Research is the most important tool the Internet can provide on any subject. It is estimated that 59 percent of Net-hired employees were found through tthe company’s own website. Job boards were utilized some 14 percent of the time. The hidden job market has a far-reaching but invisible arm. Even a formidable magician like Houdini couldn’t find it without the help of research tools. The “underweb,” which goes beyond the scope of the more traditional search engines may well provide some answers for the active job seeker.
The Usenet News Groups offer little chat rooms that attract people with like interests. Some subjects are general, some are narrow. Be careful here as many of these groups are devoted to bad things, and you will find that you will have to spend some time sorting through them to separate the good from the bad and to find those that will help you in your search for the right job.
Some problems with these resources are obvious, for the Internet represents a vast and unpatrolled frontier of knowledge and opportunity. You will find for the most part, however, that the good far outweighs the bad. You must watch out for obvious immorality and another subtler little fellow called bad information. Never download anything from an unfamiliar or suspicious source and always pick obscure passwords.
Check out Job-Hunt (www.job-hunt.org) and sign up for their free newsletter. Also visit the following sites for more help: JobStar (www.jobstar.org), The Riley Guide (www.rileyguide.com), Career One Stop (www.careeronestop.org) which is sponsored by the Department of Labor, the Job Hunter’s Bible (www.jobhuntersbible.com) and last but not least, the Jobs and Career Web Directory (www.careers.org/index.html).
On your mark, get set, go and…Good luck!
Related Reading:
“The Hidden Job Market: Where Is It?: Part One
“What Are Hard and Soft Skills?”
http://forums.families.com/jobs,f122