Job-Hunting in the 21st Century

As a recent New York Times article points out, job hunting isn’t really the same as it used to be. Here’s how:

• There are several very large job websites and each vacant position posted on the sites will receive hundreds (or sometimes thousands) of replies. A sensible job hunter will keep an eye on these sites and still apply for relevant jobs, but not have high expectations of getting a positive response.
• Internet job sites that collect resumes from job hunters change the way we should write our resume. Often, it won’t actually be read by human eyes, but their software will search for keywords that are relevant to the vacant position. That makes learning to use the right key words a vital skill.
• Some recruiters ignore all job advertising sites now and use social networking methods; for example, one Atlanta accounting firm direct emails relevant people from LinkedIn and either one of them or, more often, one of their acquaintances that they pass the information on to, becomes the successful candidate for the job.
• Despite all the new ways to look for a job, many recruitment experts say there is still one key method: getting out there and physically meeting people. Face-to-face contact is still the most reliable way for a recruiter to decide that you’re the person for the job.