FEATURE TOPIC  - Peter G. Raeth
 

Job Sites 

During our previous discussion we looked over sources of information on the job-hunting process. A reader asked about my own experiences during the military-to-civilian transition. This was not an easy progression either professionally or personally. During that transition I attended a week-long transition seminar. A while afterwards, the hosts of that seminar asked for a couple of presentations on the result. Download the viewgraphs if you would like to see them. You will find these represent a (successfully implemented) contrarian viewpoint. Use your best judgment if you apply any of the ideas. (No, I will not be responsible for the results.) Talking about walking down untrod paths, you may want to have a look at Career Planning and Job Hunting. "This guide lists a variety of sources that will assist in identifying career interest, finding a job, writing a resume, interviewing, and other aspects of employment." 

After working through a boat load of recruitment sites, here is a list of those that offer quite a lot.
 

Traditional Job Hunting Sites Technical Job Search Engineering Jobs Engineering Jobs and Careers Automation Techies Recruiters on the Net UK Engineering Jobs USA and Canadian All-in-One Job Search Defense Jobs Technical Careers for Recent Graduates Computer Technology Online Career Fairs General Job Search and Information About Technical Jobs and Careers About Jobs and Careers USA Government Jobs

Consulting Opportunities Developers Employment Network Opportunities for Consultants Look for Consulting Assignments Small Business & Consultants Network Startup Zone - Starting a Technology Company Government Contracting

 
 
 
Food For Thought
 

Now that we have looked a a number of websites for job hunting, lets have a look at the summary of a report written by the market researchers at Wynnwith, a recruiting website based in England.  They caution against over-reliance on web-based job searches. Here are some of the conclusions they came to. Their summary is certainly worth your reading.

· Many hundreds of online recruitment companies are vying for a limited number of market leading positions as either generalist jobs portals or specialist industry-focused recruitment sites.

· The number of niche players recruiting for a specific industry sector could rise as a result of demands by employers seeking market knowledge and real understanding of their business.

· Consumer preference and limited tolerance of poor service, together with a more legislated business environment, will sound the death knell for all but the most professional of recruitment web sites.

· Job seekers currently using the Internet to find work can expect to be treated as a trading commodity, with the focus being on capturing their personal details and a CV, rather than feeling any real personal service.

· In the current climate, the onus is very much on the job seeker to establish the professional credentials and track record of the web sites they find on the Internet and make a judgment accordingly.

· Few web sites make a point of really promoting their codes of conduct to site visitors, choosing instead to bury this reassuring information in hidden away disclaimers and terms of operating – if it is there at all.
 

One irony I sometimes contemplate is that while the
Internet has made it possible (finally) for the job seeker
to engage with the information needed for a good job
search, it has also created an environment where "simple,
no fail" mass methods look so good that many job seekers
think "Hey! why should I work so hard to develop my own
job search?  It's all *just* cut and paste."

I believe the rewards of planning and implementing your own
job search (that is the Hidden Job Market) far outweigh
the effort required. Why take an easy to find
unsatisfactory job when you can find JUST the job you want
in a "job market of one." Plus, once you know how to do
this, you will have the only job security there is: the
ability to move on at will.