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: wvrrtc@rtc2.icdi.wvu.edu 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: ---------- End of Document