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Focus on I.T. Careers by Glenda G. Venturanza Computerworld Philippines, July 31, 1997 Surf and you shall find. That's the motto more and more job seekers are likely to adopt as web sites become the quickest and most accessible way to find employment. Ironically, many companies may be helping their employees move on to greener pastures, by providing the Internet access they need to go to a URL, click, and look. Aside from individual corporate home pages, a number of online sites look for talent in cyberspace. Most will allow the surfer to check out job opportunities or per-project opportunities both here and abroad. HUNTING GROUND DK Jennings Consulting, Inc., a manpower placement and service company specializing in IT positions, is setting up its Career Match Online service in Manila for job seekers. "Career Match Online is an Internet-based matching program where employers can search our database and post their job requirements online," said Marian Sycip, president of DKJennings. Through their site, job seekers can apply for posted job openings or join the Job Hunter's Club for future placements. Trabaho.com, a service offered by Web Philippines, Inc., is an online job hunting and placement web site activated last year. "Positions in companies operating in the country are posted and made available to everybody," said Roger Chua, business development manager of Web Philippines. Sycip encourages companies that need IT personnel to check out its database first, because an online search can reach the IT community more effectively than traditional classified ads. WHY HUNT ONLINE? Looking for people or jobs online has its advantages. "Job surfers can immediately communicate through e-mail with the companies whose job openings are posted," Chua said. "Whether the communication is for sending applications or seeking additional information, everything is fast-tracked." Sycip told Computerworld that visitors at their site (www.dkjennings.com) can view current opportunities and apply immediately for the ones that appeal to them. "They can also enroll in our Job Hunter's Club so that everytime there's an opportunity that matches a qualification, the member can be notified," she added. Sycip and Chua says that for job seekers, online searches mean:
A number of interviewees that Computerworld e-mailed said they prefer online searching because it is faster, and offers them more information about the job and the companies. They also told Computerworld that it is much easier to reply to an online want ad, than it is to type out a resume and send it by mail. For employers, looking for people online has its own advantages: ･ They can reach groups of people who are connected; ･ Applicants are automatically screened out (HR manager can detect commitment at once); ･ Lower expenses than traditional means; ･ They get a better opportunity to include more information about the job and the company. POSTINGS These advantages have led a number of local companies to post job openings online. Companies like Oracle. Hewlett-Packard, Philippine Systems Products, Inc. (PSPI), Tandem, Platinum, the Online Advanced Systems Corporation, S2i2, and Open Systems Philippines Corp. (OSPC), for instance, are among the 25 companies that have posted their requirements with DKJennings since it opened. Chua, for his part, counts Andersen Consulting, Bayantel/ICC, Telecom, Globe Telecom, Unisys, Intel, Coca-Cola Export, and UBIX among his clients. Amy Morella, HR officer at Oracle, said the company has just started using online services and are trying out DKJennings' services. "So far, I can't say how effective it is, because we have just started and at this moment, there are no responses yet," said Morella. For its part, the Online Advanced Systems Corp. still couples its trabaho.com. ads with classifieds. Kate Chan, human resources manager, says right now, the online approach offers a smaller base, since many job applicants are still not connected. Another trabaho.com client, who asked not to be identified, has hired systems engineers, technical consultants, and MIS specialists who responded to their online ads. NO SUBSTITUTE Despite the advantages, it is unlikely that the online services will threaten traditional methods such as classified ads in newspapers, referrals, or headhunters. Most firms still prefer to do their personnel searchers the old-fashioned way. The online services, however, can offer more information to both the prospective employer and the job seeker. For instance, data can be collated to show which positions are most in demand. "We have a good number of IT marketing and sales-related positions, plus technical support personnel," said Sycip. On the technical side, Computerworld learned that there is a big requirement for C, Oracle, Visual Basic and COBOL programmers; and a growing need for Web-related skills. So far, DKJennings has placed three programmer trainees and two account executives. "We have about 25 to 30 who are in for interviews and tests", said Sycip. "The jobs posted on the trabaho.com site are usually for IT professions, engineering, middle and senior management and human resources personnel. The people mostly sought for by skilled in terms of proficiency in the field of IT, engineering and telecommunications," said Chua.
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