Take your job search online: not just for techies, cyberspace offers job leads in a range of professions - Alternative Job Resources: includes Internet addresses of some popular databases - B.E. Workbook, part 2

Black Enterprise, March, 1997 by Audrey Arthur

The internet provides access to thousands of jobs, from entry-level to CEO, around the world. And these positions are in a wide range of industries, not just the technology field.

Your best strategy is to use the Internet as another tool in your job search. With the Internet growing in popularity as a job resource, a large number of companies and newspapers have entered cyberspace, specializing in career search sites. Gerry Crispin, co-author of Career Xroads (MMC Group; $19.95), estimates that there are more than 60,000 career-related sites on the Web, and by the end of 1997, he says, there will be 250,000 sites with at least one job posting. But the Web is not the only job lead source, usenet groups also offer databases of job listings (For more information, see "The Scoop on Newsgroups," Techwatch, this issue). Most of these services are free.

Begin by using search engines like InfoSeek, Magellan or Alta Vista to find career-related Web sites (some search engines even provide reviews of sites). Use key words, such as "high-tech jobs" or "medical job," to fine-tune and accelerate your search. The point of the Internet is to make it easier than the newspaper classifieds says Sue Weiner, director of marketing for TMP Worldwide Interactive, which created the Monster Board, with a current listing of over 52,000 jobs.

According to the Society for Human Resource Management, a good career search site should:

* be user friendly;

* be updated regularly with new job leads;

* contain a large database of positions;

* sort job leads by geographical location; and

* allow the job seeker to update and change personal information within a specified time.

While lt's convenient to sit in the luxury of your home and scan the electronic want ads, not all employers will come to you. You might have to go to them. To do this, consider posting your resume online. Personnel managers and recruiters often scan resume databases for candidates by using a keyword search. job seekers should include a separate line of key words related to their occupation at the bottom of their resume. This will help ensure that the resume is seen by as many companies as possible, suggests Brett Warner, president of Atlanta-based JobBank USA, which archives 125,000 resumes.

But before taking that step, do your homework: read several Industry magazines and books to determine which sites are reputable. "If you're going to market your resume, you don't want it to fall into just anyone's hands," says Gary Wright, executive recruiter with the Dallas-based McClane Co., an executive search firm. Ask for references, a list of participating employers and how long the company has been in business. The company should also give a disclaimer that they will not sell your name and address."

Another issue you should weigh is the possibility that your current employer may see your resume on the Internet. Gerry Crispin recommends evaluating sites based on their level of confidentiality. A private database should seek permission from the candidate before releasing a resume to an employer.

"The Internet has experienced unbridled growth," adds Warner. "In the next few years, most companies will have a presence on the Internet, and those job candidates who haven't made the move to cyberspace may well be losing out on their next job."

Below are some popular databases:

Career Mosaic: http://www.careermosaic.com

CareerSite: http://www.careersite.com

CareerPath: http://www.careerpath.com

E-Span: http://www.espan.com

Job Bank USA:http://www.jobbankusa.com

The Monster Board:http://www.monster.com

The Riley Guide: http:///www.jobtrak.com/jobguide

Audrey Arthur