Sharpen Your Aim When Job Hunting Online

Abridged: WSJ Digital Network

LOS ANGELES, CA -- As Internet job boards continue to evolve, it can pay to stay current on the latest job search tools and tactics. By learning how to use them, job hunters may be able to boost their chances of securing interviews. When an ad lists a hiring contact, research the person's background and make a special connection - in addition to distributing your resume on job boards and career websites.

Donnetta Walker, 31, emailed a recruiter who was cited in a job ad she saw online. She found his email address through Google and wrote about how they were connected on the networking site LinkedIn.com, among other topics. They exchanged emails, and the recruiter requested her resume.

Sending it, she mentioned the ad, which sought a project manager at a telecommunications software provider near her Atlanta home. A few days later the recruiter arranged an interview for her, and she's waiting to hear back. She credits the tactic for getting her foot in the door. Whether or not she gets hired, she says, "I would do it again."


This article appeared in the April 7, 2008 issue of The Career News. It is reprinted here with permission from The Career News.