interviews.

I called that week, "just following up on this position." It took about 3 weeks, calling each week, asking when I could call again. I use the phrase, "if I don't hear from you by then, would you mind if I called you, just to follow up."

Then I went to a meeting of a professional organization I belong to. (This is when I didn't do so well at networking.)

There were about 25 people there. I spoke to a few people, chit chatting about general stuff. I think I did say I was out of work. At the end of the meeting I mentioned that I saw the perfect job at the perfect company and told a friend where. He said those two guys who just left, work there! (stupid me)

I begged the registration guy for their email addresses. I sent them a nice email telling them the story and including my resume, of course.

Wouldn't you know on Monday the HR guy called me and set up the first interview.

I asked my favorite question, "what is the next step in this interview process?" and "if I don't hear from you by X, is it OK that I call you on Y."

They almost always say yes to this question. (You must do what you said you would.) I would call each week or as agreed and follow up.

I had my second interview in August. The HR guy actually thanked me for my patience with him. He "is so busy, it was good that you called me and followed up." He didn't perceive me as being a pest, he thought I was patient.

I thought I was a PIA (editor note: aka "pain in the a**"), calling and leaving so many messages. But I figured that they couldn't have hired somebody, since it would have been much easier for them to get me off their backs by saying "NO."

I got an offer letter in the mail and still wasn't afraid to negotiate the salary from there.

And now for the $.02 -

When I got laid off in August last year (that's right one full year) I thought, "no sweat." I'll just do my resume and send it to my headhunter. I was getting married in October and thought, "I'll take the time off until the wedding and by then my headhunter will have lined up some interviews for me." HA HA !!!

Advice #1 - begin networking and looking immediately. I really began hunting in January.

Advice #2 - go to lots of networking groups. I started attending The Monday Network and WIND each week. I went to North, West, and South WIND meetings and morning and afternoon Monday Network meetings. Each group is a different dynamic. Listen to each person's advice, hints, and suggestions.

Advice #3 - Do something you love. I volunteer (a lot). I work with all sorts of groups, including Special Olympics. It keeps me humble and positive during a difficult time in my life. It is good to have perspective.

Advice #4 - Money is important. Be frugal, understand your unemployment rights and benefits, if your friend pays you to babysit her kid - do it.

Advice #5 - Most importantly, know yourself. I learned so much about myself during this job search. I know what I am good at and not good at, and I am not afraid to tell people. I also learned what I wanted from a company and what I could offer them.

That is SO powerful. I was sitting in a job interview and told them, "I don't want to work for a company that XXX." But of course, with all my skills at researching a company, I already knew that this company didn't XXX. I also knew what my skills were worth and wasn't afraid to ask for it. I got a 5% raise over my last salary and got additional benefits to get me more, since they couldn't get more cash.

Advice #6 - go on every interview. I came home from a second interview and got the fedex with this offer in it. Besides being good practice for interviewing, you learn about yourself and other opportunities, and it feels very good to be wanted. Although I say this, I do not want to make light of the other opportunity I had, it was a really good one and I was seriously torn.

So for those of you still looking for the right opportunity:

• It will come.
• Have Faith.
• Be positive.
• Laugh (a lot) - good advice from a fellow jobseeker
• Know yourself, what you want, and GO FOR IT!

Thank you,
Kathleen

Shared with permission. Thanks, Kathleen!

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2. NEW, NEWSWORTHY, AND INTERESTING SITES - 22 Web Sites Specifically for Human Resources Professionals

Associations are a great place to network - meet future co-workers (as Kathleen did, above), learn about potential employers you may not have already identified, stay up to date with your industry or profession, and/or just increase the number of people who know you and what you do.

Here are 28 national and internatonal associations:

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