Career Connections

When asked about online resources used in their search, a job seeker’s most common response includes “Monster” and “Career Builder.” While these two prominent job banks market thousands of open positions and dozens of valuable career resources, there are plenty “niche” web sites that, when incorporated into a job search plan, increase exposure and opportunity for the savvy job seeker. Expand your options with the following Cool Tools.

Regional Resources: City and/or state focused banks direct job seekers to positions and career expos available in their target city. With little to no charge to employers “tagged” by these website hosts, the door of opportunity opens a little wider for job seekers. A solid example includes “The Texas Job Source,” www.texasjobsource.com, connecting job seekers with employers and recruiters in the Lone Star state.

“Twitter:” Time and money are valuable, the philosophy behind a good “Tweet.” Corporations and organizations are making smart use of this communication strategy, not only to engage, inform and market to the online community, but to connect with web wise job seekers. Go to www.twitjobsearch.com to run a “key word” search on anything from occupational title to desired location.

Corporate “Good Samaritan” sites: Though the company hosting this credential connection is gaining client credibility, they offer a free and very lucrative service to job seekers. In a nutshell, a marketing or service company provides their clients access to resumes of professionals in the industry who are displaced and in need of making valuable career connections. Check out “Market Match” hosted by Clark Communications in Grand Rapids Michigan. www.clarkcommunications.com.

Volunteer Sites: Speaking of good Samaritans, volunteering is one of the best ways to gain while giving. Whether you need a productive project between jobs, want to build a skill base, or seek to expand a professional network, volunteering is the ultimate way to demonstrate your capabilities for a cause. Visit, www.volunteermatch.org, to connect in your community.