Fishing for jobs online

JOB HUNTING  CAREER MANAGEMENT  KELLY SERVICES  ONLINE JOB SEARCH

Singapore - While job hunting online is getting increasingly popular with both employers and jobseekers, the competition is also more intense.

"Online job applications in Singapore have certainly matured over the last few years with advancements in technology which make the process more efficient," says Dhirendra Shantilal, Asia Pacific senior vice president of Kelly Services.

Social media networking sites are quickly becoming platforms for online job searches and recruitment due to their growing popularity among the Generation Y group. Also, blogging and search engine marketing are now used more commonly by organisations and employers to search for talent. In the current recession, jobseekers are searching the Internet for work, in addition of going to job fairs.

However, Shantilal feels that with the Internet becoming more prominent in job hunting, recruiters or employers must be aware their online content can affect the perception of their employer brand. Employers should focus on building and protecting their reputation and credibility of their content, reports The Straits Times.

On the flip side, jobseekers will need to verify the legitimacy of a company before submitting a job application online. Shantilal believes they should also manage their personal information on social sites with care as it may have the potential to jeopardise their employability.

Recruitment consultancy Robert Walters does not feel that online job hunting is the best way to get a job. Employers who post vacancies online are not likely to get candidates who fit the opportunity, says Mark Melo, the firm's sales and marketing division consultant in Singapore.

As there are no tools to filter out irrelevant profiles and it can be tedious for HR teams to sift through the applications, Melo feels online job vacancies should be posted only at the junior level. "You are still going to get the volume but at middle to senior levels, candidates are much more sensitive to having their CVs floating around in cyberspace."

Melo suggests that jobseekers be selective and not send their CVs to "multiple companies and hope that one of them will pick it up". Instead, they should focus on the roles which are relevant to their experience and skills set.

In addition, he recommends tailoring CVs to highlight the areas which the company has emphasised as a critical part of the role. It is essential to ensure that the section stands out, as employers will most likely move over to the next candidate if they are unable to locate the information they are seeking.

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