Employment Sites
There are sites with thousands of jobs and thousands of resumes, used by thousands of employers. Typically, job seekers use them for free, although add-on services (like resume writing and resume distribution) may be offered for a fee. For sites where you should find less competition, check out the sites listed for your state or country, or the categories of site in the left column (e.g., Academia, Computers, Law, etc.). Be sure to follow the guidelines in Protecting Your Privacy when posting your resume or profile at any Web site. The big sites have a spotty record in living up to the promises in their privacy policies. Be careful. Job-Hunt does NOT recommend resume distribution services! See Using Web Job Sites, and the other articles in the column on the left, for more information.

Classified Ads
Online classified ads are frequently the online version of the genuine off-line newspaper classified ads, and these can be great! They are more easily searched online (by keyword, etc.) than the print version. The only downside maybe the date range, frequently only the current day or current week plus the Sunday listings. However, that means that all of these ads are relatively "fresh." And, they usually include the kind of ads you wouldn't find on a typical Web job site.
 

Resumes If you haven't been getting any positive responses to your resume, then something may be wrong with it - something that you and your friends and family can't see to fix. In this highly competitive job market, it may be time to call in professional help. But, be careful: In addition to appropriate professional credentials and experience, the resume professionals must also have the "right" ethics. They must not mis-use your resume information by selling it or sharing it with others without your permission. Job-Hunt recommends these resources: Based on our research and experience, we selected these two Job-Hunt sponsors for the quality of their work and the quality of their ethics. They will protect your privacy - your confidential resume information will not be misused. Both Dr. Cannon and Susan Ireland are regular contributors to Job-Hunt's free twice-a-month newsletter, and you will find their articles on Job-Hunt as well as many other publications (online and off). Choose the "Pro" who is most appropriate for you and your situation.

Newsgroup Searches
The Newsgroups are a collection, by topic, of sequential discussions, in chronological order (usually) by "posting" date. There are thousands of newsgroups on thousands of subjects from job openings in New England (ne.jobs) to hobbies or diseases. Newsgroups are not "chats." Chats are "live" (you must participate in a Chat while it is happening, with whomever else is participating in the Chat at the same time). A newsgroup is not live. People add their comments to a newsgroup over time, as they find and read others' postings. In general, the best uses of newsgroups are to find posted job openings, identify job opportunities, and/or view discussions about a particular subject (like your industry or your profession). Be very cautious about posting your resume in a newsgroup, even a newsgroup specifically for that purpose. When it comes to posting your resume in a newsgroup, the common sense that you use every day applies to the Internet as well. Newsgroups are open to everyone, including your boss or a co-worker (if you are currently employed), to see and read. Should your resume be posted in a newsgroup, they may see it. If you feel that you MUST post your resume on a newsgroup, at a minimum protect your contact information (name, address, phone number, and your "real" e-mail address). Get one of the free e-mail accounts (e.g. Yahoo mail, Hotmail, etc.) and use THAT address as the contact information. Yes, you will, as a consequence, be somewhat more difficult to reach. But, only a VERY little more difficult to reach! Any minor delay or inconvenience will be offset by protecting your privacy. You must be sure to check that new e-mail account regularly to see what interest is generated by your resume! Marketing Yourself on a Newsgroup Search through newsgroup listings to find groups focused on your industry or profession. There may not be jobs posted, but you can identify contacts and companies (as potential employers) which may prove just as useful. Observe the postings to the newsgroups for a while (called "lurking") to see how people handle themselves and what is (and is NOT) acceptable. Then, as appropriate, add your relevant comments, demonstrating your expertise in the area, your professionalism, and your maturity. Recruiting Agencies --> Recruiters are people paid by employers to find appropriate candidates to fill the employer's job openings. No real news there. But, there are different kinds of recruiters. Basic Kinds of Recruiters: Those who are paid by the employer for their recruiting efforts regardless of the outcome. Those who are paid by the employer for each referred person who is hired. Retained Recruiter The first kind of recruiter is called a "retained" recruiter because they are paid a "retainer" for their recruiting efforts, independent of whether or not open positions are filled. Presumably, if no positions were ever filled, the retained recruiter would eventually be replaced by someone more effective. Retained recruiters include those who are actually employed in-house by the employer as well as those whose work is based on a contract with the employer. Contingency Recruiter The second kind of recruiter is called a "contingency" recruiter because their income is "contingent" on whether or not a person referred by them is hired. In other words, they are paid a commission for every job opening which they fill. Anyone who is referred to an employer by a contingency recruiter comes with an extra cost associated with hiring them - the cost is the contingency recruiter's commission, which can add as much as 20% to 30% of the starting annualized salary. This may affect hiring decisions or the starting salary if an employer is particularly price sensitive.