Niche and Local Job Boards

Hong Kong job seekers and recruiters are set to benefit from the launch of a host of industry-specific websites serving the region.

The sites, led by Jobs-In-Hong-Kong.com, are being launched by The Omni Job Board Network, Inc. in response to changing needs in the internet recruitment market. The Omni network was created by a team of former recruiters, web developers, human resources (HR) and marketing professionals, "who had become disillusioned by the high cost and inconsistent results they experienced with traditional job boards." Their research reveals that the vast majority of internet job seekers have little loyalty to major job board brands, instead relying primarily on search engines to deliver relevant and up-to-date job listings in their area, according to the website. Despite being newly launched to the industry, the sites feature highly in internet search engines, including Google, Yahoo! and MSN Live, giving employers and recruiters a high level of exposure to high quality candidates from around the world.

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100 Best Companies to Work For In 2009

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2009/full_list/

Check out one of my online discussion groups. You may be able to connect and network with a current employee or former employee from one of this companies.

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Optimize Your Resume with Keywords

Imagine if there was a way to encode your resume with magical words that would virtually ensure that recruiters and employers would be interested in interviewing you. There is a way. It's called Keyword. So, what are Keywords? Think of keywords as the jargon or "buzzwords" used in a profession or industry. It's how insiders describe themselves and others in their profession.

Keywords are the nouns and noun phrases used by recruiters searching through resume databases and Web job sites for resumes meeting the requirements on job descriptions.

You can optimize your resume by including many of these keywords in your resume. But here's the catch. There's a different set of keywords for every job, and you do not know which ones are used.

Think of the education and experience you have had and the job you want, and brainstorm the nouns and noun phrases that would be used in the description of the requirements of that job. Look through the job postings you find for the skills, experience, professional certifications or organizaitons, etc. That will tell you what keywords will be used. Pay attention to certain words will reappear consistently. Those are your "key" words. Some sites that host the job posting list keywords pertaining to the position. You should also get a copy of the job description for the job you want, and pick out the noun and noun phrases used. As appropriate add those words and phrases to your resume when you apply for that job. Older job seekers should list "computer" or "IT" skills on their resumes if they have these skills, because some employers may make an assumption that older applicants are not as tech savvy as their younger counterparts.

Although many keywords are industry specific certain phrases are important to almost all companies. They include "communication skills," "problem-solving," "team work," "leadership," "resource optimization," "image and reputation management", "trouble shooting", "problem solving".

As important as keywords are for getting noticed, littering your resume with buzzwords that don't accurately reflect your experience may work against you. Don't go overboard!

For a list of action verbs and keywords click here. Be sure to check out Monster's comprehensive list called "The Top Keywords Recruiters Use to Find You".

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How to Make Your Resume Discoverable on the Web

This article is about “why” and “how” you should publish your resume on the Web. You do not have to be a computer geek to do this. If you know of someone who is well versed in this area I would tap into that person’s expertise.

First, that’s talk about the “why”. Putting your professional history on the Web provides an opportunity to make your experience and background come to life. Recruiters and managers want to review the most candidate data in the shortest period of time. Recruiters and hiring managers are pressed for time to identify potential employees. Because the Internet becomes an indispendable recruiting tool more Recruiters are defecting to search engines and other Internet communities to actively recruit job seekers.

There are many ways to post your resume on the Web. “How” you post it is up to you. There are job boards with a resume data base. The majority of the sites I am familiar with do not charge a job seeker with a service fee. And some sites allow Recruiters to review resumes for free.

There are a number of no cost resources on the Internet that offer tools that can help you publish your resume online. I listed a few below.

• Google Docs is a free Web-based word processor. It allows users to create and edit documents online while collaborating in real-time with other users.
• ThinkFree is a free office suite package and the interface is designed to look, feel, and behave like Microsoft Office, eliminating the learning curve.
• I have not used it but I foundZoho Writer very interesting. It has a whole host of productivity and collaboration applications. I may play around with some of the applications.
• Scribd is a way to easily put your resume online and publish it.

Publish your resume on your website or blog.

But before posting your resume read my tips on resume writing:"Is Your Resume Recruiter Friendly??? ", " Resume and Cover Letter Blunders " and " Resume Formats and Overview ".

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