Finding Jobs Online: 10 Tips

Finding jobs online can be tough business, especially in today's economy, but there are some tips that can help.

While the Internet shouldn't be your only tool when job searching, it's one of the fastest and easiest ways to market yourself and find potential employers. In an article by Pierce Mattie Public Relations, Donna Schlessinger, founder and president of Mutt Media, offers 10 tips on how to achieve success in the online job search.

1. Clean up your act - Google yourself to see what information can be found. This is the same information potential employers will be able to see. Clean up any information you might not want available to the public.

2. Create a new e-mail address - The new e-mail should include your full name and be used specifically for job searching. This will provide you with a professional e-mail to use when networking.

3. Make your resume software-friendly - Because not everyone uses the same software, a resume that looks good on your screen could look discombobulated on a potential employer's screen. You can avoid this by keeping your resume simple, using a universally accepted font and saving the document in .DOC format.

4. Start a blog - Creating a blog about your professional life and expertise can be a good way to reach a wider audience than usual. Well-written blogs will be indexed by search engines, such as Google and Yahoo, further extending the chances of a potential employer finding you.

5. Subscribe to RSS feeds - Subscribing to feeds in your personal field will help you stay up to date on the latest trends and articles and even possibly provide you with new contacts.

6. Learn some new skills - The current state of the economy has many people switching career fields and learning new trades. There are always new careers being invented, and the Internet is a great tool to find new information and learn new skills.

7. Check out your competition - Research your competitors by looking at the functionality of their Web site and their skill-set. Knowing the competition can help you have an edge when it comes to applications and interviews.

8. Poll your friends - Ask your friends to look over your resume, cover letter and blog. This will help get a fresh perspective and may lead to some constructive criticism.

9. Monitor social networking sites - When job searching, social networking sites should be used for networking. That means you should keep your contacts up to date and ask them to post links about you or provide positive feedback on your profile.

10. Research your potential employer - After you secure an interview, it's important to research the company and be prepared. Information can usually be found on the company's Web site or by doing a simple search.