There is no magic that will help an online job search be successful. Just like anything else, consistency and diligence usually pay off. Knowing how to get started on your job search can give you a leg up on the competition. Here are five quick tips to help you get started in the quest for your dream job.

1. Clean Up Your Act

More and more employers are taking advantage of the internet to do a sort of preliminary background check on potential employees. Any questionable photos or postings on social networking sites can quickly nix your chances of landing a job. Before starting your search, be sure that your online presence is professional and will not give any hiring manager a moment’s pause.

2. Know What You Want

Knowing exactly what you want in terms of type of job, location and salary will help you narrow your search and prevent a lot of wasted time for both you and the hiring manager. Research each company you may be interested in to learn about the corporate culture, benefits, room for upward mobility and other factors and then only apply at the companies at which you feel you’d be a good fit. Sending out a blanket of resumes to every company you can think of is not always the best way to begin your search. Start by figuring out what you want, and then find the employers that can meet your expectations.

3. Spread it Around

While sending your resume to every employer within a 100 mile radius is not a good idea, neither is concentrating all of your efforts on just one career development website. While some companies may use several, others will only pay for the services of one or two. For this reason it is important to both check the listings and make your resume available on several career websites.

4. Know Your Stuff

When you do find an employer with which you feel you would be a good match, do as much research as possible. This is especially important when you land an interview. Don’t walk into that interview asking questions that could easily be answered by doing a bit of internet research. This will make you look unprepared and, perhaps, even uninterested. Show the hiring manager that you mean business. Let her know that you have done your homework. For example, explain how your values match the values of the company or talk about how you could have been an asset on a recent major project that the company took on. Find creative ways to weave your knowledge of the company into casual conversation during the interview. This will let the interviewer see how serious you are, and is likely to leave a lasting impression.

5. Follow Through

Lastly, don’t just send out a bunch of resumes and wait for opportunity to come knocking. It doesn’t always work that way. Instead, be diligent about follow up phone calls and letters. If you land the interview, send a note a day or two ahead expressing how you are looking forward to the opportunity. After, be sure to send a thank you note. Even if you don’t land the job, see if the hiring manager would be willing to give you a few pointers about areas in which you may have been weak.
These five tips will help you get started on what will hopefully be a very successful – and short – job search.