Know-How Exchange : Student Questions

like in most things in life "it depends"

personally i think it has helped, but there are situation where it can hinder the process

Yes, the Internet has helped AND hindered the recruiting process.

It has certainly made it easier for companies to broadcast their needs to a much larger talent pool. And it has made it easier for job seekers to find listed positions.

But it looks like most jobs are NOT filled through Internet ads/postings or newspaper ads. The Internet is a seductive way for job seekers to spend hours on the task of finding a job without really accomplishing much.

You might want to read Richard Nelson Bolles' book, "What Color Is Your Parachute?" or "The Potato Chip Difference : How to apply leading edge marketing strategies to landing the job you want" for some perspective on the issue of Internet job searches/recruiting.

Both books are available at Amazon.com, bn.com, or through most bookstores in the US. "The Potato Chip Difference" is also available at the website www.potatochipdifference.com .

The conclusion in both books is that the Internet hasn't done much to directly help either recruiters or job seekers, even though there is certainly a lot of job-related activity online. (Indirect assistance is another story ... researching, getting the word out, finding local networking opportunities, locating and evaluating resume preparation services, etc.)