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When you first start looking for a new job, it’s tough to decide where to begin. It’s pretty much “a given” that you need to have a new or updated resume. And, regardless of whether or not you’ve decided on your own to seek new employment or circumstances have presented themselves to you where the decision wasn’t entirely your own, the question is usually the same: What do I do now?

More and more job seekers are turning to the Internet. There are many sites to choose from to peruse the opportunities available. Some are more general sites and many have sprouted up that are industry-specific. Most have the option for you to post your own resume so that employers could find you. There’s also another option, where you select what you are looking for, and when there is a match with a job that fits your requirements, you are notified and you can respond. The postings on these sites are plentiful and emailing resumes has become the standard. The downside is much the same as the upside: the sites are plentiful. The responses are plentiful. There’s a great deal of competition and it doesn’t cost anything to hit the “send my resume now” button.

Many companies have stopped accepting faxes or paper resumes. Some firms, in an effort to eliminate the paper resume have even installed kiosks in their establishments so that rather than filling out paper applications on a clipboard on the premises, the entire process has become automated. Some job seekers have complained about discrimination against the non-computer literate. They answer that since their store or company is up to speed from a technological standpoint, their employees (and prospective employees) must be as well. At that point, it is a weeding out process. If you don’t have the skills or the confidence to push the buttons and type in the answers, it’s unlikely that you will fit in. Now might be the time to take that Introduction to Computers course at the Community College!

Have you looked at the Help Wanted advertising section of the newspaper lately? Those ads are asking for emailed resumes as well. Occasionally they list a phone number to call, but 9 times out of 10 after the initial call, if there’s mutual interest, they will ask you to email your resume. The newspaper is still a very viable option to seek employment. Most of the ads listed are looking to fill the position quickly. On the Internet there is more commonly a mix of those with immediate needs and also those that require longer, more drawn out searches that may take weeks or months of interviewing.

A third approach, which is growing strongly, is the Career Fair. And ironically, these events are advertised both on the Internet and in the local papers. It is a way to efficiently spend a day going from booth to booth, face to face. The participating companies like it because it expedites the process. They feel that they can see what they are getting right away. (Good news? Bad news?) Some of the Career Fairs have a broad range of companies that set up shop for the day to recruit for a variety of positions whereas others are for specific careers such as Sales or Hospitality. If you present yourself well, and feel comfortable interviewing in a spur of the moment situation, this option might be perfect for you. It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet many people and create a multitude of job leads in one day. And, you can hand them your resume – on paper!