Effective Job Searching

You're all set to begin your online job search. You go to your favorite online job site, CareerBank.com, and select all the criteria for your dream job. You want a full-time Controller position in Macon, Georgia that pays 45 thousand a year, requires a Bachelor's degree, 5 years of experience, and you want to work for an Internet company. You press the search button and

"No Jobs Found" pops up on your screen.

Your dream job doesn't exist, or does it? The job of your dreams may be out there; you just need to know how to find it.

Here are several things to keep in mind when doing a job search:

• Don't include too many search terms. Selecting every possible field often results in no jobs being returned. It is better to start off with a broader search. If too many jobs are returned, then add additional fields to narrow the results.

• Salary isn't a good search term to use. This is a favorite pick for most job seekers, but it is not always a good one. Many companies have a policy against posting salaries with job descriptions, so basing a search on salary is generally not a good idea.

• Choose good keywords. Avoid using common words as part of a keyword search. Searching for "Senior Manager" will return many jobs, but they may not be the ones you want because many jobs will use the word senior and manager somewhere in the description. Use words that are specific to the work you do and that are not part of common English, i.e. "Controller", "Receivables", "Auditor", etc.

• Choose surrounding areas. If you're looking for a job in Macon, Georgia, you might want to also search Atlanta. Not all jobs listed in a city are actually within the city. Many times the closest metropolitan area is selected for a position.