Careerz  ~>  Get to Work  ~>  Next Article  (Threads for Less)

So you’re in the market for a new job… any prospects? When you’re job-hunting, you tend to get advice from everywhere ­ Mom tells you to mail your resume to different places, Dad tells you to drive around and fill out applications, and your big brother tells you he can get you a job at the auto body shop where he works. All of these are great ideas, but they may not be the right ideas for you. Have you thought about posting your resume online?

It sounds scary to some people, who may think that anyone in the world could look at your resume, find out where you live, your phone number, everything. But that’s definitely not the case. Most career sites have taken extreme measures to protect their users’ identities; some even have the option to mask your name and contact info to everyone until you ask for it to be sent.

What exactly should you know before posting? Mike Stahl, co-founder of GoFerretGo.com, a job service geared specifically toward teens, has a few pointers. "I just can’t stress enough that you have to go to the right places (or Websites) and apply for jobs that meet your skills," he says. "After that, it’s important to look professional in every way, and that starts with the resume."

Most career sites are free for applicants or those looking for work, then they make money from employers who want to find people to work for them. Before you visit any site, you should have your resume ready on both a disk and hard copy. Here’s a brief rundown of some of the more popular sites on the Net:

• Monster.com: You’ve probably seen Monster’s ads on TV, and this site is probably the most well-known of all the job sites. Be prepared to sit in front of the computer for a while with this bad boy ­ the app alone took us nearly an hour to fill out! But since it is well-known, that effort may be well worth it. They also have an area just for students.
• CareerBuilder: This site is pretty popular, too, but they don’t offer all of Monster’s features. One bonus is that the process takes way less time (about 20 minutes) since you get to copy and paste your resume instead of entering it in stages. The downside? No student section, so you have to sift through more job postings and hope there are some for the younger crowd.
• GrooveJob.com: This one may be a student’s best bet, especially if you’re in high school. Choose from over 40,000 part time jobs around the country, use our Resume Builder to build the perfect resume and check out our over 100 pages of resources to help you land the perfect job.

After deciding which site is right for you, it’s important to follow through with your resume and communications.

Since that little piece of paper is all an employer knows about you, be sure you’ve highlighted everything you’d want a boss to know. "Make sure you highlight any key activities you’ve done outside of school as well as in school, particularly ones that show leadership or a strong working environment with others," Mike says.

After posting your resume, check back daily, and respond to any employers who have expressed interest. Like Mike said, looking professional is everything, and that includes through e-mail. You have a spell-check, right? Use it! Don’t use chat slang (UR, LOL, smiley faces), and format your e-mail like a business letter. Never address a message to a prospective employer using their first name, no matter how cool they sound. When you get an interview, deck yourself in your best business threads (see "Dress to Impress").

Any successful job search has to start somewhere. Luckily, the 21^st century offers way more options for a student looking for a great gig than the 20^th may have, so get online and get surfing! Good luck!