38. What recommendations are given in the job search plan?

Before you begin your job search campaign you must have a Personal Marketing Strategy. A personal marketing strategy provides you with a game plan for your job search campaign.

You should look at the job search as a marketing campaign, with you, the job seeker, as the product. Every product, even the best ones, won't succeed without a strong marketing strategy. This begins with a comprehensive, yet flexible plan. First you must know to whom you are marketing. You must identify the types of employers who would be looking for an employee with your qualifications. Are they all within a certain industry? Are there many industries that hire employees with your background?

Locating Job Leads

Next, you must decide what sources you will use to locate potential employers. Everyone you speak to will have a different opinion on this. Some people feel that classified ads are a waste of time and thatnetworking is the only way to go. Others believe that executive recruiters will get them the job they want. To use an old cliche, you should leave no stone unturned. Use all methods of tracking down potential employers.

Contacting Prospective Employers

You will then need to decide how you will contact your job leads. Generally a resume, accompanied by a cover letter, is the way to go, especially if you are responding to an ad. If you are working with an executive recruiter, he or she will set up the meeting between you and the employer. If you find out about a job lead through a friend or other contact, you must decide whether to telephone the person who is hiring, or whether you should send a resume and cover letter, generally via email. Often your contact can advise you. Remember, if you want to use email, send a introductory message first and ask if it is okay to send your resume as an attachment. Most people won't open an unexpected attachment.

Getting Organized

A very important aspect of the job search is organization. If you don't keep yourself organized you will misplace important names and telephone numbers. When you later need this information to follow up on resumes and interviews you will have to spend your valuable time searching for it. The Minnesota Department of Economic Security has placed on it's Web site an array of worksheets to help you keep your job search organized.

Once you've established a strategy for your job search campaign, you can begin to move forward. Your next step is to put together a great resume, and to start preparing for your job interviews.

41. Do you prefer shopping in a store or on a website? Give your reasons.

Advantages of the Internet

The Internet provides various opportunities. Some of the things that you can do via the Internet are:

* E-mail: E-mail is an online correspondence system. With e-mail you can send and receive instant electronic messages, which works like writing letters. Your messages are delivered instantly to people anywhere in the world, unlike traditional mail that takes a lot of time.

* Access Information: The Internet is a virtual treasure source of information. Any kind of information on any topic under the sun is available on the Internet. The ‘search engines’ on the Internet can help you to find data on any subject that you need.

*Shopping: Along with getting information on the Internet, you can also shop online. There are many online stores and sites that can be used to look for products as well as buy them using your credit card. You do not need to leave your house and can do all your shopping from the convenience of your home.

*Online Chat and Social Networking: There are many ‘chat rooms’ on the web that can be accessed to meet new people, make new friends, as well as to stay in touch with old friends. You can also share news, photos and videos on social network sites (SNS), where your friends are able to see them in the timeline.

*Downloading software, music and video: This is one of the most happening and fun things to do via the Internet. You can download games, music, videos, movies, and loads of other entertainment software from the Internet, most of which are free.

Disadvantages of the Internet

There are certain cons and dangers relating to the use of Internet that can be summarized as:

* Personal Information: If you use the Internet, your personal information such as your name, address, etc. can be accessed by other people. If you use a credit card to shop online, then your credit card information can also be ‘stolen’.

* Violence and obscenity: This is a very serious issue concerning the Internet, especially when it comes to young children. There are thousands of obscene sites on the Internet that can be easily found and your browser built-in access limiters often fail to track them. Some promote violence, extreme nationalism and racism.

*Spamming: This refers to sending unsolicited e-mails usually containing ads. E-mail boxes even can get blocked being loaded by spam.

*Pop-up pages: whenever you click on the web address you are at risk of getting to some ugly site containing pornography or violence.