Mainstream job sites like careerpath.com have become commonplace information sources for companies in the recruitment mode or professionals on the job trail.
And regularly tracking Web sites that are devoted to job-seeking professionals is an effective way for you to augment - not replace - your employment search opportunities, according to Ted Chaloner of Chaloner Associates, Boston. Chaloner recently spoke at the Public Relations Society of America conference in Nashville. Although Chaloner says that, so far, only a small percentage of jobs are found through online quests, it's a hotspot if you're looking for an opening with a technology/computer company: 80 percent of the companies recruiting online are technology firms.
His advice - culled from "7 Habits of Highly Connected People" offered at a packed workshop - focused on how PR professionals and corporate communicators can use the Internet to add a fresh layer to laborious job searches. Conventional tacks, such as scanning bulky classified sections over a cup of Sunday java, can become discouraging. However, the ease and availability of the Net can give you a sense that you can control the process.
Most notably, the Web is a keen way for human resource execs - some of whom post free job annoucements on sites supported by banner advertising - to court potential employees as well as for job candidates to get a sense of the supply-and-demand factors dominating the marketplace or an industry.
To keep things in perspective, we must caution that surfing the Net for employee/employment possibilities doesn't eliminate the required footwork that comes with bringing any new employee on board: interviewing, testing, checking references and tapping into their morale and goals. What follows is PR NEWS's review of several site:
http://www.careerpath.com: This is a must in your online job searching. A joint venture of several big-name papers like the New York Times, the L.A. Times, the Chicago Tribune and The Washington Post, it lists employer profiles and has a pathway to search newspaper want ads.
http://www.monster.com: Exactly as we envisioned, this is a monstrosity of a URL and one that's not only job-related but lifestyle-related. Granted, the portions of ancillary info. dished up makes this a spot worth trying (via its Open Houses, you can click on a company name for a virtual tour and see what positions are open at certain firms like Price Waterhouse), but this site can be a tad bit too promotional. Its Career Center is a partnership between The Monster Board and San Diego TV station NBC 7/39 and by the time we were done in this area, we felt all giddy for California - not necessarily the firms that are based there.
You shouldn't be looking for a career in PR without checking out what's available at this stop. This site offers online versions of PRSA Tactics' classifieds and there are reams of senior-level slots listed.
http:// www.jobbank.usa.com: It's supposedly a commingling of content focused for the job candidate, prospective employer and recruitment firm but we think it' strength lies in what it gives companies looking to fill positions. An ad, with a maximum of 500 words that remains online for 60 days, costs $125;
http://www.search.com: If you're looking for technology-related job info., here's one prime cyber stop. This site even allows you to search for an IT position with a Fortune 1000 firm by specifying a certain amount of miles from your postal code.
http://www.iabc.com: This IABC site offers a wide slate of career-related info., and its job postings have an add-on we thought was nifty; it shows when messages, which appear for one month, were posted.