Emerson College

Networking Online

The Internet is a rich resource for job seekers and is becoming more widely accessed for a variety of job search activities. Technology can assist in your job/career search by connecting you to global information that is readily available at your fingertips. Ease of access, coupled with a focused approach can make your search more productive. The Internet should be used in addition to other job search methods, not replacing the career center, hidden job market, networking, or the newspaper. The Career Services web page provides career planning advice, internships and career listings, web registration, recruiting information, and job search information. The Career Services Office offers additional resources and information to assist in your job search. Be sure to stop by and meet with a career advisor to discuss developing your career/job search plan.

Search engines provide information that is accessed by doing a key word search. Target your search by selecting categories such as major, career fields, industries, or geographic locations. Be aware, the information and the process can be overwhelming and time consuming, but can be made easier with a focused search.

Conducting an Electronic Job Search

Networking – The Internet is the world’s largest network. Getting to know people in organizations is one of the best ways to find out about open positions or future staffing trends. Use organizations’ web pages for easy access to financial and operational data as well as job openings and even organizational charts to help make contact with key people in the organization.

On-line job listings and resume databases – Based on your needs and Internet familiarity, there are a variety of career sites ranging in size, focus, support and specialty. Major sites can be categorized by job banks, resume databases, career information services and virtual career centers and fairs. Job banks provide access to databases of hundreds, even thousands of employment opportunities. Prior to conducting your search, know the type or title of position you are seeking. Since site maintenance varies, it is important to select sites that have frequently updated listings of positions in your field.

Resume databases post your resume and can provide wide exposure of your resume to a variety of employers. Remember... posting a resume to a site will not ensure success. Be proactive! Career information services are sites that offer advice on career issues ranging from career fields and occupational trends to resume writing and job hunting. Virtual career fairs and centers provide a combination of career services available at other sites. Once there, you can target your search by company, geographic location or industry.

Electronic mail and “netiquette”– More and more business communication is conducted through e-mail, including the employment process. Employers have commented that resumes, introductory letters, even thank-you letters are appropriate e-mail contacts, especially if the company has a web page. As a standard, follow the employer’s lead and communicate with the organization in the format the information was originally posted or requested. Remember “netiquette” in these contacts – keep the writing formal, to the point, and brief. Follow-up is important; there is a fine line between persistence and intrusion, so use discretion. E-mail your cover letter and resume as one document in plain text to ensure that your information will be received in a readable format.

Use industry specific key or “buzz” words. Check with the employer to determine the appropriate application process. As with any written correspondence, e-mails must be error free.

Newsgroups and Listservs – On-line groups of individuals with common interest areas are referred to as listservs. They can be a source of information about professions where you can discuss current issues in the career field, get advice/ opinions from colleagues, see job listings, and enhance your general knowledge of an occupational area. Listservs require that you subscribe to a mailing list or join via e-mail. Newsgroups, also referred to as discussion groups and special interest groups (SIGs), are devoted to a particular topic you log onto by selecting that topic group.

Resources and Tools for Career Networking on the Internet

Business, Social, Job Networking and Online Communities:

  • Company of Friends -- Fast Company magazine's global readers' network. More than 10,000 business people, thought leaders, and change agents have signed up in more than 100 urban areas around the world. Fast Company readers are self-organizing local discussion groups, mentoring and networking organizations, and creative problem-solving teams.
  • Delphi Forums --  With more than 10 million registered members and over a million new messages posted per week, Dephi is one of the leading networks of member-managed online communities. Delphi's services enable individuals to build, manage and grow their own online communities.
  • Ecademy.com -- Ecademy's aims "to build the world's largest trusted business network by connecting people to each other - enabling knowledge, contacts and opportunities to be shared for world wide wealth." Ecademy believes networking and a philosophy of "winning by sharing" are key to success. More than 20,000 members from 120 countries learn, network, and develop their careers together. Membership to Ecademy is free.
  • hi5 --  an online networking site for meeting new people, connecting with friends, and sharing ideas. Meet new people through mutual friends or interests. Personal profile required. No cost to job-seekers.
  • ItsNotWhatYouKnow --  a networking site that offers users the ability to create, build, and manage your personal network of both professional and personal contacts. Numerous tools for networking. Basic membership is free and upgrades are available for a nominal charge.
  • Jigsaw is an online business contact marketplace where marketers, recruiters, and sales people can buy, sell and trade business contact information. The Jigsaw marketplace offers members access to an online database of fresh and accurate corporate contact information and increases efficiency by shortening the time required to find valuable business contacts.
  • LinkedIn strives to makes your existing network connections more more powerful. LinkedIn lets you see the whole network of people you can reach through your trusted friends, and search for the contacts you need to get business done. If your 20 connections each connected with 20 more of their own, you would be able to make contact with more than 150,000 professionals. LinkedIn enables users to make deals, as well as find employees, industry experts, jobs, and contracts by making contact with the right professionals. Your friends introduce you to their friends, and they introduce you to the people you want to contact.
  • MediaBistro is dedicated to anyone who creates or works with content, or who is a non-creative professional working in a content/creative industry, including editors, writers, television producers, graphic designers, book publishers, people in production, and circulation departments - in industries including magazines, television, radio, newspapers, book publishing, online media, advertising, PR, and graphic design. The site's mission is to provide online and offline opportunities for meeting each other, sharing resources, becoming informed of job opportunities and interesting projects, improving career skills, and showcasing work.
  • Online Business Networks --  a great resource for learning more about building relationships online -- for job-hunting or freelancers searching for new clients. Includes detailed reviews of online networking resources, as well as other networking tools. No cost to job-seekers.
  • Networking for Professionals --  an online networking group designed for professionals from numerous occupations, where you can build your business, improve your client base, and/or advance your career. Privacy is controlled by the user. First month of membership is free; each month thereafter is fee-based.
  • Real Contacts --  a networking site for job-seekers, where you can stay in touch with your network, discover job openings, and more. Job openings are communicated through extended network. No cost to job-seekers.
  • Ryze --  members get a free networking-oriented home page and can send messages to other members. They can also join special networks related to their industry, interests or location. More than 200 organizations host Networks on Ryze to help their members interact with each other and grow their organizations. network and that the number of people they can reach has grown enormously. Will eventually be fee-based, but offers free 60-day trial and free tour.
  • Ziggs  offers a search platform for professionals for finding people in business online. By providing an index dedicated to up-to-date businesspeople profiles, Ziggs lets you search across more than 2.6 million public profiles from more than 66,000 companies, and find the accurate information on the people you seek. With Ziggs, you can create your own profile.

Employment-Issue Discussion Groups:

  • Monster.com -- offers a wide variety of interesting bulletin boards/chats that enable you to network on topics of interest to job-seekers.
  • WetFeet.com -- has a number of active discussion boards.

Usenet/Newsgroups:

  • Google Groups -- enables you to search for Usenet and other discussion groups in your career field by entering a keyword.
  • Yahoo Groups -- group discussions on every topic you can think of

School Alumni Networking Groups:

  • Alumni.net -- offers links to high schools and colleges located around the U.S. and the world.
  • Classmates -- really four databases -- high schools, colleges, military, and workplace. Claims to have more than 130,000 schools and more than 29 million users. Easily locate old friends, coworkers, and more.
  • High School Alumni, from Reunion.com -- includes more than 33,000 high schools throughout the United States. Alumni of any American high school can visit this site and register, update information, or search for an old classmate. This database can be used to locate a lost friend/acquaintance/business associate at a high school in any region of the country.

Employer Alumni Networking Groups:

  • Corporate Alumni Inc. -- designs, manages, and hosts communities composed of former employees of companies. The organization's mission is to make it easy to retain goodwill, renew friendships, and build on established relationships.