“Secrets Of Making The Most Of Job Search Websites”

Secrets Of Making The Most Of Job Search Websites

Posted: 20 Jan 2011 02:22 PM PST

The most important secret to making online job search sites work for you: Use them sparingly. Too many job seekers spend all day hunkered over their keyboards, combing through listings, trying endless search filters and sending their résumés into black holes.

Rule No. 1, say job coaches: Spend only 10% of your time on job search sites.

Here's how to make that time count. Start with the Google ( GOOG - news - people )-like job aggregators, Indeed.com and SimplyHired.com. Both list millions of jobs, drawing on company websites, job boards and newspapers. "If it's posted online, it's in our search results," says Indeed.com spokesman Michael Werch.

In Pictures: How To Make The Most Of Job Search Websites

Both sites also make it easy to narrow your search using refinements, or filters, that include title, company name and location. Indeed allows you to search within a specific salary range. SimplyHired lets you sort for "mom friendly," "socially responsible," and even "dog-friendly" workplaces. (I tried looking for a dog-friendly job for a writer in New York City and I found three listings at Google.)

Spend a little time playing with search commands. Both sites have "advanced search" options. Try plugging in the name of a company you might want to work for, or an advanced degree that qualifies you for specialized work. You could type in "CFA" if you're a certified financial analyst, for example, or "LEED" if you're a building engineer with expertise in environmental efficiency.

SimplyHired has a useful tool called "Who do I know." If you're on LinkedIn--and you should be--this tool will instantly display your LinkedIn contacts with connections to various job listings. "Who do I know" also syncs with Facebook. (LinkedIn is such a powerful job search tool, I've written two separate stories about using it.)

One more trick to using the aggregators: Have them deliver listings to your inbox. Set up an e-mail alert that delivers new job postings to you via e-mail each day. Since momentum always helps in a job search, it's useful to see ads as soon as they're posted.

Don't spend too much time with the big aggregators. Look for niche sites that are specific to your field. In the tech world, for instance, Dice.com has a strong reputation. For nonprofit jobs, try Idealist.org. For government jobs, the U.S. government's site is an excellent resource: USAJobs.com.

One more great online resource: Craigslist. It is one site the aggregators don't tap. Craigslist's focus is local listings, and it's especially useful for entry-level jobs and would-be interns.

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Thursday, January 20, 2011