The global economic situation will likely worsen in the next couple of months before it shows any improvement. This week’s federal budget will pump billions into job creation projects. Here is some advice on how to let technology help you find a job.
It wasn’t that long ago that want ads in the newspaper were the top public source of job listings. Now it’s online job sites that reflect job market activity. It is true that most jobs are never posted but rather filled by people who use their network of contacts to find out about jobs.
In the U.S., ComScore Inc., which tracks all online activity, reported a week ago that the fastest growing area of Internet activity is job sites.
The category has seen an overall rise of 51 per cent in the past year, and the heaviest use was in December as U.S. job cuts swelled. Careerbuilder.com is the top American site.
Workopolis.com has become the number one site in Canada with a huge database of jobs. It and the other big sites also provide advice on job hunting, resume writing etc.
Monster.ca is another big site. Jobs.gc.ca gives you a listing of federal government jobs. Jobserve.ca breaks out Ottawa jobs.
Right now, Techjobsottawa.com lists nearly 1,000 jobs in Ottawa’s tech sector. That’s the second highest number of jobs in a Canadian city, topped only by Toronto.
Kevin Phu, vice-president at JobArrow.com, which runs the TechJobs site says the number of paid jobs has declined 30 per cent in the past six months.
The hot jobs are software developers (web and desktop apps), database architects, systems administrators and project and product managers.
He says online sites can tell who is hiring and then combine that with networking and perhaps a recruiting agency.
If you manage to get a job interview, a survey last week from Robert Half Technology, which places IT workers, says it still matters what you wear and how you look. They surveyed nearly 300 CIOs who said:
• Over 40 per cent expect to see someone wear a skirt and blouse or jacket and pants.
• Nearly 30 per cent expect a suit.
• Over 20 per cent accept khaki pants and collared shirt.
• But only three per cent would accept jeans and a golf shirt.
Website of the week: www.pogo.com
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