Job Search Workshop
Online and Print Resources
Master the techniques for searching
and applying for jobs online
Goals of Workshop
• To demonstrate some of the many
resources that list current job openings
• To demonstrate the challenges and
methods for applying for a job online.
• To present some of the resources online
and in print that provide information about
resumes and cover letters.
Preparation is the
Key To Success
Alexander Graham Bell
Know The Job Search Vocabulary
In the Electronic World!
• Scannable resume
• Plain Text resume
• Video Resumes
• Web 2 Communities
• Guerilla Job Search Tactics
• E-Resumes
• Resumes and E-Mail
Rule #1 for a successful Job
Search!
• Do Your Homework!
Rule # 2
• Network!
Rule # 3
• Prepare a resume so that you can refer to
it when you are completing an online
application on the Internet or at a Kiosk
Research the Industry or Company
• Hoover’s (Database – in library only)
• Reference USA (Database- home access)
• Company’s Web Site (Internet)
• Company’s Annual Report (Internet)
• INFOTRAC’ s Business databases (home
access)
Job Information and Job Banks
• Boston Works (Boston Globe Online and
In Print)
• Career Builder (Online)
• Job Find ( Boston Herald Online and in
print)
• Job Quest (Online - Comm. Of
Massachusetts)
• On site Job Kiosk
• Via E-mail
• Online Job application
• Advance Auto Parts Nordstrom
• Batteries & Bands Pet Smart
• Best Buy Sears
• Blockbuster Borders Six Flags
• Circuit City Southeastern Freight
• CVS Sports Authority
• Family Dollar SuperValue
• Finish Line Target
• Hollywood Entertainment Toys “R” Us
• Kroger Universal Studios
• Lowe’s Companies Wal-Mart
• Pay attention to job site’s application
specifications about whether the resume
can be sent as a word document or plain
text
• Prepare your cover letter in advance and
cut and paste it into E-Mail
• Proof read your cover letter. Do not rely on
“spell check”.
• Include the title of the position you are applying
for in the subject line of the message.
• Be sure that your email address/screen name
has a professional tone
• Many employers do not accept attachments.
Paste your resume into the body of the email.
Use simple font and remove fancy formatting.
• Send the message to yourself first to test that
the formatting works.
• Have your resume and cover letter
prepared online so that you can cut and
paste text on to the job application site.
• Devote enough time to completing this
task – these applications are lengthy.
Caution on Using Online Job
Application Sites
Before you apply for a job online:
• Always look at the home page of the
company - note the web address
• Make sure you are on the “official”
company site when you are applying for a
job.
• Read their privacy policy regarding
personal information e.g. SS #’s
Scannable Resume
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/pw/p_scanres.html
• Left justify the document
• Avoid puncuation as much as possible
• Avoid verticle and horizontal lines, graphs
and boxes
• Use white or light colored paper and
provide a laser-printed original
• Do not fold or staple
• Place your name at the top of the page on
its own line
Scannable resume (cont)
• Use standard adress format below your
name
• List phone # on its own line
• Use only abbreviations that are familiar in
your field of study
• Use more nouns that verbs
• Use standard type faces such as Times
new roman
Scannable Resume (cont)
• Use font size 10 to 12 points
• Avoid fancy font styles such as Italics,
underline and shadows
• Boldface and capital letters are acceptable
as long as the letters don’t touch each
other.
• Provide white space between words, Don’t
use parentheses between area code and
tel #
Scannable Resume (cont)
• Avoid using special characters such as
bullets
• Mail in a 9.5x12 envelope
• Never send your traditional resume with
your scannable resume. The employer
might scan the wrong resume.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/pw/p
_scanres.html
Plain Text Resume
How to Create a Text Resume to Send in E-Mail
• To create an ASCII resume with line breaks for pasting into an email
message, follow these directions:
• Open your MS Word formatted resume (the traditional version).
Make any changes, such as adding a category devoted to keywords.
• Change the margins for the entire document to 1 inch on the left and
2.5 inches on the right. (This will shorten the line length and enable
most email programs to view the document without scrolling
repeatedly to the right and left.)
• Change the font to Courier 10 pt for the entire document.
Plain Text Resume
• Save the file, using a DIFFERENT file name, such as
resume4email. Click File, Save As. Choose Text Only with Line
Breaks, then click Save.
• Open the Windows text editor program, Notepad, to clean up the
new file. Make sure that bullets converted properly, add space
between paragraphs to improve readability, and eliminate gaps
within lines caused by tabs or indents.
• Save the changes in Notepad by clicking File, Save.
• Before emailing the resume, it's a good idea to check and see how it
holds up. Open Notepad, then copy and paste the file into an email
message. To get an idea of how the resume will look once delivered,
send the file to both yourself and a friend who uses a different email
program.
Job Search Resource Blog
• http://www.jobsearchchatter.wordpress.com