Technology Tools for Job Seekers - Part 1

Technology has changed the landscape of job search forever. It has enabled employers and recruiters to harvest what they consider to be best-pick candidates from custom searches of applicant databases and business, professional, and social media websites on the many-tentacled web. The big upside for them with technology is increased efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

You, as the job seeker, need to be similarly equipped to conduct a time-efficient, cost-effective job search. Whether you view technology as your friend or foe, it’s potential to speed your job-search activities can work to your benefit…but only if you use it.

To that end, I have listed (alphabetically and with no priority) 11 diverse technology tools and websites for career / job search to get you started. I will add 11 more in my next post (Part 2), and 11 after that in my final post (Part 3). You do not necessarily have to use all of these, but do review them and see what meshes well with your Job Search Action Plan to rev up your productivity and results.

1. Addictomatic.com – Create a custom search by topic for the latest news, blog posts, videos, and images; allows you to bookmark your personalized results dashboard for future reference.
   
2. Alltop.com – Search by topic for most recent top news on news sites and blogs; functions as “online magazine rack” for all the news all the time (24x7).
   
3. Beyond.com – Self-described as the “world’s largest network of niche career communities” covering employment in specific locations (such as cities) and industries (such as HR or insurance).
   
4. BlogPulse.com – Search the blogosphere (news, blogs, videos) for the latest buzz on topics; contains interesting analytics tools, stats, and BlogPulse Newswire.
   
5. CommonCraft.com – One of the best places to go for easy-to-understand explanations via videos of wikis, rss feeds, Twitter, social media, and Google web search.
   
6. Craigslist.org – Community-moderated website for local classified ads and forums for 570 cities in 50 countries worldwide; contains job boards and a blog.
   
7. Digsby.com – Application that alerts you to your new emails and social media contacts via a live newsfeed, and allows you to chat via a multi-protocol instant messaging client on AIM, MSN, Yahoo, Google Talk, ICQ, and Jabber.
   
8. Facebook.com - Largest online social media site with 175 million active users and 25 million active user groups. Great place for networking!
   
9. Google: More Products and Options – For every type of custom search tools, such as Web Search, Maps, Book Search, Archive Search, Video search, Blog Search, Finance (and business), and Images, as well as communication tools, such as Blogger and Gmail.
   
10. Idealist.org – Find non-profit jobs, volunteer opportunities, internships, organizations, events such as career fairs, programs and more.
    
11. Indeed.com – Job posting aggregator with jobs from major job boards, newspapers, associations, and company career pages; you can set up email alerts and RSS feeds.

What additional tools and sites would YOU add to the A through I alphabetical list?

Comments

[LarryD]

A relatively new kid on the block.

http://www.im-unemployed.com

I'm Unemployed is a place for the unemployed to gather, to learn, and to discuss their unemployment. Users can blog their layoff story, get valuable advice, and upload their resume for feedback.

[Executive Careers Blogger]

One thing to remember - individual networks are tools, not strategies. Just because you use your Facebook account solely for professional purposes, doesn't mean that is the only place you should rely on to get a job. One word of caution - if you do plan on using your account for your personal life and friends, I would suggest making an account only dedicated to your professional pursuits. This will keep your private and professional life separate.