The world of job hunting has changed.

[icarus]

The world of job hunting has changed.

It used to be I'd open the newspaper on Sunday (mid-week for the local papers) and start circling ads. Then get on the phone.

A quick trip to Kinko's to Xerox my res on 20# bond paper (it had to be quality paper to be professional). Strathmore Laid was nice.

Then the typing of cover letters. Mailing out resumes.

Waiting for a phone call. Or email. Later there were emails.

Doing follow-up calls. Getting a letter, sorry, the position is filled we'll keep your resume on file. Being called in for an interview. Temping in the meantime.

Now...

I'm online, scoping out job postings. Clicking on websites to learn about the company to customize my cover letters. Oh, huh. Raytheon is a military contractor. No thanks.

Rewriting my resume on the fly to suit the job. Oh, gee, they do property management, I temped for a property management firm for a year, better put that in. Tacking the res on as an attachment to an email, or uploading it to a website.

The black hole of waiting for a response. No phone numbers or human contact.

I'm thinking stopping by in person is a better way to go.

Comments

[james]

Last year when zortwife was job hunting she did about 95% of her job hunt online. The only people to even give her a call for an interview is the one place she went by in person.

[icarus]

Yeah. Part of why I got my tutoring job is because the woman in the Rockville office got me mixed up with someone who had stopped by in person. I think, if you can get in, seeing people live is still best.

[wyomingnot]

Stopping by in person is a good plan, but do make sure to have your resume out there. The job I've got now? They found me through Monster.

[icarus]

Through Monster? I figured those places would be too huge to find anyone.

[wyomingnot]

One would think, and yet here I am. I never applied for this job, it came to me. So. It doesn't hurt to put your stuff out there because you never know.

:)

[amalthia]

At my company we're told to turn away anyone that comes in person. All job applicants are now only done over the internet. When I was a teenager we also went in person to grab an application fill it out and stick around for the interview. To be honest though that was for Six Flags Texas and I was only applying for a job manning the gaming booths.

The internet just feels so impersonal it's weird.

[icarus]

*raises your unicorn with a fairy, though that is one fine unicorn*

Yep. Most places don't let you in to job hunt. The smaller ones do.

[amalthia]

I just don't get why the companies started turning away applicants and forcing people to use the net?

[icarus]

Easier for them?

They just love reading resumes?

[amalthia]

probably easier to turn people away.

heading off to bed!
Waves