job hunting

If you're wondering what happened to your resume, wonder no more. CNN traced the steps a resume took to get from submission to the hands of a hiring manager at tech giant Siemens. The company's 80 recruiters receive more than 65,000 resumes every month. Here's the path your resume will probably take:

1. Submission: First the resume goes through career sites like Monster, CareerBuilder or directly through company websites and internal referrals. 44 people apply for a specific position within 12 days of the job posting, which appeared in late February.
2. Tech Sifter: Resumes are sifted through some sort of machine or technology that cuts down the work for the recruiters. The machines weed out resumes that don't match the requirements of the job.
3. Phone Screens: Recruiters found two people who seemed suitable the first 12 days and called them on the phone to check the resume information and to ask more about what experiences they have had on the job since they were looking for someone with eight years of experience. They tried to get a sense of salary expectations, and if the candidates are willing to travel or relocate.

To see where your resume will end up, read on.

Finding a job has always been tough, and the economic meltdown just made things harder. Don't let the job hunt bring you down — you need to keep on trying and push through the tough times to get where you want to be! Arm yourself with these job-hunting tips:

• Tap Into School Resources: Use the career services from your alma mater. For example, there should be plenty of job listings for alumni (not just entry-level ones), and go to networking events that your school organizes. If an interesting job listing opens up, ask a teacher or someone from the career office if they can direct you to a former student who works at the company. And remember, you can even check out career listings that other schools provide to their students. For example, because I was targeting a job in San Francisco, I asked a friend at Berkeley and another one from Stanford to give me access to view the jobs listed by their schools.
• Cast a More Narrow Net: Your immediate instinct would be to apply to as many jobs as you can. If you can afford to do so, I would advise you to apply to less. That way you can focus and spend more time tailoring your resume and cover letter for the position you want. You can also spend the time networking and trying to find someone who knows an employee at the firm you would like to work in.

For more juicy job-hunting secrets, read on.

With all the negative economy-related news out there, it's nice to hear a positive statistic. Turns out, online job demand rose to 4.4 million this month, aided by a gain of 113,700 job postings, according to data from The Conference Board. Employers are turning more toward the Internet to hire employees, so you need to be more tech-savvy and learn these tricks:

• Jazz Up Your LinkedIn Profile: LinkedIn is your new Rolodex and a great networking tool. Remember, your profile is pretty much the online equivalent to the 10-minute sell.
• Tips to Interviewing Via Webcam: More companies are turning to Skype to interview potential hires, because it helps them cut costs and save time. Shine at your webcam interview with this how-to guide for Skype interviews.
• Avoid Online Job Scams: Looking for a job can get pretty stressful, so save yourself some worry and learn how to avoid these sneaky online job scams with these simple tips.

This question was submitted by reader AUKDH. If you have an issue you need support with, send me a Private Message, or blog it in the Ask Savvy group.

I am a recent graduate and I am expecting a 6-9 month wait for job placement.  The hitch is that the student loans will be due in about a month and I would rather not defer the payments.  I am doing some volunteer work, for exposure to others in my market and to get some experience, as well as tutoring in the afternoons for a few days a week.  The tutoring will not cover the loan payments so I would like to do something flexible from home to supplement my income until I find my full-time job.

Everything I have come across turns out to be a scam after I investigate or involves me participating in some activities I am not comfortable with (who knew there was an acronym for "phone sex operator"?).

If you know of any reputable companies or have a suggestion please pass it along!  Thank you.

To see what Savvy advises, read more.

I'm always trolling my LinkedIn profile to see what old classmates and colleagues are up to and it's pretty cool to see how some of them are advancing. I love the LinkedIn because it's a great networking and job hunting tool. I've had friends pick up freelance projects from the professional social networking site, and I have used it to get in touch with people I wouldn't normally have access to. It's also a good who's who book for pretty much every industry. If you're a LinkedIn newbie, here are some easy tips to get you started:

• Add everybody, and I do mean everybody — Don't be bashful, add everyone you've ever come across. Be it from school, work, events or even the guy you have the quick daily chat with in your elevator. Having more friends will lead to a larger network and more access to more people. This means you won't have to jump through as many hoops to find your potential employer or client.

For more tips, read on.