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Job Searching in the 21st Century. Myths and Realities

The Internet is changing the way people look for jobs, but these questions still remain:

• How effective is online job searching?
• Are traditional methods now a waste of time?

Surveys indicate only 5.5 percent of 99 million American households had done any online job hunting; a majority of 4,000 executives had job openings posted on their companies’ websites; Fortune 500 online recruitment increased from 17 to 45 percent from 1998-99; but the Internet accounts for only 2 percent of employment advertising. A recruiting industry source estimates the number of successful searches made entirely via the Web is around 17 percent.

The “hidden” job market is still most effectively tapped by personal contacts, although companies are encouraging employees to e-mail job ads to friends and creating alumni networks for referrals. Surveys have found more than 80 percent of employers initially identified interview candidates from paper resumes more than half the time, while only 60 percent scanned electronic resumes; and only 30 percent of employers preferred electronic resumes. The Internet enables job seekers to access current information, reach deeper into local markets and transcend geographic boundaries, and connect with many employers for less time and money. The limitations of keyword searching may hamper the number or relevance of job matches. What the Internet does is allow job seekers to diversify Their approach.

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I followed up on your recent mention that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is flush with jobs. .

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You’ve just been made an offer by a company, and you’re interested in the position and the organization…but you’re still waiting to hear from your first-choice organization about another job. What do you do?

“Students don’t always know that they have a certain degree of control of this process,” says Alan Goodman, director of career services at Catholic University and chair of NACE’s professional ethics committee. “In a case like this, the student should do a couple of things. First, ask for additional time to consider the offer.” Goodman notes that employers, despite their desire to land top candidates, understand that these students are probably considering more than one opportunity. They know that an immediate reply isn’t likely. While there is no fixed or customary “think-it-over” time period, it’s not unreasonable to ask for two to four weeks—or even longer.

“Second,” Goodman says, “the student can often speed up the process or at least get more information about his or her status by contacting that first-choice company.” He recommends calling the first-choice company to ask if its decision can be made within the time granted by the other organization. Sometimes, organizations can be nudged to move on their offers when faced with the prospect of losing a top candidate.

“I think that students are afraid they may turn off the employer, or even risk having the job offer withdrawn, by asking for additional time,” Goodman says. “While employers need to fill their openings, the last thing they want is to have a student—under the pressure of a short deadline—accept the job, then discover three months after starting the job that it’s not a good fit and leave to go elsewhere.” Employers recognize that it’s smart business to give as much time as they can so the student can carefully consider the offer.

Even if you’re not weighing other offers, there is nothing wrong with asking for more time. The student who receives an offer in November for a job starting in June may be up to his or her neck in exams, projects, and grad school applications—and too busy to concentrate on the offer at hand. Or, the student may just not feel ready to make such an important commitment at that time.

“Explain to the employer that you want to give the offer the full consideration it merits, but that in order to do that you need some time to think things through. Suggest a date by which you would be ready to give an answer,” Goodman says. “The vast majority of employers will be reasonable about this.”

That’s not to say that you can take forever to make a decision. Employers will have other top candidates to whom they’ll make the offer if you turn it down; they can’t stand by idly and risk that those candidates, too, will accept positions elsewhere. “At some point,” notes Goodman, “there will be a ‘go/no-go’ date that can’t be negotiated. Students need to accept and respect that.”

If you think an employer’s time frame for accepting or declining an offer is unreasonable—or if you feel the employer is applying too much pressure—talk it over with someone in the career services office. “Anytime something in the recruiting process strikes you as unreasonable or wrong, it’s a good idea to check with your campus career center,” Goodman says. “The staff there can let you know, first, if in fact the employer is being unreasonable. Second, they can help you decide how to respond.”

Comparing offers

And what if you have a number of offers to choose from?

“Enjoy it,” Goodman says. “Remember, of course, that you shouldn’t say ‘yes’ to anything immediately. Investigate all of the offers, go over the information you have about each, talk to someone you trust—a career services counselor, a faculty member, a parent—someone who can help you think through the offers objectively. Make sure you have a firm understanding of what each opportunity entails. And, if there are gaps in your information, contact the employer and ask for additional information. The thing you want to do is reduce the amount of surprise there will be with your position—you want to have as clear a picture as possible.”

That advice holds true even if you have just one offer.

“By exploring as many aspects of the offer as possible, you reduce the chance that you’ll be dissatisfied with the job or company and end up leaving quickly,” Goodman adds. “That’s something that new graduates need to keep an eye on. You need to watch that you’re not creating a history of job hopping. That can catch up with you.”

Afterwards

After you’ve given your decision careful consideration and accepted an offer, stop looking. Inform other employers who have extended offers, or who might be considering you for a job, that you have accepted a position. And, don’t go out in search of more offers.

“By accepting an offer, you’re making a promise,” Goodman says. “There is a lot of expense involved with hiring that students don’t take into account.” In fact, in a NACE survey, employers said it costs them an average of $3,485 to hire one new college graduate. In addition, says Goodman, “The employer now has to go out and look for someone to fill that position.”

Whenever you receive a job offer, you need to think about what you want in a job, what’s important to you. Maybe you’re most interested in opportunities that present a challenge or, in the level of responsibility the job will afford you. Or, speaking of “afford,” maybe it’s the salary that you’re most interested in. In order to make a well-informed decision, you need to look at what the job entails and provides and at your interests, needs, values, and goals.

Copyright National Association of Colleges and Employers. All rights reserved. This article cannot be republished in any form (print or electronic) without written permission of NACE.

1. Start with people you know. No matter how technologically sophisticated the job hunt process becomes, the most effective way to find a job is still through physical networking.  Have you made business contacts through internships while in school?  Do you have friends or former coworkers who work in your desired field?  Let your contacts know that you are looking for employment, and give them a heads up that you are applying to their organization.

   Getting noticed is half the battle.  Networking might not get you the job, but it will most likely get your resume shuffled to the top of the pile.  Appear interested but not overbearing. Let your contacts know once that you have applied, and then follow up a week or two later with a polite inquiry.

2. Apply directly.If you already know where you want to work, apply directly.  This tip seems pretty obvious, but it is easy to get caught up in looking at job search sites and forget that you can go directly to an employer’s website (or their physical location) and apply.  Just be sure to follow their specified application process exactly as requested, and write a great cover letter tailored to that organization.  If you know you want to work for this company, your application materials should send that message.  Government, universities, and other large institutions generally prefer that you apply to them directly, and have strict protocols that must be followed by each applicant.
3. Use online services.

   Out of the thousands of job search services on the Internet, we’ve selected a top five.  There may be more that are relevant to your industry or local area, but these are a great place to start.

   1. Indeed: search thousands of major job search sites, with one job title search.
      Indeed is powerful, simple, and can save you a great deal of work.
   2. Monster: Tired of applying for jobs?  Want to post your resume and let it do your talking for you?  Monster is probably the best-trafficked site to try this tactic.  Also includes a traditional job search component.
   3. Dice: Looking for a tech job?  Dice is the place to look for work with major technology companies and contracting services.  Like Monster, you can also post your resume and let employers come to you.
   4. Craigslist: A very inexpensive option for employers, Craigslist is probably the best place to look for small business, nonprofit jobs, and one-time gigs.  Be wary of a wide variety of scam artists using Craigslist’s generous posting policies to their advantage.
   5. Career Builder: Prefer newspaper classifieds?  Career Builder is designed to reflect traditional classified advertising categories, and has partnered with local papers and news outlets throughout the United States.  Popular with employers who might not be familiar with other online job search sites.
4. Apply to temporary/contracting agencies.Times are tough and many employers are cutting costs by hiring temporary or contract help.  If you have been unemployed for a while and need cash now, applying through an agency is probably your quickest route to a paycheck.  On the downside, you probably will not qualify for health insurance or other benefits.

   Be wary of any agency that requests a fee, as most reputable ones do not.  Many agencies still advertise prominently in local newspapers. A simple way to find the most popular agencies in your area is to pick up the paper, go to the jobs classifieds, and look for the largest ads.

5. Repeat, and Evaluate.Still unemployed?  Go through the steps again, and then go back to the drawing board.  Take a look at your resume and cover letters and consider edits or additions.  Think about the jobs to which you have applied, and whether or not they fit within your skills and experience.

   Finally, consider whether or not you are happy in your chosen career and consider other possiblities.  Maybe you haven’t found work because you feel ambivalent, maybe your field has been outsourced, or maybe you need to broaden your search to other job titles or locations.  Try to look at this time as an opportunity to make positive changes, to go back to school or start a whole new career.  Most importantly, maintain your confidence and know that your job is out there.