We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Internet

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Should I Know About Online Job Listings?

Hillary Flynn
By
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 1,665
Share

Technological advances have drastically changed the human resources industry. Online job listings have made job hunts more efficient and faster, and they allow access to a much wider job pool. However, as with all new processes and systems, there is a learning curve for acquiring a job via online job listings.

Prior to the advent of the internet, job seekers perused newspaper classifieds and utilized networking as a main source to acquire a position. Though networking remains a viable option for seeking career contacts, newspapers have added online job listings, and many companies have created cyber job boards. Learning to navigate these online job listings and preparing resumes in the appropriate format are the keys to obtaining a job in this manner.

Before the internet, resumes were printed on high-quality paper and mailed to prospective employers via the postal system. Today, resume layouts may resemble the traditional "snail mail" styles, but they must be converted to a few different formats. One format should be created for email attachments, one for uploading a resume to a job board, and another to be printed on high quality paper just as the traditional resumes were. Several copies of the printed resumes should be placed in a portfolio for interviews.

The master resume used for email attachments must be created with popular business software such as Microsoft Word to ensure attachments can be easily opened by recipients. Pay attention to any format requests. Some companies request very specific formats, and they'll delete your resume if the format is off and they can't view it. Though many job seekers have a clear idea of the industry and career they’d like to focus on, it’s best to select at least three industries and prepare a resume version specifically for each.

Next, a copy of the master resumes should be converted to text. Some employers request resumes be emailed, some faxed, and others require job seekers to upload resumes to either their company site or to a job board they’re using to host the employment ads. The majority of the time, the upload function will not support formatting used in the various word processing programs. Creating a text version ahead of time will save the painstaking adjustments required to clean the resume up each time it is uploaded.

Customization is vital to obtaining jobs from online job postings. Thousands of job seekers may be viewing the same ads, so it’s important to tweak the cover letter by inserting a unique sentence or two in the opening paragraph that specifically ties to the job posting and the company advertising. Pull a few keywords for the employment ad as well. This is especially beneficial when uploading a resume to a job board, as a filtering program may automatically seek phrases and words included in your resume that fit the job description. The more skills associated with the keywords that are listed on a resume, the higher the resume jumps up on the list.

To be ultra efficient, select an email program that allows templates such as Microsoft Outlook. Paste the standard email verbiage in the body, attach a resume, and save as a template to the desktop. If an interesting job posting is spied, click the email template from the desktop, insert the address and any keywords or phrases that would be appropriate, then hit send. The email program never even has to be opened.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Hillary Flynn
By Hillary Flynn
Hillary Flynn's insatiable curiosity led her to join the WiseGeek team, where she contributes well-researched articles on various topics. In addition to her work with WiseGeek, Hillary manages an electronic publishing business that allows her to develop her skills in technical writing, graphic design, and business development. With a passion for satirical writing and traveling to historical places, Hillary brings a distinctive voice to her content.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Hillary Flynn
Hillary Flynn
Hillary Flynn's insatiable curiosity led her to join the WiseGeek team, where she contributes well-researched articles...
Learn more
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-should-i-know-about-online-job-listings.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.