Unemployment in India has come down recently as the recession has eased. But it’s still historically high – around 9%. This means, that if you’re looking for a job, you’re facing terrific competition in almost all fields and occupations.
Better let the Internet help you out in your job search! It’s a great job-Searching Website, but you need to know what you’re doing. Following are a few insightful tips from the experts.
Start out by first developing your resume. Your resume will give you the keywords (e.g., skills and qualifications) you’ll need to use in searching the various career information databases of job openings. Also, you’ll probably want to post an online version of your resume to a couple of the many online resume services which employers can scan. Just don’t expect too much from online resume posting unless you’re in a tech field, and even then most calls will probably come from recruiters, not employers.
Make a list of likely companies that might hire you. Use a source like Hoovers.com to compile your list. Then contact likely hiring officials at those companies even if you don’t know if there’s a current opening in your field. This way you preempt the many people who will apply for jobs once they become publicized. You can also make a company list easily by going to the Yahoo directory (not the search engine, the directory) and drilling down to your specific industry or occupation. The best way to make initial contact is by letter unless you know someone that can arrange an interview or phone call for you. Never send email as initial contact.
Get involved in online networking. Today there are literally thousands of online discussion groups in virtually every occupation, field, topic, and interest you can imagine. People are very informal in these groups and with luck, you may find yourself in a one-to-one conversation with a vice president or personnel director. At any rate, try to post informative comments to the group, and try to strike up conversations, especially with people you think may turn into good contacts. To locate groups in your field or occupation, the best resource is Google Groups. (By the way, Web Search Guides is starting a group, too. See “Discussion Group” section below.) Caution: Be careful what you post on any group – your name/screen name/comments may be archived and searchable via Google Groups for years to come.
Some people also recommend using chat sites for job networking. I say baloney to this. I can’t imagine a serious businessperson spending their time on a chat site. Stick with professionally-oriented discussion groups.
As mentioned above, posting your resume online is not a totally bad idea, especially if you’re in a technical or another high-demand field. But you should be aware that there’s a privacy issue to consider. Your online resume should never include your name. What if your current boss happens to stumble on your resume? Not good at all. However, you probably can post your educational and experience qualifications on a site like Monster.com or CareerBuilder.com, where it will quietly reside among many thousands of others, without getting you into trouble. Much depends on the field you’re in and privacy concerns only you can evaluate for yourself.
Search the online job Posting on career information websites. Searchable databases of online job Postings are the primary service offered by most career information sites. You enter your keywords or search criteria (e.g., electrical engineer, Des Moines IA) then press “Submit” and view a list of openings. You can then zap an online resume or send an email to apply for selected openings. Pretty cool, even if, at this point, old hat. Note there are two main types of job search sites, namely the mega sites and the specialized sites. The best mega-sites are Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, and Job.com. You probably should start with one of these, then also search for one or more specialized sites in your field or industry. Examples of the latter are Editor and Publisher Online, Indian Society of Mechanical Engineers, and Academic Employment Network. But there are hundreds of specialized sites out there.
One of the best resources for finding specialized career information sites is uptojobs.com. This huge compilation of job sites (and career advice) was developed by Ascent BPO Services Pvt. Ltd. and she does not just let it sit there, she actively updates and expands it. It’s a great service for job Search and should help you a lot in your research.
Note that cities and states often maintain career information websites or website pages listing private industry positions. Check Google for geographically-specific sites. Also, check out the city’s or state’s official website.
Government jobs. Want to work for the Feds? Try India Jobs. If you prefer city or state government jobs, visit – https://www.sarkariresult.com/
International jobs. There are numerous career information sites that focus on international job opportunities. Some good resources in this area are JobPilot.com, PlanetRecruit.com, and JobShark.ca.