News Report 1

Nicole Abbondanza

News Report #1
“Job Hunting in the Virtual Age”
Stephen T. Watson, The Buffalo News (BufalloNews.com)


8/19/2012
http://www.buffalonews.com/business/article1011820.ece

    For those looking for employment today, the internet is becoming the go-to place to do so. Companies use online applications as opposed to paper ones increasingly; mostly because of the number of applications they receive. Thanks to online applications and resume generators it is now easer for the unemployed to apply to multiple jobs in much less time than it would take them to drive from place to place and fill out applications by hand. There are those who argue that it online applications are difficult because of how generic the application process may be. Many companies provide a list of questions that take about 30 minutes to answer that determine whether one is right for the job. If one answers enough questions wrong, the application is simply denied. That is a lot of time spent entering employment history, wasted. Social networking sites are also used by companies seeking new employees. LinkedIn is an increasingly popular choice for job seekers and employers alike. Employers search sites like LinkedIn to find people to fill specific job roles. Other methods for employers to find qualified workers are personality tests, which they have applicants complete.
   
    In my opinion, the resources provided by the internet can be beneficial for efficiency for employers and convenience job hunters. It can also be a hinderance for job seekers, as the process can be rather impersonal. I myself have applied to many jobs online and, although it is convenient, I find that I can be easily overlooked. The applications with generic “what would you do” questions can be very confusing to some people, often because of the wording of the questions. If you happen to fail that section of the application, you are not allowed to apply again for at least six months sometimes. I myself have recently looked into sites such as LinkedIn, in the hopes of a potential employer interested in hiring me. There are many possibilities in employment that the internet provides, and I believe that overall, it can be very helpful.