web sites

There are lots of job hunting sites on the Web well worth mentioning.  Here is what I've learned of so far, and I'll give you updates as I learn more about their usefulness.  Some of these sites allow you to submit your resume to an automated "search agent" that goes out looking for matches and emails you with its findings!  So you can have these little robots out there hunting 24/7.  But don't expect miracles, and also be aware that the Internet will put you in Information Overload.  The challenge gets to be separating what's useful from the noise.  It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the Net will solve all your problems and magically generate your dream job.  Nope.  I've read advice to allocate an hour or two out of your day for the Net, then devote good solid time to traditional networking methods. Also please be aware that, as usual, in some cases, some shady characters are out there trying to rip you off!!! But most are honest, hardworking people who are out to be of help and perhaps even turn a profit in the process. The American Way, and more power to them!

That said, here are a few excellent sites well worth exploring...

Job Hunter's Bible
http://www.jobhuntersbible.com

If you only visit one job hunting site, or if you are wondering where to start, please start here! This is the web site for Richard Nelson Bolles' What Color is Your Parachute. It is a treasure trove of useful information, web links and encouragement. Please check this out!

Here is a link to the Job Hunter's Bible's recommended web sites.

Leadership Lights
http://www.leadershiplights.com

Leadership Lights, Inc. is a leadership coaching firm that inspires leaders through innovative and exciting spoken and written communications. Marsha Egan, President of Leadership Lights, is an inspirational keynoter, energetic seminar leader, and an empathetic and challenging personal, career and life coach. I recently had the pleasure of meeting Marsha through the National Speakers Association.

Marsha will inspire you to realize your life dreams... Contact Marsha to schedule your free half hour coaching session, or to schedule a program: marsha.egan@leadershiplights.com And check out her web site (above) -- it tells the story of Leadership Lights very well!

Laurence Light's eJobCoach.com
http://ejobcoach.com

A gentleman named Laurence Light offers expert coaching for job hunters and career changers. Larry is on the board of "Forty Plus of Philadelphia", and has a great web site that explains his approach. Check this out whether or not you are interested in retaining a coach... it is well worth reading carefully.

Here are some of the better known job hunting sites. Some like Monster are pretty generic, while others like JobCircle specialize in information technology and computer engineering jobs. JobCircle has an interesting feature - you can enter your ZIP code and it will sort jobs by keyword and distance from your home. It also has a rich database of company profiles, lots of events, online training packages for sale, and other goodies.

Here (thanks, Mike!) are several sites that specialize in technology-related jobs.  They offer good search capability:

Some advice I found recently warned to be sure to check around for free sites to use for posting your resume.  Some charge, some don't.  Also, you're probably likely to have better luck on sites that specialize in your field.

Another very helpful idea is the good, old fashioned classified ads in the newspaper,  but with a cyber-twist.  There's a web site for the Philadelphia Inquirer, and also a few other city news sources.  The cool thing about this is they provide a searchable classified section.  (At least they did the last time I checked).  My friend Bill warns that even if you do use the online, searchable classified section, you should still get the hard copy paper, particularly the Sunday paper.  The online ads do not include the large ones with graphics, run by large corporations.  So it's good to use both online and traditional sources.

For the Philadelphia area, the online classified ads (including jobs throughout the USA) can be found at:

This is a great site that asks you "where do you want to work?" and "what do you want to do?", then searches its database for jobs fitting your requirements.

Manchester Partners International

Another interesting site is  http://www.manchesterus.com  This is the web presence of Manchester Partners International, a "Human Capital Management Consulting" firm.  They offer coaching and excellent advice for job hunters.  Major corporations retain these folks to help displaced employees, and some even get a personal coach to help guide the process.  Manchester is retained by companies to help displaced employees -- their services would be far too costly for the average unemployed individual. However, their web site has some extremely helpful tips that will be valuable to most anybody who's out looking.