3.0 Using the Internet for Work Search

There are many good reasons for you to learn to use the Internet as one of your most important work-finding tools. Here are some of them!

Focus on work, not jobs

The labour market is changing so quickly these days that it can be hard to know where to begin a work search. Employment in a job-for-life is being replaced by a range of work styles from having a traditional job, to contracting, to consulting, to owning your own business.

These days, career counsellors are encouraging people to think about finding work, not jobs. They're also advising them to develop new kinds of skills to market themselves. Using the Internet as a work search tool is one of these important new skills.

In this course, we talk more about work than jobs because we recognize that lots of people make their living without working full-time for one employer. Our language is changing to reflect the new realities of the world of work.

People are looking for work on the web

In Canada, job seekers have been using online job banks and recruiting services for years.

Online job postings can be for any type of sector (e.g. technology, marketing, finance and business). Both entry-level and professional positions are posted online, although more postings will be for jobs requiring higher skill levels. Most of the major job banks tend to serve larger urban areas. You won't be able to rely very much on the Internet if you want to find a job in a rural community.

Companies and organizations are recruiting on the web

Larger organizations are also starting to use the Internet to recruit new employees. Corporations and other large institutions like universities and colleges often post jobs on their websites and invite people to apply by e-mail. For example, Canadian Tire, Royal Roads University, Telus and many other large and small employers in British Columbia post jobs on their websites and invite applications through e-mail.

The Internet won’t replace traditional methods

Using the Net to find work will never replace traditional work search methods like "pounding the pavement" and making personal contacts. However, mastering the Internet as a work search tool will give you an edge in finding the type of work you want to do.