The Web Can Be A Powerful Job Hunting Tool

The Internet is awash in resumes and want ads. Job seekers can post their resumes-- often at no charge-- to monumental databases such as CareerMosaic (www.careermosaic.com), or peruse the Sunday classified sections from The New York Times (www.nytimes.com) and hundreds of other newspapers.

So what's wrong with this picture or rather, what's incomplete about it?

Even in today's job market-- the hottest in years-- the best positions often don't appear in the want ads. And a canned resume on-line or off may not help you stand out from the crowd.

''Putting your resume out for the world to see is not the most strategic method. If I were looking for a career as opposed to a job, I might post an electronic resume but I wouldn't stop there,'' says Ben Hamson, senior recruiting manager for Qualcomm Inc., a San Diego-based telecommunications firm.

Qualcomm actively recruits on-line by listing openings on its Web site (www.qualcomm.com), sponsoring electronic job fairs and chat rooms, encouraging candidates to submit their resumes by e-mail, and posting some of theiropenings in specialized Internet discussion groups.

But the company doesn't just wait for the tide of resumes to come pouring in. Sometimes its recruiters go surfing particularly when they're looking for someone with a rare niche skill in engineering. Using one or more search engines such as Yahoo or Alta Vista, they type in a series of key words to find relevant Web sites. They follow up by e-mailing the authors of these sites.

''We don't care about bells and whistles on a home page,'' Hamson explains. ''We're looking for a particular skill set, usually to fill a specific position.''

But even if you're a recent graduate with general skills rather than a world expert in an exotic technology, having a Web site can be helpful. Qualcomm receives hundreds of resumes a week, and the company says it screens them carefully. A well-written resume presents a concise outline of your skills and goals. But if your resume is of interest and it includes your Web site address, Qualcomm recruiters can visit your home page to get a clearer picture of who you are and what you do.

Your personal site, however, can either ''screen you in or screen you out,'' Hamson says. His advice is to be truthful. Don't list a mountain of skills youdon't actually possess. Five minutes into an interview, your exaggerations will become painfully apparent and won't help your cause. If you're a recent graduate with little experience in the marketplace, use your home page to explain your school projects in some detail, and include samples of your work.

In addition to tidying up your own Web page, make it a point to visit other people's sites. Use the Web to research entire industries and potential employers, acquaint yourself with buzzwords and major concerns, structure a persuasive cover letter and prepare for an actual interview.

Job searching is not just a question of what you known but who you know. To tap into that hidden job market of unadvertised positions, you'll need to expand your social and professional networks.

Don't abandon traditional methods of networking, such as going to clubs and weddings and professional organizations and exchanging business cards, advises marketing Professor Randall Hansen of Stetson University, DeLand, Fla., who co-authored the book ''Dynamic Cover Letters'' with his wife Katharine. Do supplement these tried-and-true techniques by sending e-mail, participating in electronic forums or discussion groups, subscribing to on-line mailing lists and creating an attention-getting signature file.

If you like dogs, sign up for a list that's popular with dog lovers. If you're a patent attorney, find a forum that deals with intellectual property issues. Of course, there's always the risk that your unseen buddy isn't who or what you think. That knowledgeable attorney you chat with in cyberspace could turn out to be a precocious 12-year old. On the other hand, most job seekers find that electronic networking is kinder and gentler than cold calling.

Electronic networking paid off for Bob Schlesinger, a San Diego State University business professor and consultant, who was researching chaos theory. For several weeks, he logged onto a Usenet forum to discuss the implications of the theory for corporate management. Lurking in the wings was a Wall Street analyst who shot off an e-mail to Schlesinger, followed up with phone calls, and offered him a consulting task.

When Scott Tillitt went looking for a full-time job in marketing communications, he sought resume advice from on-line subscribers to a marketing discussion group. As an added fillip, he included a signature file in his posted messages and e-mail follow-ups. The sig file reminded viewers that Tillitt was looking for work and referred them to his detailed resume.

''After awhile, people in the group got to know me and were willing to help,'' says Tillitt, now an account executive at Bogen Public Relations inNew York City. One person who saw his sig file referred him to a job she'd heard about. After interviewing with the company, Tillitt concluded it wasn't a good fit, ''but I still keep in touch with the guy who interviewed me,'' he says.

Tillitt learned about the Bogen job by visiting the company's Web site.

Communications Professor Phil Agre from the University of California, has put together a ''Networking on the Network'' guide for graduate students, but the basic principles apply to most job seekers. For a free copy of the guide, visit his Web site at http://communication.ucsd.edu/ pagre/network.html.

''You need to take the electronic part of your life seriously,'' cautions Agre. Here are some of his suggestions:

Listen in on discussion groups to identify individuals you'd like to add to your career network. After you've lurked in an electronic discussion group for awhile and observed its customs and conventions, you might consider contributing something yourself. Since your message might be read by people all over the world, avoid any slang or jokes that might not travel well.

Once you've established a professional relationship with someone, use e-mail to keep in touch. Forward interesting messages, conference announcements, press releases or other materials to people in your network if you think they might be interested. Mention their work to other people.

Finally, says Agre, don't get so caught up in your electronic world that you forget about that other one: the world of human contact.

''Make sure you don't harbor the all-too-common fantasy that someday we will live our lives entirely through electronic channels,'' he says. ''It's not true.''

Resume for S. Tiersten