Newsgroups and Discussion Forums

Talking to people you know, meet and are referred to is the best way to find the work that is not advertised. And that is 85% of the work out there! You can network electronically too, by meeting people in cyberspace via news groups and discussion forums.

The easiest way to find a discussion group is to visit Deja News which organizes internet discussions groups by topic. Yahoo Canada has a bulletin board directory too. In the sea5rch box type "bulletin and boards". Click on Search and you'll find plenty of information on wide-ranging topics. For a Canadian discussion forum that is very easy to find and use, try B.C.'s WorkInfoNet and click on Discussion Forums.

Email is used to participate in these discussion groups. But before you send a message, read what others are saying to get a feel for what's going on. When you feel comfortable in doing so, post your own message, remembering to be courteous and professional in what you say and how you say it.

Electronic Portfolios

If you have the right equipment, you can choose to create your career portfolio. With a scanner you can scan your documents right into your computer program. By carefully selecting relevant and recent examples, you can create mini-portfolios or portfolio-resume hybrids which you can copy on to disks to leave with selected employers. It's best to make the file "read-only" before leaving it with anyone though, so it cannot be altered.

For fields such as performing arts or education, you may wish to consider the option of providing prospective employers with a video demonstration of yourself in action. A potentially powerful job search tool, video demonstration requires a considerable amount of time to prepare and equipment may be costly and difficult to obtain.

On-line Resumes and Electronic Job Matching

Do you know that you can build a resume right on certain career sites? These sites may also provide you with an opportunity to display your resume or even send it directly to employers who post jobs on the site. Here are several sample sites to explore:

Though this sounds like it's the answer for your work search efforts, there are several points to consider before you actually post your resume on the web.

• Unless you are in a high-tech field, jobs posted on the internet are also often advertised in newspapers. In other words, this is not the 85% hidden job market you had hoped for. Jobs posted on the internet are still part of the 15% of advertised openings.
• Be careful about posting your personal contact information because it can be accessed by virtually anyone in the world. You would be wise to use only sites where personal information is kept confidential until approved by you for release to specific inquirers.

Emailing Resumes and Cover Letters

Remember when faxing your resume to employers was a brand new strategy? Now faxing has become almost a standard way to apply. Because the receiver's fax may not produce a clean, clear copy, it is still wise to follow up your fax with a crisp copy straight from your printer.

Today the new strategy is the emailed resume. There are several instances when you may want to email your resume.

• When an advertised opening lists an email address
• When a company you have targeted has a home page and an email address
• When you acquired someone's email address through networking
• When you are applying for work in a high-tech field

To email your resume and cover letter you need to determine which format to send it in.

• You can send your resume and cover letter as an attachment if you are sure your word processing program and the employer's are the same (e.g. you use Word 6.1 and they use Word 6.1). If you have a later version of a program than the recipient, you can convert yours to their format before sending it. To find out what the company is using, call the receptionist and ask.
• A safer way, but not as pretty, is to save your resume and cover letter in plain text (ASCII) format and attach this copy. In this format, you sacrifice all special fonts and style, but it is more likely to be able to be opened.
• A third way to send it is as part of the email message. You can type the whole thing out, or you can cut and paste your word-processed document right into the e-mail message.
• Yet another method of sending your email is to scan and save your printed resume and cover letter in PDF format, however the recipient can only view your e-mail in Acrobat Reader, which is now become a standard on desktop platforms. Documents formatted in PDF retain all the styling, fonts and images of the original, and replicates perfectly when printed out, but is not text searchable or editable by the recipient.

In all cases, follow up by calling the company to make sure your resume was received.

Electronic Resumes for Applicant Tracking Systems

There are times when your resume needs to be in a format that can be easily scanned into an electronic resume tracking system. Larger corporations (and smaller ones using third party resume handlers such as Resumix) are increasingly turning to this method of recruitment and selection because, once the system is installed, it saves them an incredible amount of time.

An electronic resume tracking system allows an operator to scan your resume for storage into a company's resume databank. In some cases, emailed resumes go directly into this bank. Your resume is retrieved when key words that describe the qualifications the company wants for a position match key words on your resume.

From your point of view, it is imperative that you do two things to ensure your resume is retrieved if you have the appropriate qualifications.

• Send your resume in plain ASCII text format.
• Use key words in noun form. The vocabulary used in the applicant tracking system is in noun form.

Tips For Plain Text Format

Some of these tips do not apply to all scanners and applicant tracking systems, but unless you know the specific requirements of an employer's system, play it safe and follow them.

• Use a sans serif (no cross-lines) font such as Universe or Helvetica
• Use preferably 11 - 14 point font and definitely nothing smaller than 10
• Avoid underlining text, scrunching text, italics, boxes, and shading
• Use only your name as the first line of the resume
• Use a laser printer and black print on white paper

Tips For Key Word Resumes

You can incorporate key word nouns in the body of your resume or write a key word summary. If you use a key word summary:

• Start with a summary that focuses on your job target.
• Use keyword nouns to describe your qualifications. Start with field of work.
• Place most important and most relevant information first.
• Use the body of the resume to support the keyword summary.
• Use industry jargon and abbreviations.
• State your qualifications in as many different ways as you can think of, varying terms in the summary and the body of the resume.

Video Resumes

A video resume is similar to a job interview. The job seeker introduces himself on camera, summarizes his background, sells his skills and thanks the employer for his time. As not all employers have the time or the technology to this approach, it is wise to consider it an option rather than your sole strategy.

CONCLUSION

If you're feeling a little overwhelmed right now, don't despair. You do not need to use all the tools and strategies mentioned here. Start with one and try it out. Then, as you get more confident with it, try another one.

In a self-managed career, it is important to be aware of the electronic tools and strategies available to you. They are being used by an increasing number of companies and work searchers like you. Using them yourself can give you an edge. Employers are always impressed by resourceful, innovative workers who demonstrate a commitment to life-long learning and development by staying current. Remember, in job search - the product is you!