Why Online Marketing

Have you ever planned and hosted a dinner party? If so, and you’re not a master entertainer, party planner, or chef, it was probably a challenge. Depending on the complexity of your event, there were likely a lot of details to consider:

time and date
whom to invite
what to serve
how to set the table
where everyone will sit

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Individually, none of these tasks are impossible, but when you examine them as a group, they may seem overwhelming. The same is true about job hunting. If you are not a master resume writer, networker, interviewee, and online marketing expert, successfully landing a job may seem as difficult as hosting a Hollywood dinner party.

Take this analogy a step further: Would you want to host a big party without modern conveniences? For some, this includes sending E-vites and grocery shopping online; for others, it means being able to search for recipes and menus on the Internet, or using the latest in dishwasher and convection oven technology. Maybe you remember when planning simply involved thumbing through a pile of cookbooks, scraping food off plates, and spending hours up to your elbows in soapy water? Even if these are familiar rituals, modern conveniences allow you to meet your guests’ expectations more efficiently and with less work.

When it comes to your job hunt, there are tools and resources now available that no one dreamed of just two decades ago. Instead of waiting for the Sunday classified ads, the Internet offers constant access to job leads. Today, you no longer need to visit the library to conduct basic research about organizations-company data and information flood the Web. Networking no longer requires getting dressed to mingle in person with a bunch of strangers while balancing a drink and appetizer plate. Job seekers can take advantage of terrific networking opportunities from home, balancing nothing but a laptop on their knees.

However, along with all of these conveniences come new challenges. Just as easy access to amazing recipes and unique ingredients raises the bar for your dinner parties, today’s hiring managers have higher expectations of job seekers than in the past. This is not your parents’ job hunt, and you should understand how to use online tools to propel your plans forward. Once you tap into the power of social media, and understand how much easier it makes your job hunt, you will not know how you ever got by without it.

Source: Miriam Salpeter, “Social Networking for Career Success,” Learning Express, LLC, New York, 2011

Republished by Why Online Marketing