There
is a method to controlling this madness, and it's not as hard as you
might
think. There are actually only two ways to find information online,
and
there's only one good way to approach your search:
•
Look for information by browsing or searching, or using a combination
of
the two.
•
Approach your search by moving from general to specific.
Sounds
simple, doesn't it? And it is simple! Maybe it's from general
sites and
sources
to more specific ones, or from general job banks to specific ones
targeted
to
your location, occupation, or industry, but always think about moving
from
general
to specific. And as you move along, everything you encounter will
let
you
browse through things or do a quick search. As the following sections
explain,
there are times when browsing is better than searching, and vice versa.
BROWSING
When
you are unsure of where to start or what to look for, browsing is
the way
to
go. It's also helpful in cases in which you've already started looking
online
but
aren't finding what you want. Maybe it's just a matter of "knowing
it when
you
see it." Browsing is like window shopping or scanning the shelves
at the
library
or bookstore: you have a basic idea of what you want, but you could
use
some
suggestions or pointers to move you in the right direction.
Browsing
is actually a general "search and scan" process. You use
very broad
terms
from your keyword list to search Internet libraries or directories
for
information
and resources on your choice occupations or industries, and then
you
scan the resulting list to see what came up. It's like searching the
catalog
in
your local library: you find a book that looks promising and go to
the
correct
shelf to pull it, but while there, you look around to see what else
might
catch
your eye. You don't rely on just the list of links to other sites
and
resources;
you're more interested in the categories of information produced so
you
can scan the shelves and see what you might find. In most cases, you
should
start finding information and resources almost immediately, along
with
suggestions
for more paths to explore. It's highly unlikely that you'll find job
leads
immediately, but you can find potential employers, links to industry
or
occupational
information, or pointers to online resource guides.
Another
advantage to browsing is the process of testing your keywords. While
browsing,
you are learning which words from your list point you in the right
direction,
maybe even giving you better keywords to use. You are also learning
which
words don't work as well but might have some promise in certain areas,
and
which are taking you in the wrong direction and should be removed
from
your list. In
any case, it is not a wasted activity.
SEARCHING
Searching comes
into play when you have your objectives identified, you've
worked your keyword
list and settled on the very best terms defining your
needs and objectives,
and you have your resume already prepared. Searching is
like running
into the grocery store for a jar of spaghetti sauce with mushrooms
which you know
is in aisle three near the front of the store on the bottom
shelf. You run
in, grab the sauce, go right to the express checkout with exact
change in hand,
and get out again before your favorite song on the radio has
finished playing.
Think "tactical search-and-retrieval."
When you are
finally ready to search, you are going to use very specific terms
that define your
skills, the types of jobs for which you are looking, and the
companies or
organizations for which you want to work. You've selected these
words because
in previous browse-and-scan sessions, they produced the best
results. This
does not mean the largest list of possibilities, but rather the most
specific and
best-matched one.
The advantages
of searching are speed and accuracy. You can cover more
ground online
because you can move faster and with more determination. You
can get in and
out of the major job lead banks in 10 minutes or less, you're able
to review loads
of information about an employer in preparation for an inter-
view in 20 minutes
or less, and you aren't wasting time scanning hundreds of
job leads. Your
searches produce a limited number of highly qualified leads and
highly qualified
employer lists with very little mismatched "job lead spam."
So, through browsing
and searching, you have already begun to move from
general data
to specific information. Now you can start expanding this
approach to the
online resources needed for your search.
