The good news is that there is plenty of very good (free!) information and assistance available to help you find your next job. The bad news is that it will take time to sift through all of it to find what works for you. But, you can, and you will! Let's get started (below)!

First, bookmark this page (or save it as a Favorite) so that you can easily return, and continue reading. The links below will take you to tutorials, articles, and many other Web sites, so you may find yourself "lost" when you try to come back.

Three Stages of a Job Search:

Part 1 - Preparation - a 7-step process lays the foundation for an efficient and successful job search.

Part 2 - Implementation - 7 steps to finding your next job

Part 3 - Suspension/Maintenance - put your search efforts into suspension, but don't shut down completely. It will be easier to re-start the next time if it's still "warm."

First, Get Comfortable with Your Computer and Being Online.

You won't spend all your time in front of your computer (and you really shouldn't!), but you need to feel comfortable. It may also increase your job market "value" and market competitiveness.

Need help or practice? Try these:

• The Ohio State University Library's net TUTOR provides great information if you are just getting started, use the Internet only for email or music, or are just a little rusty. It covers everything from how the Internet works to using social networks and e-books as well as how to search and how to evaluate Websites. Great starting point!
  
  
• A Beginner's Guide to Effective Email. It's very helpful, even if you have had experience with e-mail. Doing e-mail properly is more important to you now than ever before because it's frequently how you will introduce yourself to a potential employer. Also, read Job-Hunt's "Effective E-mail" and "Avoiding Spam Filters" articles for tips on making e-mail work for your job search.
  
  
• Researching Companies Online Tutorial This is a great place to start practicing your research skills and collecting useful information.
  
  
• To help you with other business research issues, in addition to company research, see Job-Hunt's Research Section, written by Job-Hunt's Job Search Research Expert Parmelee Eastman.
  
  
• Margaret Riley Dikel has written an excellent tutorial on the job research process in her site, The Riley Guide. Also great information.

Note: be sure to purchase and install anti-virus software for your computer, and be sure to keep it up to date. Most antivirus software comes with an update subscription that needs to be renewed annually. An e-mailed resume with a computer virus attached won't be read and won't make a good impression, so keep your computer virus-free.

You will survive this process, and you will succeed at finding a great new job! If you're lucky, you will also learn a lot about yourself and make a bunch of new friends in the process. Now, go for it!!

Good luck with your job search!

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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.

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