Why it May Be Time
to Make the Switch to Online
Applications
By Lynn Horne, RN, OCN
For those used to the traditional paper submission of résumés
and cover letters, you might find a recent study by research
firm Weddles rather enlightening.
Weddles specializes in recruiters and jobseekers on the
Internet as well as Web sites that provide employment-related
services. Recently, the organization has published data showing
that more than 25% of all jobs are now filled over the
Internet.
Derived from a survey of 17,000 individuals, the study
indicates a strong trend in online job applications. With more
targeted online search techniques, Weddles believes the
percentage could be even higher.
In addition to these findings, the survey also identified the
top five strategies employed by jobseekers to secure
employment:
1.
Searches across job boards, listings, and résumé archival
sites.
2.
Tips from friends (i.e. networking).
3.
Reading ads published in print or newspaper.
4.
Phone calls from headhunters.
5.
Referrals by existing employees of the new company (also
networking).
Only 3.5 of these are offline strategies, which account for
most of the jobs found, and three of these also involve some
form of networking.
Kelton Research, another firm recently conducted a study that
revealed jobseekers spend massive amounts of time online
searching for openings. Some spend in upward of 50 hours per
month without finding success. Especially in today’s economy,
job searching has turned into a full-time job in itself.
Thankfully, the healthcare industry is one of the few that is
still thriving.
Rather than wasting time on numerous job boards, Weddles
suggests applying to a few major boards as a supplement to
real-world avenues. Many recruiters support the use of online
networking to engage potential candidates (Weddles showed 45.7%
of those surveyed favored online networking sites with 39.1%
engaging candidates directly).
What does this mean for prospective healthcare jobseekers?
Expand your horizons. If you’ve never before considered online
job boards, open yourself up to one or two. If you’ve never
really used the Internet and are not comfortable finding these
boards, consider contacting recruiters or individuals you may
know who possess the technical knowledge to guide you through
one or two online boards.
Be aware that résumés and cover letters come in many forms and
some are more suited to online environments. A professional
résumé writer will know what specific formats are necessary
given your job search requirements. Definitely exercise caution
when posting a traditional résumé online as many organizations
utilize sophisticated systems that pare down candidates based
upon specialized criteria and formatting.
While it may be enticing to consider the Internet as a catchall
for job openings, neglecting the traditional methods of
application would be a mistake. As Weddles notes: “The Internet
is a very seductive place. It’s vast array of resources and
very engaging format can be hard to turn off. But turn it off,
you must. As capable as the virtual world is, it is not the one
and only answer to employment. It cannot be your one stop shop
for finding a job.”
By Lynn Horne, RN,
OCN 
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