1. Online job search works better for people with technical skills, which also makes it easier to include multiple relevant skills.
2. Hiring managers don't look at people's resume most of time (well, almost the time). They just scan the resume pile for the keywords (action verb + skill).
Part 1: 15 Great Tips For Finding A Job On Craigslist
Most of these job searching tips are applicable for searching and applying for any job ad posted online. Make online job search a daily habit and you improve your chances of landing work.
1. Use the RSS feed (in the right hand side corner) of any job category to increase your chances of being in top 20-30 applicants to any job ads with 'Apply now' screaming on top, which usually get hundreds of applications, so your resume is part of a big slush pile.
You can set up multiple RSS feeds for multiple types of jobs and check them quickly in one place, in your RSS reader.
2. Be ready with customized resumes/cover letters for the main jobs you seek, so you will be able to reply quickly, before others.
3. Broaden your search by searching for keyword, than the usual category and sub-category browsing.
4. Filter search results using options in the sidebar: Check any or all of the boxes in the sidebar, including “is contract' “is part time' or 'is telecommuting' etc.
5. Read all jobs ads closely
Check the title closely - if it says 'Senior level' and you are just starting out, move along.
Make sure if the job ad for a 'telecommuting' job is full-time telecommuting or partly.
Some employers test candidates in the job ad itself to check if they read the job ad in full. You may have to mention a specific word, answer a question, or provide a sample of your work. (Or all three & more)
Check if the job ad doesn't talk about internships, which means you won't be paid, or very very little.
Read all job ads closely and follow the directions.
6. Check the posting date of the ad: Anything older than 14 days (2 weeks) is gone, probably.
7. If it is an online job, you can a remote job anywhere (making sure on the payment details)
You can choose for jobs in the big cities, where the most jobs are.
8. Always reply to a job ad via email (never through an online application form on another website).
9. Experts say you shouldn't apply to jobs where we don't meet at least 55-60% of the requirements.
10. Make sure you get the payment and payment terms correctly and completely.
If they want to quote your price for a job, read the full scope of the project before quoting a price / hourly rate or salary.
Use the salary negotiation technique #1: Don't quote your price. Email them that you would like to know more about the job before quoting a price.
12. Send a clear and concise email.
This is basically your cover letter - list the relevant skills as well as relevant work experience.
Write back in a tone similar to the tone of their ad - a formal email if their tone is formal, and so on.
13. Unless it says otherwise in job ad, attach your resume with your email.
14. Your success chances will improve with the numbers of job applications you send every day.
Start with five job applications.
15. The 'gigs' section may be useful for programmers/web developers
They are mostly one-time jobs (can become regular, depending on your work). But read the payment details closely, software gigs may sometimes be paid via equity only.
Part 2: Indeed.com job search tips
Indeed.com is an aggregator of almost all online postings - Jobs posted on employer sites, Jobs posted on job boards, Jobs posted on newspaper websites and other online classifieds (not Craigslist) - all searchable from one place - it is a search engine for jobs.
Indeed.com's useful features to help you with you job search
1. Indeed search: Search for jobs
Always refine your job search by adding your locality.
2. Indeed Job Trends (www.indeed.com/jobtrends): After Job search, this is the best feature on Indeed.com. It basically shows employer demand for different job positions. The Job Trends feature also helps you find relevant keywords for your resume/title - just search for your job on Indeed Job Trends section and from the resultant chart you will get an idea of the right keywords in demand.
Often, the case is, we are not sure what to title our position - for example, I compared two jobs, digital marketing and online marketing, and it surprised me to see that online marketing, although having come down a bit, is still more popular a term than digital marketing. Check it out here: http://www.indeed.com/jobtrends/digital%20marketing%2Conline%20marketing.html). You get the idea.
On the Job Trends page, you can also search for industry-wise employment information as well as the very important Job Market Competition (job application numbers for various jobs).
Also useful: www.indeed.com/jobtrends/industry
3. Indeed email alerts: Get latest job openings related to your search term in your email.
http://www.indeed.com/alert?l=&radius=25
4. Indeed RSS feeds: You can set up RSS feeds for your target jobs and discover them in one place in your RSS reader.
For example: RSS feed for 'sales' http://rss.indeed.com/rss?q=sales&_ga=1.77056789.1640920566.1460639848
Of course you can filter for any job by locality. That's the beauty of Indeed.com
5. Career path explorer: Look at career paths taken by Indeed.com members over the years, and who have searched similar jobs as you.
https://path.indeed.com/?from=tools&_ga=1.220212888.1640920566.1460639848
6. Indeed company pages: Get information on an employer. These pages are also further filtered by country etc.
www.indeed.com/hire/company-pages
7. Indeed Salary search: Helps you get an idea of average salary ranges in almost all jobs, which is helpful during salary negotiations.
www.indeed.com/salary
8. Indeed Resumes: Indeed resumes are a good idea to save time with your job search. You can apply to any of the aggregated jobs straight from Indeed itself.
www.indeed.com/resumes
The basics of keyword search/Online job search
Like any other search engine, enclose phrases within quotation marks. For example, if you just type online marketing manager, the search engine will look for any posting with online, or, marketing or manager in it. This will be a real long search. Instead, put in 'online marketing manager'.
This is applicable to almost any online search, on regular search engines such as Google.com or on Indeed.com.
On Indeed.com,
Identify your target employers: E.g. “The Cake Company”
Find a specific job title at a target employer: E.g. “online marketing manager” company: “The Cake Company”
Find jobs that require a specific skill set: E.g. 'online marketing'
Search specific job titles plus a skill set or industry; E.g. “online marketing manager” “food business”
Search specific job titles minus something you hate to do: E.g.“online marketing manager” -content development
Search specific job titles at specific companies, minus something you hate to do: E.g. “online marketing manager” -content development company: “Times Internet”
Use Indeed’s “Advanced Job Search” to drill down further: Filter jobs by estimated salary ranges, job type (full-time, part-time, contract, internship or temporary), etc.
Always refine your job search to get better job options.
Part 3: When Linkedin is Useless for Your Job Search
People who say they have found Linkedin useful in their job search (I have yet to talk to any of them) say Linkedin is useless when you post a minimal Profile and walk away.
Linkedin works only when you have a full profile (keyword-rich headline, good career summary, good pic and all the stuff from your resume) and you are willing to work at least 15 minutes (posting something useful and relevant at least once a week), making newer connections (500+ connections is the ideal target suggested by the Linkedin experts), and spending time in the Groups related to your industry, reading and responding to comments, only then will Linkedin work for you.
In other words, you have to work for Linkedin in order for Linkedin to work for you- when, one shiny morning, you come across a job opening mailed to you.
One hears Linkedin is mostly populated by recruiters and middle-rung people. If they only stopped all the spamming and contact-hijacking.
Thank you for reading.
This guide is from The Success Manual, which contains 200+ guides to succeeding in business, career and personal life. Get the pdf ebook for $12 only.