Tips from the Pros

by Jeff Taylor

Founder and Chairman, Monster^® (www.monster.com)

The concept of online job searching has changed greatly since the beginning, when job websites were simply bulletin boards. Today, the Internet is the gateway to a better job and a better life, as you can manage your entire career online. At Monster^®, we view ourselves as a comprehensive career management resource, serving job seekers from interns to CEOs. We offer much more than just a listing of jobs. By utilizing all the available resources, including expert advice on interviewing and building your resume, you can maximize the potential of your online job search and make yourself more marketable in the process.

To begin your online job search, you first need to post your resume. Once you do so, employers  can come and find you. The next step is to target your region and area of interest. You can search in specific regions within each state and according to job category. Once you find a job of interest, you can apply directly online with your newly-created resume. And Monster^® can also do additional work for you: Create a job search agent with the region and job category specified, and Monster^® will e-mail you opportunities that match your criteria.

There are millions of people on the Internet, so to be successful, you must be persistent and smart—follow up on an application, make sure to send thank-you letters, and confidently project yourself as an invaluable candidate who would be an asset to any company; the speed of the Internet is not a substitute for the manners that we have learned over the years about searching for jobs. Online resources can not only give you available opportunities, but they can also make you a more desirable candidate and help you obtain your dream job!

Jeff Taylor is the founder and chairman of Monster^® and the global director of Interactive, TMP Worldwide Inc., the parent company of Monster^®. He has an executive MBA/OPM from the Harvard Business School and an undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Through Jeff's guidance and leadership, Monster^® catapulted to the number one position in the online careers industry, currently serving over 16 million job seekers each month. Today, the Monster^® global network consists of local content and language sites in 22 countries.

© 2002. Used with permission of the author.