Narrow Your Results In Your Online Job Search

Most job seekers do their work on the Internet thanks to sites such as The NonProfit Times' jobs page. Whether or not this is a good thing can be debated, but one thing is for sure: It has completely changed the way people look for jobs.

While this method of looking for work can be convenient, this is only the case when it is used properly. Simply applying to every job that seems interesting will not bring the desired results. Instead, you must learn the nuances of the job site in question to ensure that you get the most out of your search. One of the best ways to do this is to narrow your search results.

When you log into an online career center, the first thing that will stand out is how many jobs there are. How are you supposed to find the job that is right for you when there are hundreds if not thousands of jobs to weed through? Thankfully, most job sites have an option that allows you to narrow your results by a variety of factors, including:

• State;
• Keywords;
• Experience level;
• Date job was posted
• Salary; and,
• Job category.

Using some, if not all, of these filters will ensure that you only see the jobs for which you are most interested and most qualified. Most importantly of all, it will save you valuable time that you would otherwise be wasting weeding through positions that are not relevant to you.

Which search filters do you find the most useful? Let us know in the comments section below.

6 Simplifying Job Search Tips

The job search can be a very overwhelming task if you allow it to be. There are so many tools at a job seeker's disposal that it can become very easy to lose focus.

It's easy to see how this can happen. I can speak from experience that the many things I had to accomplish in a given day made searching for a job an exhausting task. I later discovered that I was trying to accomplish too much in a given day. It got a lot easier when I discovered that, no, I didn't have to use as many job boards as I was using. If you are starting to sense that your job search activities have made your ultimate goal harder to achieve, it may be time to take a step back and simplify things. Here are six tips to help accomplish this:

• Organize: You need to lay out a plan before you even start looking for a job. Create a spreadsheet to keep track of the jobs for which you already applied, make a list of manageable goals you want to accomplish each week, etc.
• Join Social Networks: Social networking sites like LinkedIn can help ease your job search. Make sure to join them if you haven't already.
• Choose Your Job Boards: As I hinted at before, you don't have to use too many job boards to accomplish your goals. Make a list of three or four that you think are best suited for you.
• Use Job Search Engines: Having trouble finding job boards? Make use of job search engines like Indeed to guide you in the right direction.
• Connect With Employers: Follow nonprofits you are interested in on Facebook or Twitter. Interact with them often so they have a better idea of who you are when you decide to apply.
• Don't Forget About Networking: Set aside a day in the week to tap into your career network. If you don't have many contacts, try to make some through family friends or through sites like LinkedIn.

Job Board Tips

Online job boards are a job seeker's main destination for finding high quality positions.  While wanted ads in the local paper still have their place, most people find it much easier to browse for work on the Internet.  But ease of use can often lead to careless mistakes that will set you back in your job search.  In order to get the most out of job boards, you should follow these tips:

• Don't apply for jobs that are more than a couple of weeks old.  Employers can sometimes forget to take down jobs that have already been filled.  Besides, you have a better chance of hearing back about a job that has just recently been posted.
• Ignore nationwide listings.  It's hard enough to get a job when everyone in your city is scrambling for it.  Think about how hard it will be when the whole country wants it.
• Don't forget to post your resume to the board.  Sometimes job seekers wonder why this is necessary. After all, aren't you already attaching it to every job application you fill out?  Posting your resume allows employers who are members of the site to see your qualifications.  There's nothing wrong with having more exposure.
• Update your profile weekly.  More activity equals better results.  Even if you don't have any new information to add, you can update your resume with new job keywords that will attract employers.

NPT Jobs Recommends: 7/18/2011

Here are today's recommended job articles from across the vast reaches of the Internet:

• '6 Ways to Get Good With Google'-This article lists some good ways to use Google to help your job search.  Besides the obvious Google alerts, they list some pretty interesting ideas here.
• 'Google+ for Job Seekers'-Speaking of Google, here's a good article on how to use the search engine's social networking services, Google+, to find jobs.  I am not entirely familiar with Google+ yet, so I'm not too sure how it works.  But it can only be a good thing to have another social networking presence.
• '5 Ways to Maximize Your Use of Job Boards'-This one is for all the recruiters out there.  This article provides some good ways to get the most bang for your buck out of job boards.  If you think your work was done once you posted a job, think again.

Discussion: Effectively Using a Nonprofit Job Board

Using a nonprofit job board is not as simple as it seems. That seems like a strange thing to say. After all, how hard could it be? All you have to do is read the job description and apply to the job. Well yes, that portion of a job board is not too hard. The real complexities occur when trying to find the jobs that are relevant to you.

All nonprofit job boards have a feature that allows you to search the available jobs in their database. If you do a general search, you will end up seeing every position that is available. Needless to say, this won't help you too much. You will need to use the advanced search options if you want to get the most out of your searches. These options act as filters, allowing you to browse only the jobs that match the criteria you select. In general, these are the types of filters you can expect to see:

• Experience level
• Education level
• Location
• Category (i.e., type of job)
• Salary range

Some sites have more options, but these are the main ones you should be concerned with. Out of all of these, I would say that experience level and category are the most useful ones.  They are very important traits for your job search, so you will want to make sure they are part of the jobs you browse. You could argue that salary is also important, but I always found that pay was fairly consistent based on the level of job. For example, most entry level jobs are going to pay the same. You want to have your search be as narrow as possible, so it's best to use two of these filters at the most. You could probably get away with three, but you don't want to get too overwhelmed with results.

But that's just my advice, I'd be interested to hear what has worked best for you when it comes to using job boards.  Do you have methods that have worked well for you?  Or maybe you find that using different filter than the ones I suggested works better.  I'd love to hear from you, so post your comments below.

Create Your Own Nonprofit Internship

In these challenging times, it is especially hard for college students and recent graduates to find work in the nonprofit sector.  Even though the economy is recovering, the field is still very competitive to the point where it can be hard to make yourself stand out as a young professional trying to establish a nonprofit career.  I have talked in the past about the importance of looking for nonprofit internships as an alternative to a paid position.  A lot of times, you can find great internships or co-ops by searching through non-profit job boards, but sometimes these opportunities can be created by making a simple call.

It may not be a particularly comfortable experience, but you should seriously consider getting a list of popular nonprofit organizations in your area and just giving them a call to offer your services as an unpaid intern.  Even if these organizations might not have a position listed online, it doesn't mean they don't have use for some free labor.  The truth of the matter is that nonprofits (especially up-and-coming ones) are always in need of help.  This help may not always be glamorous, but it often will lead you to a nonprofit job if you do a good job and make a great impressio on your co-workers.  Even if you call up and find out the organization doesn't need any help, make it a point to give them your name and contact information, as you never know when the next opportunity will arise.  And I know I mention this a lot, but taking initiative is one of the most impressive things you can do.

Now, before you make the phone call, it's a good idea to create a little script of what you want to say (thogh try and memorize it before you call, so you don't sound stilted).  It should be no more than a 60 second blurb describing your interests and skills; just something to give the employer an idea of what you can do.  Also, make sure that you are directed to someone in Human Resources as they will know better than a secretary whether there are any internship opportunities available.  And remember, the most important thing is to sound confident.  It's a little nervewracking doing what really amounts to a cold-call, but confidence breeds success.  And with any luck, you will have landed yourself a chance at a nonprofit internship or co-op.