Posting a Resume On-Line: What, How and Where

Posting a resume on the Internet is an important part of any job search. However, doing it properly is even more important because just like submitting a resume by email, fax or snail mail, first impressions count. Here are some things to consider when posting a resume on-line.

What to post

Anyone posting an on-line resume needs to be as professional as they would if they were submitting it through another method. That means creating it first with proper formatting and no typos. The next step is to then copy and paste it to the website. However, the work doesn't stop there.

Most job sites offer the opportunity for job seekers to review the posting before going live. And even if they don't, they generally have an edit feature. So an important next step in the process is to look at the finished product to ensure it retains its proper formatting while communicating a professional image. If not, be sure to correct it before leaving the site.

Another step in resume posting is the headline or resume title. This feature allows the job seeker to sell their wares. That does not mean to beg for a job. Things like, "I'm the one you're looking for" or "Willing to do any job," won't advance a candidate's career chances.

Instead job seekers might want to consider highlighting their talents to make their skills easily identifiable. Wording such as "IT Expert with VB, JSP, HTML" says a lot more about the candidate's ability and makes it easier for recruiters to find the candidates they seek. Which is the idea, right?

How to post

In general, it's best for candidates to identify who they are, the city they live in (street address optional) and the best contact method (email or phone) when posting on-line. This provides a sense of confidence that the applicant is really an applicant. And by posting the city recruiters can specifically identify local job seekers, especially important to recruiters if they have no relocation budget.

However, there may be times (like if someone is looking for a new position while still employed) when posting anonymously is the smart move. Consider using some of the larger website's confidential tools like HotJobs's "hot block" and Monster's "privacy plus." These allow job seekers the opportunity to block up to 20 companies from viewing their resumes. However, keep in mind that a potential problem could be if the company a confidential job seeker works for is using an outside service that has not been blocked.

For job sites that don't have these special tools, candidates who seek anonymity should consider using the term 'confidential' in place of their name and current place of employment.

Where to post

Lots of candidates post their resume on the big sites like Monster, careerbuilder and HotJobs forgetting that there are a lot of great companies out there who don't have the budget for buying access to these resume databases.

That's why job seekers might also want to consider posting at freebie jobs sites such as those administered by their local employment development department (in California it's www.caljobs.ca.gov) as well as places like Jobvertise and craigslist. This gives even the smaller organizations a competitive edge and the job seeker a better chance of reaching great companies they might otherwise overlook.