Internet Job Search Info: Fact or Fiction?

It's amazing how many people rely on any job search information found on the Internet, without verifying the source of that information. In these uncertain economic times, it's more important than ever to steer your career using valid information.

The Internet can be a great place to find great information. It also serves as a forum for fools. It costs very little to set up a web site. With a copy of FrontPage and a basic understanding of how to use it, anyone can set up a web site. Just because you see something on the web, doesn't mean it's true.

With some common sense, a little evaluation, and some additional surfing, it's usually not too hard to tell whether the information you're reading is valid. Here are some tips:

1. Look at the web site. Is it well done, or does it look rather amateurish? Are there grammar or spelling errors? Do you get strange messages, such as a "Script Error," when any of the pages load? Does it take a long time to download? Any web site worth its salt, whether published by an individual or a company, will take care to avoid technical glitches and grammar or spelling errors. True professionals will also invest enough in their web site to make it look good. Be wary of sites that aren't using their own domain name, such as www.AnySiteName.com. Long web site addresses with one or more slashes mean the site's author wasn't willing or able to spend $10 on domain registration and $25 a month on web site hosting.

2. Truste and Better Business Bureau Online seals don't mean that much. Many web sites display these "seals of approval," and we've researched obtaining these for our own site. To use the Truste seal on a web site, you have to fill out a long application, then submit some documentation and a big fee with it. Almost no effort is made by Truste to verify the information. Of course, one could argue that anyone who is willing to pay the Truste application fee must be a serious professional, and that's probably true to some extent. However, consumers shouldn't assume that just because a site displays the Truste seal, that site is trustworthy. The application process for the BBB Online seal is the same.

3. If the web page (or site) names a specific person as the author, evaluate that individual's qualifications. Does this person hold a college degree, or any professional certifications in his/her field? Do a search for the organizations that issue these professional certifications, to verify that the individual really has earned them.