Freedom is Knowledge
Online Resumes
"Wallpapering is nice . . . just use the same pattern" - Webmaster
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Posting your resume to one online service can be advantageous if you know that a specific type of employer is searching that internet job site. On the humorous side, posting to a specific site may help you avoid companies with Dilbert-type HR Managers--avoiding an interview with Catbert. On the serious side, a resume posted on a specific site could bring you an interview with a cutting-edge software company...or have a recruiter knocking on your voice-mail.
If you are computer literate and your resume is in proper form, you can post resumes online yourself and usually for free. But be aware that posting services can be different in the way they handle uploading your resume information.
Recruiters:
You can place your resume online with sites that are sponsored by specific job-type recruiters. If a recruiter calls, find out if the recruiter is retained or hired on a contingency basis. Retained recruiters (executive recruiters) are paid by the employer even if you are recommended but not hired. Contingency recruiters are paid only if you are hired. The rule of the recruiter's wild west is simple: "Don't call us. We'll call you." This sounds rude but they are so overrun with resumes, they really don't have time to talk. A recruiter will search you out if your skills match an available open position. Posting your resume online helps with this search.
Wallpapering:
Posting or publishing your resume to many online sites and databases is called wallpapering. Wallpapering has the advantage of placing your name in front of potentially thousands of prospective hiring managers and job-related recruiters who are searching the web to fill open positions--especially those positions that are technology related.
However, there are some caveats to be aware of when publishing your resume to many sites/database:
1. If you are a high-level senior executive, you may not want your resume running around the internet. Your resume will probably be targeted to a specific position that has been discovered through your own intense networking or by your focusing on a specific company culture you want to be a part of.
2. When you wallpaper, your resume cannot vary in format or content from site to site. It should be the exact same motif throughout the internet or you may look like you are grabbing a straw or worse--desperate for a job.
Security:
The information listed in a formal resume may not be the information you want to give out to the web for personal security reasons. Peter Weddle in his book titled, Electronic Resumes for the New Job Market, lists ten (10) ways to evaluate a Job Bank before posting your resume. We suggest you follow his guidance.
Search Engines:
You can research online job sites by using the search engines available with your internet providers. Search engines differ the way they search the web. There is a simple way to test to determine if a search engine fits your specific needs. Select a few words--such as AT&T Worldnet--and use them in each of the available search engines. Some engines will advise you if you want AT&T and Worldnet or AT&T or Worldnet, AT&T near Worldnet, etc. Select the option that best fits your search needs. When each search is completed, look at the first ten sites found (could be 10 out of 710 of 66,002). Compare these first 10 sites, their descriptions and any notations to see which ones provided you with the best and most accurate information. Try again using another combination. You can even use phrases but check the search engine help page first for its search rules.
To assist you with understanding search engines, click on a list of Search Engines below for a brief summary with their URL.