Global employment tools

The Internet is enabling the broadening of the distribution of employment information and services. Use of the Internet can open new doors to employment opportunities for both potential employees and employers. The professional activities arm of the IEEE has been learning how to harness the power of the Internet for several years. Let's look at what the IEEE and others are doing in this important arena.

IEEE-USA.   The IEEE-USA National Job Listing Service recently started its third year of operation. IEEE Vice President ­ Professional Activities Joel Snyder extols this Internet-based employment service as "the ideal vehicle for companies experiencing difficulty finding qualified technical talent in today's tighter engineering labor market."

According to Chris Currie of IEEE-USA, the National Job Listing Service has experienced explosive growth in its first two years of existence. He notes that during the first half of 1996, nearly 75,000 visitors logged on to this free member service, which has posted several thousand job openings since it began.

He also told me that, as widely reported during the recent employment-based immigration debate, some companies have complained publicly that they have been unable to find enough qualified electrotechnologists in the United States; and that a few large high-tech corporations even claimed they had 1,000 or more unfilled technical positions.

The Web address for the IEEE-USA National Job Listing Service is " http://www.ieee.org/jobs . html". For more information on the service, or to post job openings, contact IEEE-USA's Bill Anderson at 1-202-785-0017, ext. 330, or " w.anderson@ieee.org ".

When you log on, you will find Web, Gopher and e-mail versions of regional listings of job openings within the Unites States. There are also jobs posted for non-U.S. locations. You will also find on-line tools to help you compare salaries in different cities and review prospects for specific occupations, and links to a large number of non-IEEE servers with job-related information and services. You can also post your own resume.

Starting with the corporate shift to globalization and building on the global expansion of the Internet, there is an opportunity to build on the IEEE-USA initiative and begin to link into other employment postings and services that are growing at a fantastic rate. Let's look at some of these sites -- the Web version of this column has the live links in place, but you can enter the addresses from the printed version into your Web browser. Just type "http://" followed by any of the Web addresses given between double quotes (don't type the quotes) into the Location window of your Web browser and hit the "enter" key.

OTHER SERVERS.   The Monster Board " http://www.monster.com " is an example of a server set up for employment postings. This site offers services similar to those of IEEE-USA. You can search job listings by country -- in the USA. by state and city, in Canada by province, and in 14 other countries. There are also links to separate Monster Board sites in the U.K. and Australia, as well as one to La Presse -- the major French language newspaper in Quebec, Canada.

CORPORATE SERVERS.   Many corporate Web sites not only provide information about their products and/or services but also post job openings -- for example, Corel Corp. at " http://www.corel.com ". Click on Human Resources and select job opportunities, listed separately in the United States and Canada. Or try the IBM server at " http://www.ibm.com ", click on About IBM, then click on Employment, then select a country -- Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, South Africa, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States. I chose United States and realized I could find out about specific job openings, job opportunities by discipline, "hot" job categories, and I could submit my resume by entering information about me into a Web form. The General Electric site at " http://www.ge.com " has an Inside GE link, from which I could select Work, then Professional Opportunities, then pick from 17 business groups. I picked one and found four specific jobs available in two cities along with detailed job descriptions and information about how to apply.

Some corporate Web sites provide information that you can study prior to submitting an application -- and thus be better informed about possible positions and be able to tailor your resume to highlight relevant experience, strengths and interests. One example of this is the Nortel Corp. -- formerly known as Northern Telecom -- at " http://www.nortel.com ". Log on to their site, click on Career Opportunities and select North America or Europe, then look at the descriptions provided on such topics as type of work, skills required and locations where jobs are available.

GOVERNMENT SERVERS.   The government of Canada provides descriptions of occupations along with salary ranges and employment projections at
"hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/hrdc/corp/stratpol/jobs/english/index.html". The specific page for electrical and electronics engineers is
"hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/hrdc/corp/stratpol/jobs/english/volume1/2133/2133.html".

NEWSPAPER SERVERS.   Some newspapers provide Web pages that display jobs advertised in the printed version of the paper and thus extend their readership beyond traditional bounds. Check out USA Today at " http://www.usatoday.com ", click on their search engine and enter the word "jobs" -- I found 265 documents of job-related stories. Or try the U.K. newspaper The Guardian at " http://www.guardian.co.uk ", click on Recruit Net and search what they claim is the U.K.'s largest database of jobs. You can even use an "expert program" to help you compose the "perfect resume." Or try the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail at " http://www.theglobeandmail.com ", click on Career Connect, and submit a request to search career adds on-line, and much more.

Three newspapers in three countries -- but available to anyone with Internet access. Similarly, the other corporate servers I have noted -- manufacturers, financial institutions, government, etc. provide information over the Internet. For some it is their primary reason for existence, for others it is either an important aspect of their business or a public service designed to bring viewers to their site.

IEEE SPECTRUM.   You can also view the job-related advertisements in the on-line version of Spectrum (or the printed copy). Log on to " http://www.spectrum.ieee.org ". Then click on Current Issue, "go to Advertising," and view any of the job-related items.

THE POTENTIAL.   What does this mean to our members? To those with access to the Web, an opportunity to search individually for available jobs and to take advantage of the new services that are available over the Internet. To those without Web access, this information could be made available through the networking possibilities of our sections and chapters, augmented in the United States by our PACE (Professional Activities Committees for Engineers) network. Outside the United States, the linkages between local sections and their national society can provide a forum for this activity if the members so desire.

Those with Web access could serve as the local node to collect and distribute information to other members and also to upload information collected locally to IEEE-wide servers. By working together as volunteers, we can expand the benefits of IEEE membership and take advantage of the IEEE Internet connectivity. As a society of engineering professionals, working together to help each other enjoy appropriate work opportunities can be a mutual success story.