The MicroTrain Blog

Looking for the right job opportunity? So where are good places to find them online?  Below is a list of online resources to help you in your job search.  Remember, a good job search is a safe job search.  If you don’t feel comfortable applying for a position online, please don’t!

Indeed.com

• Indeed.com is a search engine for jobs, allowing job seekers to find jobs posted on thousands of company career sites and job boards.

Simplyhired.com

• SimplyHired.com is a vertical job search engine that pulls listings from thousands of sites across the Web including the leading job boards, company career sites, newspapers, non-profits, government sites, and more. Simply Hired allows job seekers to search all of the jobs on the Web in one place for free.

NPO.net

• NPO.net is a full-featured job board that services only recognized nonprofits and certain government agencies (such as city offices and companies that provide the majority of their services to the nonprofit community) that desire to find staff with deep community service experience. 

USAjobs.gov

• USAJOBS is the official job site of the US Federal Government.  One-stop source for Federal jobs and employment information.

IllinoisSkillsMatch.com

• ISM maintains the fastest growing pool of thousands of available, qualified job seekers, plus an extensive variety of jobs at every skill level in hundreds of industries and occupations in Illinois.

Craigslist.com

• Website with local classifieds and forums - community moderated, and largely free.  More than 1 million new job listings each month. 

Dice.com

• The leading career website for technology and engineering professionals, and the companies that seek to employ them, in the United States.  Dice.com is designed for the specific needs of technology professionals, enabling them to perform highly targeted job searches based on specific criteria, including location, type of employment, skillset and keyword.

LinkedIn.com

• Your professional network of trusted contacts gives you an advantage in your career, and is one of your most valuable assets. LinkedIn exists to help you make better use of your professional network and help the people you trust in return. Our mission is to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.

Monster.com

• Monster.com is the premier global online employment solution for people seeking jobs and the employers who need great people.

Careerbuilder.com

• As the U.S.'s largest online job site, CareerBuilder.com puts over 1 million jobs in front of poised job seekers wherever they are - at home or at work - in print and on the Internet.

HigherEdJobs.com

• Today, HigherEdJobs.com is the leading source for jobs and career information in academia.

GCHERC.org

• The Greater Chicago Midwest HERC is a free search engine available to anyone seeking employment in higher education, research, healthcare (medical centers), and arts and culture.

Finding a job is a job! And like any job, some level of stress is included in the package.  Even if it is simply stress associated with typical job search tasks, the reality is being unemployed can be stressful.  And often financial or family pressures can intensify your stress level.  Successfully managing your job search stress is key to an effective job search.  Here are a few tips:

1.    Manage Your Expectations

Make sure you have realistic expectations regarding your job search including how long it may take to find employment, effective search strategies for today’s job market, etc.  In today’s market, it may take longer than you think to find the job you are looking for.  Don’t “marry yourself” to a job even if the interview went great!  Always continue to look until a solid job offer has been presented and accepted.  Starting with realistic expectations will help ensure you don’t push yourself to meet unreasonable goals. 

2.    Develop A Job Search Plan

An effective job search plan starts with your career goal (ideal job) and a well-structured resume.  Then, make sure your job plan includes the following:

• Job Search Schedule (40 hours per week)
• Job Search Log (keep records of the “where, when, how & who” of your job search)
• Target List (10 companies you would like to work for)
• Job Search Strategies (include online, networking, cold calling, LinkedIn, etc.)

3.    Evaluate Your Progress

Evaluate your job search log weekly and assess what job search strategies are working.  Increase the activity that is showing the most progress and identify the following:

• Number of contacts made
• Number of applications completed/resumes submitted
• Number of new contacts
• Number of follow up calls/emails completed
• Number of interviews

4.    Take Time Off

Make sure you take time to relax your mind and body.  It’s just like taking a lunch break or ending a shift at work, keep scheduled hours and take time for yourself.  If you don’t take care of you, you can’t successfully take care of the needs of your family or an employer.

Don’t be discouraged! Stay focused, organized and diligent.  The right opportunity is out there…