Why the Internet is an Instrument for Job Searchers
It’s a foggy morning. Sitting here in the cabin on the side of the mountain all I can see is the edge of the deck. The trees, and the view, are obscured. Glad I have the luxury of working inside this morning, relying on the internet and telephone rather than having to fight the elements. It reminds me a little of flying an airplane on those days that are IMC (instrument meteorological conditions) and you have to rely on your training and your instruments to safely arrive at your destination.
My last few blogs have offered suggestions to those in an active job search. Let’s end this “series” with some instruments that will help get to your objective.
The internet is one of the most powerful tools available to each of us. Certainly we take advantage of much of what it has to offer. Here are some of the things where it can help you during your job search:
- Identifying organizations that you have an interest in
- Keeping up with what is going on within those organization
- Enabling you to understand how you can help those organizations attain their goals, and communicating this to them
- Learning about the key leaders within organizations
- Determining who you know within those organizations
- Getting specific information preparing you for interviews
In today’s connected world almost everyone has a LinkedIn account. A wealth of information is there. What about Jigsaw? Do you use Hoovers and ZoomInfo to research organizations? What comes up when someone Googles you? How are you using Facebook? Life today, in many ways, is similar to living in a small town – where everyone knows all about you.
After you receive a job offer, or when you believe you will get one, do you plan to do further research on the organization? Two sites that may be useful in providing information from an employee’s perspective are www.glassdoor.com and www.jobitorial.com. Although many times disgruntled employees are more likely to post, the insight you receive could be helpful.
You know what your planned destination is. Use the internet as the instrument that will play an important role in making certain you arrive – and when you arrive, you are where you planned to be.