LARGE JOB SEARCH SITESExamples: Indeed.com Monster.com |  National or international in scope
Large corporations use them
Vast number of jobs
Searchable by job target and location
"Push" technology - you get alerts when a job in your field is posted
Most services are free
Can post one or more versions of your resume
Hundreds of thousands of applicants attract big employers |  Actual employer often unknown because of third party recruiter use
Not as helpful for seekers in smaller cities or rural areas
Primarily focused on business and technical fields - little for education, arts, media and human service
Making resume available online can result in spam, undesirable interview/job offers, and/or scams
Hundreds of thousands of applicants can make you invisible | They're a nice starting point, and great if you're relocating. But there are better, more occupation and location specific options. |
NEWSPAPERS ONLINEFind newspapers listed by state at http://www.newspapers.com/ |
Can search in any city you want
Can also find apartments, local news, and other information
Easier to find classified ads online than reading the physical paper |
This amounts to "using the newspaper", which means
it represents a tiny percentage of all available positions, and
job descriptions are usually very brief and not very informative | They should be utilized but should not be the focus of your online job search. When relocating, take the opportunity to read other sections of the paper to learn about the area! |
"NICHE" SITESFor a list of "niche" sites, visit CDO Online's Looking for a Job section. |
These sites specialize in positions in a single field
The career/job search information provided is specifically for that field as well
May involve joining a professional association, which will increase networking opportunities |  Many positions require experience
Jobs won't necessarily be in your target location
Might be expensive to join (though it's often worth it, and cheaper while you're a student!) | This should be a major part of your online job search. |
EMPLOYER WEB SITES |  Easy to do research on the organization, since you're already on their site
This is probably how they WANT you to apply
Resume and cover letter submission and application process takes mere minutes
This is your best bet |  Not all employers have web sites, and not all that have sites post positions there
Where does the application go after you click "send"?
Faceless and impersonal (not your fault, though)
Lots of applicants
Time consuming | This should be the FOCUS of your online job search. |