 |
| Download Now! |
Dreamfedjob - Turning unemployed into employed.
Should you use resume databases? The main considerations is the time it takes to enter your information.- On the one hand, people in a wide variety of career fields attract good job leads this way (it's not just the techies' world anymore).
- On the other hand, many resume databases have specialized forms through which you must painstakingly enter your information. Others allow you to upload an ASCII-formatted (plain text) version of your resume - but unless you know what you're doing, your resume may appear misaligned or almost unreadable to the viewer.
Cost - Most resume databases are free (if you find a database that charges a fee, and you are considering using it, ask for information on number of searches the database receives before paying any fee; the number of resumes on the system; etc.).
Specialized vs. general resume banks - The large commercial resume databases are easy to locate. BUT - in many fields, the smaller, career-specific databases are more effective (seek out the Web sites of the professional organizations in your career field, or ask other professionals for recommendations).
Learn to use keywords. IF your resume does not contain at least some of the keywords that employers are using to search the database, then your resume will be skipped by the computer, even if you have all of the experience and skills required by the job. Click here to learn more about keywords.
Don't depend solely on resume databases. Maybe they will help in your job search, and maybe not. But your best bet is to proactively network with professionals in your targeted career field, and use a wide variety of other job search strategies.
CAUTIONS
Marketing surveys - many resume databases include marketing surveys on their Web sites, often integrating them into the forms used to post your resume. If you start seeing questions about your age, your gender or how you heard about their Web site, you are responding to a marketing survey. You may even be asked about your race or nationality. Skip all these questions. If the Web site is set up so that you must respond to them in order to proceed with your resume submission, ditch that Web site (there are plenty of others that won't make you respond to those questions).
Upgrades for a fee - some resume databases now offer you an "upgrade" for your resume, charging a fee so that your resume is in front of others who do not pay the fee. I recommend not using these databases - why should you pay extra when any good resume database system will allow your great resume with great keywords to stand out?
Co-branding agreements - some employment sites on the Web have joined forces with one or more other Web sites. When you post your resume to one site, you might be sharing that resume with up to fifteen other databases. Always read the privacy agreement at any Web site where you're considering posting your resume.
Cover letters - don't submit a cover letter with a resume you send to an online resume database. Cover letters are discarded from most of the employment databases that accept resumes.
RESOURCES
- JobStar.org - topics include "Descriptions of Major Resume Banks," "Should You or Shouldn't You? Evaluating Resume Banks," and "Let's Get Electronic: Why Employers Use Resume Banks."
- eResumes.com - Great advice, well-ogranized. Also, links to select resume databases.
- ResumeRabbit.com - enter your resume on this site, and the site posts your resume to multiple major job sites. NOTE: There is a fee of $59.95 for this service.
The Problems:
- If you are currently employed, your current employer may be searching for your resume on the Internet (many employers do this).
- Your resume is pirated by other databases and by recruiters, and it may float around the Web for months or even years.
- Identity thieves may use the personal information in your resume to establish credit in your name or to post inflammatory messages to the Internet.
- Don't put your full name or address on a resume you post to an Internet resume database. But remember that potential employers need some way of getting in touch with you, so list an e-mail address.
- As a general rule, only post your resume to databases that offer password protection, which limits viewers to legitimate employers. Otherwise, anybody can view your resume.
- Many employers and recruiters still prefer to contact you by phone, so if you don't include a phone number, you may be overlooked.
- Reports are circulating that identity thieves have been placing fake job postings on online job boards in an attempt to trick job seekers into giving out personal information. The perpetrators then contact those job seekers who have replied and ask for personal information, such as social security numbers and bank account information, supposedly for the human resources department. Never give out social security numbers or bank account information to someone over the phone or via email or the Internet.
- Set up a separate e-mail account to receive correspondence from employers. This way, when you are done with your current job search, you can simply close out the e-mail account, rather than continue to receive messages from recruiters and employers for months or even years to come.
- If you are currently employed and don't want your employer to know you are job-hunting, don't list your current company name on your resume. Instead, list the industry. (Monster.com recommends this strategy.)
- If you want to be as safe as possible, don't post your resume onto Usenet (otherwise known as "newsgroups" or "bulletin boards"), and don't post to resume databases that are not password protected. Only legitimate employers are allowed access to most password-protected resume databases.
- Put a date on your resume. Your resume may float around in cyberspace for months or years after you have found a job, bouncing from one resume database to another, while you receive unwanted phone calls or e-mails.
- If you have a Web site that includes your resume, you may want to protect it with a password, which you then only give out to the employers you choose. Be sure to sign up for a Web-hosting service that offers password protection.
No comments:
Post a Comment