New To The Web? Free Tutorials Will Get You Started
If you're new to the web and not sure how search engines work, click the link below. It will take you to a page of links for dozens of tutorials on how to use and select search engines. Remember to bookmark ProvenResumes.com Career Center before you leave.

Yahoo - How To Search The Web

Analyze and Organize Your Internet Job Search
If you're not an experienced web surfer, tackling a job search on the web can be overwhelming, frustrating, time consuming and downright intimidating. And, that doesn't even address how effective you'll be in using the web. With so many career related sites to choose from you really must find a way to narrow your focus. Otherwise, it's very easy to spend 30 minutes or more flipping through the pages of each website (and there are hundreds) and find you've wasted your time because the information isn't helpful or targeted to your field (visit www.ProvenResumes.com for more details).

Focus By Field, Geographic Region or Targeted Employers
Prioritize your internet job search by what is most important to you. Do you need to work in a specific field or industry? Do you need to work within a specific geographic region? Or, are there only specific employers you wish to pursue employment with? In combination with these needs, use the top three job search methods discussed in the Job Search Maze workshop and in the Electronic Resumes workshops to determine where you should start and what activities you should spend the most time pursuing. Keep track of what works and doesn't work. Then continually assess and move toward activities that generate the best response from employers.

6 Steps To Get You Started
For example, Ralph is a certified public accountant who wishes to remain in Seattle, Washington. He is willing to consider employment with any size employer but is only interested in accounting positions within the greater Seattle area. In addition to looking for "open positions" I would recommend Ralph also look for companies he is interested in even if they don't have current job openings. Here are some of the steps Ralph can take to start his job search:

1) Search Seattle's on-line newspaper classifieds, Washington State's Employment Security site, City of Seattle and municipal agency sites for accounting positions. (Our categories for Newspaper Help Wanted Ads, Mega Career Sites (America's Job Bank) and Federal Employment include links to these key areas.) These sites may provide immediate openings that Ralph is interested in and can generate fast results. But remember, Ralph will probably have a lot of competition for these openings because everyone else also knows about them.

2) Scour on-line job posting sites, associations, professional journals, contract or full time employment agencies and other career sites that specialize in accounting positions and post openings for the Seattle area. Ralph will find dozens of sites where he can post his resume and potentially reach hundreds of employers. (Our Specific Industry Job Openings, Sites and Special Interest category for accounting should help Ralph with this step).

3) As Ralph moves through steps 1 and 2, he should compile a list of Seattle companies he may be interested in - whether they have current openings or not. (Our Mega Career Sites and Employer Research categories will provide links to help Ralph research employer sites) Ralph should perform a variety of searches for key phrases such as Washington Employment, Washington Employers, Washington Employment Agencies and Online Newspapers.

4) Ralph will increase his success rate in all 3 steps above by researching each employer, getting past "gate keepers" and talking with key decision makers before simply sending off his resume electronically or in the mail.