There’s nothing wrong with using the Internet for your job search but don’t use it as a crutch.

I recently got the results of a survey that showed many of you are spending an average of 50 hours a month on the Web searching for work.

The survey by Kelton Research, commissioned by job-search website RiseSmart, found:

*Among jobseekers who use the Internet in their job search, 58 percent of respondents searched online at least an hour per day.

*Of those respondents who searched online at least an hour per day, the average time reported searching online is 2.5 hours per day.

*Among jobseekers under 35, nearly 40 percent spend 2+ hours per day searching online.

*Nearly 1 in 3 workers (32 percent) who are currently employed are spending at least an hour a day online in job searches.

*1 in 10 online jobseekers search for 4+ hours per day.

The one statistic I was looking for was not in the release the company sent me. I wanted to know how many of these Internet job-seeking junkies had actually gotten a job as a result of all this surfing.

I emailed to find out.

This is the reply I got from a spokes person for RiseSmart:

“Sorry, we only asked about the time spent searching — not the results.”

There in lies the problem. Since the Internet is really a new phenomenon, all of us are still treating it like it’s something from outer space. It’s interesting that we’re sitting in front of our computers all day and surfing the Worldwide web, but what we get out of it is still the secondary story.

When it comes to people who just sit in front of their computers, career expert Randall Hansen says, “I just want to scream at them, ‘have you actually talked to someone lately?’”

Hansen with Quintessential Careers thinks job seekers spend a few hours at the computer searching Monster.com and the rest, and they think that’s enough. “They feel they’ve accomplished something so they now can go to the beach or pool for the afternoon,” he quips. This is a bad thing, he explains, because then they don’t feel compelled to engage in what really gets you a job, networking. Yes, actually talking to people, calling people, having lunch or drinks with people.

So, step away from the computer. You never know what you might find…maybe a job.

It seems like a job blood bath out there. A broad range of companies, everything from car makers to latte makers, are slashing their workforces.

It’s time to start thinking about what your options are, updating that resume, and maybe even calling that recruiter who left you a couple of messages months ago.

I know, many of you think recruiters are useless. My husband compares many of them to car salesmen.

One anonymous writer on a message board where the topic was “recruiters are useless” summed it up best:

The good recruiters call you back and follow up. The idiots are three inches up your ass when they see your resume and then you never hear back if you aren’t ideal for the company that minute.

And that’s the reality of life, some good, some bad.

That said, how do you get the most out of the good ones?

*First off, you have to figure out if they’re good at what they do. There is nothing wrong with asking these recruiters about their credentials. Ask them, “tell me about the last person you placed. What kind of job did he or she get? Did they get the salary they wanted?” If a recruiter refuses to answer these questions DO NOT WORK WITH THEM.

*Look for expertise, especially if you are looking for a job in a technical field. If a recruiter has no idea what Java or PHP is, then you probably don’t want them trying to place you in a web applications gig. The big problem with working with a non expert is they won’t be able to do a great job singing your praises because they don’t understand what your praises really are.

*Beware the email written in broken English. Look, both my parents came to this country from Istanbul and struggled with learning English, so I’m not anti foreigner. But a lot of recruiting work is being outsourced to places like India, especially contract jobs, and that means you’ll get spotty results, if any results at all. One job seeker told me he got a call from someone calling himself “Bob” who had a think Indian accent, and the job lead went no where.

*You also have to do your part when connecting with a recruiter. “Recruiters can end up seeing hundreds of resumes a day,” says executive search experts Ron Bates in an article about recruitnig. “Did I mention your resume should be ‘pin sharp’? Did I mention you should always attach a resume even in a follow up email to an unresponsive recruiter? Even if a recruiter took the time to respond to your email or voicemail there is still a very good chance they have not actually seen/read let alone - saved - your resume.”

*And think about packaging yourself well. “Give them your 30-Second Elevator Pitch. Don’t tell them your life story,” Bates writes. “Ask them what if anything they’d like to know more. Ask them the best way and when to follow-up, or if they’d like to schedule some time.”

*Stick to your guns when it comes to money and benefits. These recruiters want to get you on the cheap so they have little incentive making sure you get the salary you need. If you’ve done your research and figured out what a fair salary for the job you’re looking for is, don’t let a recruiter low ball you. Make it clear that you’re not willing to compromise.

Here’s a great resource from career website Quintessential Careers for finding a recruiter in your field.

If your not going to ask these men and women the tough questions and do you homework when it comes to figuring out what you want out of a job, then forget about using a recruiter. These people will do more harm than good to your ego at a time when you might be fragile. You don’t need anyone telling you your not worth the money, or your skills are lacking if they really aren’t. And that’s just what could happen if you end up with a recruiting bozo that’s just trying to fill a quota and doesn’t no anything about your industry.

And who needs yet another person not calling you back or answering your emails.

When I get to my desk every morning, I pull up an array of sites. I go to CareerDiva first, of course; then I log onto my Gmail account, my Hotmail account, my YouBiz blog on MSNBC, and I also log into my LinkedIn and Facebook accounts.

As you can imagine, I get a host of emails and messages that are work related and often address pretty serious issues. But this morning I got a message from my 12-year-old nephew Grant. He sent me a greeting card via Facebook.

It looks like the kitten is drunk and the message on the photo says: “Iz no drunk. Now givz me the keys.”

I called him and asked him why he sent it to me. He said, “I don’t know.”

I said, “What do you mean, you don’t know?” He then said, “I was trying to send something else and that one came through. I don’t know what happened.”

I wondered what he intended on sending me. He said, “It was a picture of a cartoon character saying, ‘Respect my authority.’” He added, “do you know South Park? It was Cartman.”

OK, I’m not totally an old fart. “I know Cartman,” I replied, a little miffed.

So why was he sending me this silly message? Grant, a pre-teenager, doesn’t think of social networking sites as a tool to get you ahead in your career.

“I think Facebook is for talking to your friends. It’s pretty fun. You can play games and stuff,” he says.

When I got his drunk cat message this morning, I cringed a bit. My column today on MSNBC.com is about how older workers have a tough time getting another job when they’re laid off, and a big chunk of the advice I offered these employees was to get on social networking sites.

But often job seekers, especially older ones, tell me they just don’t feel comfortable joining these groups. They see them as a haven for young kids who want to talk about hooking up and the latest cyber game.

Grant’s drunk cat lent a bit of credence to their claims.

I admit, there’s a lot of silliness on many of these sites, but don’t throw out the kitten with the spiked bath water.

You can obviously create a network of friends to help you in your job search, but you can also join different networking groups that are specific to your interests. I recently was asked to join a job-searching group on Facebook and it’s jam packed with helpful information.

And at my LinkedIn account I can actually see who’s looking at my profile. This is particularly handy for me when I want to know where I might get the most positive feedback when I pitch a story idea.

Anyway, among the silliness there is substance.

And, honestly, I love that I can hear from my nephew and find out what’s going on in his life. Ten years ago, do you think a 12 year old would have picked up the phone to call his aunt?

Thank you Internet.

“Disgruntled.” That’s the label supporters of President Bush have put on former White House press secretary Scott McClellan, whose new book exposes alleged dirty deeds by Bush and top White House officials.

The woman who holds McClellan’s position now, Dana Perino, was quoted saying the dreaded word, “disgruntled.”

One thing you learn early on when you enter the workforce is to be careful when dogging your former employer. This has been a piece of career advice that has been handed down from generation to generation.

McClellan probably isn’t worried about his future employability given his book is number one on Amazon today, but for the rest of us who can’t make a killing by writing a tell-all book, we need to think twice before we bitch about a past boss.

Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t expose illegal behavior, especially if someone can get hurt. But in this case, waiting until years after you leave a company to expose such behavior is unethical on your part as well. I’ve written before how employee themselves have to stand up for injustices they see, even if it means sacrificing your job. (If McClellan’s allegations are true, that Bush used propaganda to prop up an unjust war, then it seems he had a hand in the tragedy. No?)

But complaining about a former employer, especially to hiring managers that are interviewing you leaves a bad taste in everyone’s mouth.

I know, we’re human, and want to get things off our our chests, but restrain the urge to purge.

I admit it. It’s hard for me to say “no” to a friend or connection request on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Even if I don’t know the person, I feel compelled to say “yes” when they ask.

I know I’m probably opening up the flood gates on more requests to link up, but I needed to get this off my chest.

How do you say “no” to someone who just wants to be your networking buddy, your cyber pal, your Internet friendly?

And the bigger questions — Is it a smart career move to nix certain folks from your list of contacts? Or, can you end up diluting your network if you have too many people in your circle?

It blows my mind when I see people with 400 connections/friends. How can one person know so many people well enough to have them on their networking list? It’s like weddings with 400 guests. I never got that. How on earth do two people know so many people well enough to want them there for such an intimate event?

These social networking sites have become like a scene from the movie “My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding.” Endless, faceless Greek relatives no one knows that well and don’t really want to know…unless you’ve had a few too many glasses of Ouzo that is. (FYI, my hubby and I had small, skinny Greek wedding with 50 wedding guests. Our backyard really couldn’t handle more, much to the chagrin of many of my big, fat Greek relatives.)

One colleague of mine, who writes for a major newspaper, accepts pretty much anyone that asks her on her Facebook account but it pickier with her LinkedIn account, surmising that’s her serious group of contacts.

I also see my LinkedIn account as a bit more serious, but I still accept every Tom, Nick and Harry that asks me to link in.

The bigger the network, the better my networking potential, no?

I figured I’d get some input from a cyber networking expert, so last night I emailed Alison Doyle, author of “Internet Your Way to a New Job: How to Really Find a Job Online” and the About.com guide for the site’s job searching section.

“I don’t think that more is necessarily better. I think having good, strong connections that you know and who can help you build your career or connect with people who can, is better than having too many connections who aren’t relevant,” she explains.

As for her own friend-accepting habits: “From my perspective, and this is because of what I do, I don’t accept every connection that asks. If I did, I’d be inundated with friends who are job seekers who want personal help, etc. etc. I’m sure you know what that’s like…”

Oh yeah, you know it sista.

But how the heck do you let people down? I have a policy not to recommend anyone who asks me on LinkedIn because I’m a journalist and feel it’s inappropriate. But conveying this to the people that have asked me for a recommendation has been tough. I feel so bad when I have to say no.

That’s probably why I never reject a friend or connection request.

Doyle has an interesting approach for this. “I tend to ignore those that I don’t accept rather than declining them or saying I don’t know them, because I don’t want them to feel bad.”

I read this late last night and decided to take her advice starting this morning.

And believe it or not I had a LinkedIn connection request and a Facebook friend invitation in my email box first thing this morning so I was ready to test out my new found backbone.

But guess who the requests were from? Doyle.

I’m not kidding.

Ok, I’m sure you know what happened. I accepted her invitations ASAP.

Bring on the wedding guests. Opa!

How many times do I have to say it…network, network, network.

Networking is how you find a job today folks. You’re in trouble if you’re just sending out resumes and waiting for a reply. (OK, maybe a tiny group of you out there have landed a job recently by doing this, but it’s not the norm.)

Everyone else needs to take out their socialization hat and start shaking some hands, real and virtual hands.

A recent study adds fuel to the Internet social/professional networking fire for job seekers.

Staffing company Robert Half International surveyed 150 top dogs at large companies and found 62 percent of those polled believe sites like LinkedIn will be a useful tool for them in the next three years, and 35 percent said social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace will also be a resource for them.

Executives were asked, “Which of the following technology tools do you believe will be most useful in your firm’s recruiting efforts in the next three years?”:

· Professional networking sites: 62%
· Social networking sites: 35%
· Video resumes: 20%
· Second Life: 7%
· None of these: 15%
· Other/don’t know: 10%

“Maintaining and developing professional contacts has always been a vital job search strategy, and networking websites are another vehicle for doing so,” said Max Messmer, Robert Half International’s CEO and author of Job Hunting For Dummies®, 2nd Edition. “Networking sites can be used to identify new career opportunities, create online profiles that highlight one’s skills and experience, and build a roster of business contacts over time.”

I know quite a few people that have yet to join any of these sites and I always tell them, “do it now!”

I know, there are some issues with these sites. They have technological glitches, and often you get tons off useless emails, or dumb trivia games your friends want you to play. But it’s time to join the cyber networking party already.

I’ve written before about how hiring managers want a known entity these days, especially during tough economic times. They want a recommendation, or at least some sort of connection to you. What better way that finding someone they know in your LinkedIn or Facebook contact list?

There will be a bunch of college graduates heading off to real work for the first time come September, and unfortunately, the women in the group may be at a disadvantage.

Women still don’t make as much as their male counterparts and there are few women in the corner offices of Corporate America. Some studies have shown that the pay and position disparity begins early on, when female employees first hit the job market.

They’re generally not as assertive as their male counterparts right out of the gate, and that kicks off what will haunt many women throughout their careers, a never-ending battle to catch up.

Any help young women can get to help them with confidence is fine by me.

That’s why I had my intern Katherine Guiney read a new book called “New Girl on the Job” by Hannah Seligson, to see if it offered helpful advice to gals like her.

Her conclusion: It’s a great tool to have as you embark on your work life.

The following is Katherine’s review:

In her book New Girl on the Job, Hannah Seligson strives to give young women the advice she never got.

After being fired from her first job, Seligson was inspired to write about the disappointment and despair she says she experienced during her employment.

While Seligson dishes out some career advise that can apply to both sexes, she also gives a few good tips that apply specifically to young women.

1. Don’t get assistant-ized

While you do have to pay your dues, make sure not to get stuck doing administrative duties forever. Seligson says that being a great assistant can be “a catch-22 because, while you want to do a good job, doing so could actually hinder you from moving up.”
In New Girl, career expert Tony Johnson says it’s easy for women to get stuck playing a supportive role.
To prevent yourself from getting pigeon-holed into an administrative position, create a timeline for how long you’re willing to stay in such a support role and make sure to actively create opportunities for yourself.

2. Research your employer

Before even taking a job, find out how that company treats its female employees. How many women work there? How many women are in upper-level positions? Have there been a number of lawsuits or sexual harassment cases?
Make sure you know if you’re going to be the only woman in a building full of men, and make sure there is room for advancement.

3. Flirting doesn’t pay

Although being nice at work will get you far, crossing the line into flirting does more harm than help. Seligson references a 2005 study in which researchers at Tulane University found that sexy dressing and sexual behavior negatively impacted the careers of women.
Women who used flirting to their advantage received fewer promotions on average than women who refrained from sexual behavior altogether.

4. No one likes a gossip girl

Instead of gossiping, set a standard for how you want to communicate, especially with other women.
Seligson says to follow the “No Triangling Rule.” This term, which is apparently somehow technical because it is defined in her glossary of terms at the back of the book, is described as the act of being direct when a problem arises.
If you are encountering a problem with a certain co-worker, you should approach that person to solve the problem, instead of going to a third party. This helps prevent office gossip and distrust.

5. Women versus women?!

The “images of backstabbing and competitiveness among women”, says Seligson, are everywhere.
Not everyone has to be your friend, but when issues do arise, communication is key. Many young women come into the workplace unprepared to handle the issues that come with working with other women.
Talk about situations when you have a level head and don’t make it personal. Demonstrate how certain actions impact the whole group.
Women should work together, so “they’ll have a collective muscle to flex when you need to lobby for a change.”

6. Be assertive!

Not that any of this is taught in college, but workforce “newbies”, women in particular, have to learn how to use power language, promote themselves, and ask questions.
Author Jennifer Baumgarder, says that women are less likely to expose themselves to asking a dumb question because they don’t want to be a burden.
But how are you ever going to advance in your career if you don’t ask questions and put your ideas, let alone yourself, forward?
It’s easier said than done, but you must find that middle ground between pushy and pushover.

UPDATE I’m reading an advanced copy of “A Foot in the Door” by Katherine Hansen and she does a great job explaining how the job search has and has not changed.

There’s a whole chapter on where you should network for job leads and I love it because she mentions cocktail parties as one of the great networking “hot spots”. I LOVE PARTIES! Any reason to celebrate is fine with me, especially if it will enhance your career or land you a job.

One of the points she makes which I believe is key — “the best and most meaningful networking often takes place in venues that are earmarked for other purposes.”

Here are some of those venues she offers:

1. Professional organizations.
2. Volunteer organizations.
3. Charity and fundraising events.
4. Civic and community groups.
5. Religious community.

She describes these in detail in her book which is out this May, and offers another 45 networking channels you may not have thought of. Hello, the YMCAs! Great idea.

UPDATE:
I asked Hansen to offer some additional information for us when it comes to networking in a tough economy.
Here’s what she offered –

What I would say about networking in a tough economy is that it’s more important than ever. Study after study shows networking to be the most effective way to get a job. For example, in the just released CareerXroads 7th Annual Source of Hire Study By Gerry Crispin and Mark Mehler both sets of figures I’m quoting from the report have implications for networking; people find out about internal transfer/promotion opportunities by networking. And they are referred for external openings through networking:

“Internal Transfers and Promotions constitute 30.0% of all the positions a company fills. 15 firms are at or approaching 50%….

Referrals(employee, alumni, vendor, etc.) make up 28.7% of all external hires and are arguably the number one external source.(Employee referrals make up between 80-90% of
the hires attributed to this category. Alumni and other types of referrals appear to be growing rapidly). The efficiency of referrals i.e. “every third referral turns into a hire” is one of the single most important characteristics of US hiring practicesŠ”

Another emerging practice with implications for the current economy is social media; however, it takes time to grow and benefit from an online
social network, so face-to-face methods are best in the short term. But see here for a discussion of social media.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

If you want to get a job you have to pull out all the stops, send restraint out the window.

Given how hard it is to find a job these days, I’m going to offer you some secret, little known advice that few career writers dare to disclose:

1. Stalk. If there’s a company you really want to work for find out who the president of that firm is and camp out on her or his lawn. (Bring in the newspaper in the morning. They’ll love that.)
2. Threaten. Get to know the top executives at a company and start threatening the safety of their family and friends if they don’t hire you. (You want to make sure not to put your threats in writing.)
3. Bribe. Make sure to send checks and or gifts along with your resume. (Most people find expensive fruit and cheese baskets work best.)
4. Beg. If you don’t get a call back after sending your resume start calling the hiring manager and beg them for a chance. (Talk about your poor children who don’t have enough to eat.)
5. Cheat. Find out who else is applying for the job you want and start smearing the guy or gal all over the Internet. (Facebook and Linkedin are quick ways to get the job done.)

April Fools!

I’m sure most of you thought I was kidding. I hope so. Please! Do not follow any of the five tips. You’ll get arrested.

That said, there are things you can do that may be considered extreme, or at least unconventional, but are also legal and effective:

1. Open the phone book. There’s a great profile in the Wall Street today about Joyce King Thomas, a top executive at a top advertising firm. She actually was out of work for five months early on in her career and got so desperate that she opened up the phone book and started calling every ad company in the book, starting with “A”. She ended up landing a job with a small company that started with “P”.

2. Throw a party. Recently, I wrote a story about landing an interview and one of the experts offered a great piece of advice that was right on and fun. Invite 20 or 30 people, your friends and friends of friends, and network your heart out. I know, you don’t have a gig so you don’t have lots of money. But you could make the party potluck, or just order pizza. Maybe you know lots of people looking to find work or switch jobs; they’ll all be willing to make the networking celebration work.

3. Cyber network. You’ve all heard it before — get the heck on these networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn if you haven’t already. Put up a glowing profile of yourself, and start inviting everyone you know to join your network. Before you know it you’ll have a growing group of contacts. But you just can’t wait for job offers to pour in. Start sifting through the people, people you are connected to and start asking the people you know if they could connect you with the people you want to know. Even though your friends want to help, sometimes they don’t realize how their expanding networks can fit into your career plan.

4. Cold call. Pick up that old-fashioned tool called the telephone and call the companies where you want to work. First do a bit of homework and find out who the hiring manager for a particular job is. This will take some research. If you know a certain position is open you can find out which department that position is in and then call the head of that department. I know, this is scary. The person may hang up on you. (Then who would want to work for such a jerk anyway.) But they may be nice, tell you a bit about the firm, and promise to take a look at your resume when it comes over their desk.

5. Start a blog! Are you an expert in a certain area? Have you worked in an industry for years and have some funny stories to tell? Start a simple blog. It’s free. There is nothing better than being able to tell a hiring manager, or human resource person, you have a blog they can check out to learn more about you. But please, try not to be too personal in these professional, career-enhancing blogs. Just show off your knowledge and your humor.

OK, the last five tips were real and if you follow them you won’t be a job-hunting fool.

You may be seeing some of my CareerDiva blog posts on a new site called WomenCo.com. It’s a free career and networking site for professional women.

Check it out when you get a chance.