Remember when you’re searching for a job that too much information can be just as bad as no information at all. The Internet is flooded with job boards and directories of varying worth and in some cases, suspicion. How can one sort through it all and still come out sane and smelling like a rose with a new job? The answer, my friends, is not blowing in the wind or anywhere else. Half of the solution lies in the available Internet search engines. The rest is still hidden, and no “x” save your own creativity and perseverance will ever mark the spot.
The Internet search engines are limited because they are constructed especially to avoid certain areas that owners won’t allow them to enter. One way to best utilize a database is to start general and work your way to specific. The Jobs and Career Directory (www.careers.org/index.html), Monster.com and America’s Job Bank (www.ajb.dni.us) are good places to start for state or local available government jobs.
Job Directories are organized by subject and are usually more general than search engines. Consider the Open Directory Project at www.dmoz.org. When you are ready to get a bit more specific, check out the databases available at Teoma, which means “expert” in Gaelic and contains over 5 million pages in its database (www.teoma.com) and Beaucoup (www.Beaucoup.com). To access a collection of special search engines, use: www.allsearchengines.com.
To find databases, add the word database or archive to your search inquiry. Utilize the URL mining technique, which may net you a different kind of gold dust. Whenever you see a question mark (?) included in a URL, erase everything in the address from the question mark to the end and hit “enter”.
There is a wealth of information available but like anything else, it must be accessible in order for it to do anyone any good. Check these items out and stay tuned for even more complicated job search advice. While you’re at it, consider making friends with your local librarian. It can’t hurt.
Related Reading:
“What Are Hard and Soft Skills?”
http://forums.families.com/jobs,f122