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Job sites are usually free for people who are looking for jobs to use, but employers typically have to pay to post job openings on job search sites, and to have access to the resume bank. The paying employers want to limit their search time, and the job sites try to assist them by utilizing efficient screening tools. The questionnaires that you have to answer on these sites are a big part of this screening tool. By answering these specific questions, you are aiding employers to quickly screen your profile either in or out.
When you are filling out a questionnaire or profile, you should be thinking about two things:
1. Who is going to be reading my answers, and for what intention?
2. What are these questions really asking me?
The Monster resume builder is a perfect example of a screening tool used to aid the employer. To start a My Monster account, it is required to fill in the fields for name, address, career level, and degree. Although the initial required information is similar to other types of job sites, Monster allows you to maintain five different resumes/profiles. This is a helpful feature for people with skills in more than one professional area. When job sites allow you to have multiple resumes/profiles, you should take full advantage of it. Make some of your profiles very broad and others very specific to increase your visibility to potential employers.
The Monster resume builder is a good example, because it is fairly conventional in the way that it breaks the profile and resume into thirteen distinct areas, including Career Objective, Target Job, Target Location, Salary, Work Status, Skills, Personal References, and Education. Most job sites will ask you to address the same or similar subject matter in registering and creating online profiles.
On Monster, one of the first screens you will be asked to complete includes "Title" and "Career Objective". Monster offers examples to assist you in answering these questions. Using the advised answers is not in your best interest. Never lose track of the fact that employers pay Monster to save them time in recruiting by screening you out. Monster asks you to list a job title and to describe the type of position you are looking for under "Career Objective". If you want to be screened in and increase your visibility with potential employers, you need to think beyond the question. Every field that is filled out on the job site is a keyword opportunity. Rather than completing the "Title" field as "Computer Programmer," the space can be used to list relevant job skills like languages that you speak, software, and systems that you know.
The "Objective" field is capable of holding up to 2,000 characters - that is roughly half a resume worth of usable space for adding those valuable keywords. Again, following the examples provided by Monster would not be in your benefit. The site's examples list a two- or three-sentence objective statement. A better use of the "Objective" space would be listing your professional profile, accomplishments, language, software, systems expertise, and any other relevant information from your resume. While answering the questions, you are essentially rebuilding your resume, so it is essential that you use an abundance of keywords and highlight your past professional success stories.
You are not always limited to a single answer, even in the case of check boxes. You should always test the site to see if it is possible to select more than one answer. Don't ever assume your answers are limited to only one, even when the directions on the screen indicate that you are.
We all dread the salary requirements on an application or profile. Although the salary field is sandwiched between two "required" fields on most job sites, the salary field is not required. This means that you can, and should leave it blank. In circumstances where you are not able to leave the salary field blank, it is best to use a range, not a single figure.
On many job sites, you are asked to describe your ideal job and given a space that can hold up to 500 characters. Rather than answering the question, you should use this space to add more keywords to your profile. Keep in mind the screener is searching and retrieving candidates from a list of keywords that have been put into the system. The more keywords that appear in your profile, the further up on the list of matching resumes yours will be placed, and the more likely it is that your resume will actually get to a place where an actual person will see it. You should write in this space, "Job with opportunity to use..." then follow this statement with a lengthy list of pertinent keywords.
When answering questions relating to relocation, don't make a snap decision. Only answer this question if you have to; and if you do, choose the broadest option possible. Even if you are able to list several preferred location, don't. It is much wiser to keep your answers broad. A company or recruiter that is only interested in local candidates will utilize the address provided on your resume as a search parameter.
Even if you and your family are very happy in the city where you live, it is most wise to select "No preference" to questions related to your willingness to relocate. The situation that you are so happy about now may change in the future. Also since you should now have your Career Management/ Job Search database up and running, you should be able to store all of these opportunities for future consideration. Besides, any jobs that you interview for but reject, will serve as practice at honing your interview skills.
It is important to always read the small print on job sites, when completing online profiles and questionnaires, since the directions about the fields that are and are not required can be contradictory.
An additional common section on questionnaires pertains to work experience. It is likely that you will be given the opportunity to list all of your past jobs in chronological order. Your goal here is to build your online resume, not write a chronological narrative of your work history.
You should always utilize the work experience fields of questionnaires to put in descriptive stories about what you have done. Sometimes, you have to list responsibilities. For this, you should list your responsibilities and relationships with supervisors, then add achievements and keywords that are applicable to the context.
Also, recruiters and employers frequently look for candidates who are currently working for or have worked for specific companies or industry competitors. To make the most of their desire to hire a candidate with knowledge of the industry, make sure to take the time to list partners, customers, and companies that you have done business with. If you removed the specific information relating to your current employer from your resume, you can add that information to this list. It is most likely for you to come across online questionnaires and profiles in the following situations:
* Registering with a recruiting firm
* Posting your resume on a job board
* Applying for a job at a company
* Registering on a job site
In each situation, it is necessary to consider who is asking you the questions, and what they are looking to find out by asking the questions. Every audience is either trying to screen you in or screen you out, so carefully think about your response. You should always read the site instructions, and avoid answering questions relating to salary and relocation if possible, and add as many keyword to your profile as you are able.
These online profiles and questionnaires can affect your job search the same way your resume will. You need to treat this process with respect, and not rush through it. Make sure to spell-check and proof-read anything new that you are writing, and only post on websites that allow you to update and change your information at any time.
James Crocker is the Owner and CEO of Casual Robot Media. He
writes informative articles to aid job seekers with tips for job
searching, cover letter writing tips, resume writing tips, tips on
professional networking, tips for interviewing, and tips for getting
promotions on his website http://www.besttips2012.co.cc/p/fresh-jobs.html#
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