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 he plunging job markets have taken an emotional and psychological toll on techies pampered silly by the initial run away exuberance of the tech sector. As layoffs become the normative managerial principle of IT companies and hiring cycles become prolonged, negative emotions such as despair, humiliation and rejection threaten to cloud and disrupt the job search. Layoff- scarred techies must remember that the doors may be shut, but pockets of opportunity continue to exist. To identify these pockets, it's not enough for active jobseekers' to passively leaf through the classifieds, create their resumes and wait for the company to come calling. Conventional, run of the mill methods will not help to beat the glut in the job market. Techies need to be more inventive to take on the active role of researchers, refine their search techniques and hone their strategies for the search to yield results.
For workers who have received pink slips or are awaiting the axe to fall, the Net can emerge as an effective medium to expedite the job search. For example, there are a number of online professional associations formed around specific domain areas in the software industry. If one types Wireless Associations on Google, the search yields 83,200 results. These online associations provide regular updates on happenings, products and openings in the industry. Most associations offer free membership to developers working in this specific area and are a great way to network. On any of the leading search engines, type domain area + associations to find sites which specifically cater to your area of work. For instance if your domain area is embedded software, type Embedded software + Associations. A regular visit to these sites can help you build contacts with other developers and can provide vital information which will give you an edge in your job search
Niche job sites such as www.assureconsulting.com, which cater solely to software engineers can help in the job quest. Apart from this, there are specialised job sites such as C++jobs.com or embedded.com which cater solely to techies possessing these specific skill sets. On any of the leading search engines type skill sets + jobs to locate job sites catering solely to your skill sets. For instance, type Verilog + jobs or Networking + jobs on a well-known search engine and you will be surprised by the results. You can further refine the search, according to the basis of the geographical location. For example, if you are looking for a job in India type: Networking jobs + India on the search engine.
Independently visits company sites to gain information on careers. Eighty percent of the Fortune 500 companies post jobs on their company sites. Get a list of companies in your area by typing domain area + companies or domain area companies + location on the search engine.
Another remarkable resource to find jobs is free e-databases. On a search engine, type job companies + India to find a complete list of online jobs sites. Similarly, you can type your domain area + companies for a list of companies operating in that area.
For quick and accurate results on the Net, you, however, need to know basic search engine Maths. AssureConsulting.com brings you the basic arithmetic:
 Accuracy is the key:
Accuracy can help you source vital information. Tell a search engine exactly what you are looking for. For example, if you want information on careers in telecom do not search for Infotech jobs or Computer jobs. If you can pinpoint the specific area within telecom, the search engine will be able to zero down on results better.
The Plus Symbol: The plus symbol is helpful to conduct a search when one is overwhelmed with information. For instance, if a networking professional merely types networking on a search engine, he/she will be inundated with extraneous information. To narrow the search and hit bull's eye, type Networking + job sites.
At times, one want to make sure that a search engine finds pages that have all the words one has entered and not just some of them. For example, if one is seeking embedded software jobs in the Linux space, type Linux + Embedded jobs. Only pages that contain both words would appear in the results.
The Minus Symbol: Sometimes, one wants a search engine to find pages that have a particular word and not others closely related to it. Subtract terms that are not of interest to get better results. For example, if one is looking for information on Networking and not Routers, one could weed unwanted terms from the search results by typing: Networking -Routers
Use Quotation Marks: Multiplying terms through a phrase search can help secure what you are looking for. This can be done through use of quotation marks. For example: "Networking Management Jobs." Likewise, instead of typing Linux + embedded jobs, you can multiply the terms: "Linux embedded jobs" as the exact phrase may probably appear on more pages.
The changing job environment demands that techies draw on their own resources to develop their careers. Teches need to stay informed and today there's no better source than the Net. So use the techniques to log on to assureconsulting.com and other sites.
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