Post a resume online, let the job find you!

In The Art of War, Sun Tzu advises leaders to “do without doing.”  The concept might not translate very well in to English, but the idea being described is actually pretty useful.

One way you can “do without doing” is by posting your resume online in a place where hiring managers are already looking.  Rather than submit a dozen resumes into a dozen HR departments, just post it once and let those dozens of reps decide whether or not they’ve got a position that matches your skills and experience.  There’s really no easier way to get that much potential visibility.

Of course, its free to sign up and publish your resume!  I’d suggest staying far away from any website or company that won’t actually help you find work until you’ve given them money – and don’t get sucked into that kind of gig where you end up selling overpriced knives and silverware or vacuum cleaners door to door. Sure, there are some legitimate commission-based jobs out there, but be make sure to research the company thoroughly and don’t try to sell some product or service you don’t actually believe in.  You won’t have fun or feel good about it, and you probably won’t even make much money because its hard to be a convincing salesperson for a terrible product.

So does it work?  Can you actually find a job by posting your resume online?  Well, I won’t make any promises but it did work for me!  When I graduated college I didn’t have much luck with any of the places I directly sent applications and resumes to, but one day I did get an email from someone who had read about my personal information from an online job website.  I came down for an interview a few days later, and well, that was the start of my career in online publishing.  Now its a few years later, and I still occasionally get emails about job opportunities from someone who has stumbled across that outdated resume.  Of course, since its not an up to date resume, those positions aren’t particularly relevant to my current skills and experience, but its definitely proof that there are some jobs out there just looking for the right worker to come along and do it!