Job and Career Resources - Tips

Evaluating and Using Internet Job Sites

Check the About Us information.
Who is presenting and maintaining this site (government agency, business, librarian, recruiter etc.) and what are their credentials? What is the source and scope of the information presented?

Check currency and frequency of updating.
When was the last time that the site was updated? Are the job listings dated? How frequently are new jobs posted and how long do they remain on the list? Are articles dated? Are older articles kept in an archive?

Can you find a Contact Us link?
Can you contact the maintainers of the site if you have a question about the site? If you do contact them, do you receive a timely reply with the information requested?

Free or fee?
Is the information free? Do you have to register first? Why is registration required? If there is a charge that you agree to pay, do you get your money's worth? Is there a refund policy?

Look for and read privacy statements.
Always check privacy statements if you are entering personal information, registering for a free site, or posting a resume. What will happen to your information? Will it be kept confidential or given or sold to a third party?

Read the search tips.
Read search tips and instructions prior to use (as they often vary from site to site); this will help make your search more effective. When using keywords, try to broaden or narrow your search for better results (i.e. instead of searching for 'office assistant', try just the word 'assistant', which would find 'executive assistant' openings as well).

Keep track of useful sites.
Bookmark or keep a written list of sites you want to check regularly. Also keep a list of sites that were not useful.

Keep track of searches.
Keep a log of the dates you searched the site, posted your resume, sent an email, received a response, and so forth. You may need to reference that date in a follow-up communication.

Other sources of information.
Find other tips for evaluating and using Internet sites by talking to other job seekers, reading reviews in trade journals or subject-specific periodicals, and checking resources such as The Guide to Internet Job Searching and www.rileyguide.com (The Riley Guide) and www.jobhuntersbible.com (The JobHuntersBible).