So you've finally finished your resume. You've listened to everyone's advice, spent countless hours polishing it and selecting the lucky companies who might receive a copy. You place the beautifully written pages in an envelope -- qualifications that should entice virtually any employer, along with that concise yet impressive cover letter, ready for the eager eyes of any top business executive.
But wait, is there a better way? In the age of fast-paced technology and a job market ruled by the Internet, on-line resumes and applications have become increasingly popular. At the click of a button potential applicants can make their resumes accessible to thousands of companies.
You've heard it your entire life: A college degree will open countless doors. But to a graduating fourth year, it is sometimes difficult to know just which of these doors to knock on, and even more importantly, just how to go about opening it.
Going digital
Even if sending a resume electronically isn't necessarily "better," it certainly is easier.
"You just need an e-mail account and a resume," said Jennifer Hoffman, the recruitment director for University Career Services. "It takes approximately 30 seconds to get hooked up with the system."
In Hoffman's pursuit to demystify these sometimes intimidating resume Web sites, Hoffman says that sites such as www.monster.com are virtually self-explanatory because they clearly outline all directions and frequently asked questions.
But monster.com is just one of many sites to provide on-line resume services. Other servers abound and include jobTRAK, careerpath.com, jobsonline.com, headhunter.com and hotjobs.com.
"Each of these sites lists a variety of fields: finance, health sciences, consulting, working abroad and almost anything that you can imagine," said Hoffman, a young woman with dark hair and eyes who seems not so far past the process of a job search herself.
This may be because many companies such as IBM stick to their own personal Web sites or programs developed through universities such as jobTRAK.
"We usually don't actively scan for resumes on sites like monster.com because we get so many through jobTRAK and IBM.com," said Traci Reston, a recruiting executive at IBM.
Hoffman said while monster.com is a great method to pursue, it is better to go through the on-Grounds interview system with monsterTRAK, the University's own version of jobTRAK. MonsterTRAK is a program that allows students to go through their university, which then sends a list of registered names to companies.
"If you post on monster.com, your application must be sifted through by employers to see that you are a college graduate," Hoffman said. "By going through the University, companies have already determined that this is their specific pool."
But some students say this service is limited to specific fields. Elizabeth Skane, a former University student who graduated last May, said on-line resumes were not tailored to her interests.
"I started to do all of the jobTRAK stuff last year, but I am an environmental science major and I kind of felt like career services was more geared toward corporate stuff," Skane said.
Hoffman admits that electronic resumes may be more geared toward some sectors than others.
"Something exciting that didn't exist before is that by using monsterTRAK, students can choose from three different options," Hoffman said, her eyes lighting up. The resume now can be uploaded to employers who will come on grounds for interviewing. Or career services also can have access to resumes in order to match additional employers to students with applicable backgrounds. In addition, the resume can be made available to an entire employee network.
"There's almost no reason not to do that," Hoffman said. "Unless of course a student doesn't want someone to see their resume. I don't see why," she said, laughing, "but they might not."
The mass media approach
Still, some students feel that by posting a resume on-line, it might get lost in the shuffle.
Skane said she feels slightly skeptical of the process. She agrees that while posting a resume on-line accesses a large audience, it is not always the most effective.
"Monster.com is great because they have such a large volume, but I get the impression that it's not really going anywhere," Skane said. "I can't even tell you how many companies I've applied to on-line and just not heard back from."
She added that while it seemed productive to apply to several companies, it did not seem all that effective because of the sheer number of applications employers receive.
Hoffman understands Skane's frustration - she had a similar experience when she applied to L'Oreal.
"After having never heard back, I called the company only to find out that they had no way of knowing where in the pile my application was," Hoffman said.
Reston said this was previously a problem with IBM.com because all of the resumes were simply filed into a database. But now, she said, there is a new build-your-own resume program that allows students to apply to specific jobs. These resumes are uploaded directly to a staffing representative looking to fill a specific position.
"Still though, the resumes are kept on file for six months so it may be several months before a correct match is made with a student's application," Reston said.
Despite the internal bugs, on-line assessment of applications is still much more cost- and time-effective for companies.
"The reason why I like soft copy resumes is because it is easier to get them around internally to the correct people," Reston said. "It also saves on shipping costs and space as well."
Hoffman said that many companies cut time by using scanning software that evaluates and narrows a pool of applications several times before an employer even sees it. This is why University Career Services plays such a key role in familiarizing students with these types of policies.
"You want a content-rich resume, with electronic posting," Hoffman said. "It doesn't have to be beautiful, but neat and organized, and make sure to get those buzz words in the beginning because sometimes an employer only scans halfway through an application."
But some students still prefer to go at it alone.
"Everything I've done with a job search has been on my own," said Skane.
And on-line resumes are certainly not the only way to target a company.
"I would say that we get about equal numbers of hard copy verses soft copy resumes, maybe even a little heavier on soft copy, but many of our resumes still come from campus events," Reston said.
Hoffman agrees with Skane in that posting a resume on-line will likely not suffice on it's own.
"I don't think that a student should use just one type of means," Hoffman said. "Posting your resume is great, but applying directly to a company's Web site, networking and using alumni are also extremely important and often as effective"
Read More
Breaking my silence
By Cecy Juárez | YesterdayI, Cecy Juárez, am one of the three “squirrels of U.Va.” running the @thesquirrelsofuva page.
Lending a hand during the finals push
By Abby Snowdon | 3 days agoThe race to the end of the year has begun, and University groups have set up pit stops along the course to help students get to the finish line.
The spring fashion trend for you based on your college lifestyle
By Malone Morchower | 3 days agoIn 2024, decades of different styles have come back, culminating in a casual yet exciting fashion.
