MARLBOROUGH, Mass., Dec. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- "We've used the Internet to find jobs since 1994, but the rules for conducting a safe and successful job search have changed," said Susan Joyce, Webmaster of Job-Hunt.org. "Now, identity theft over the Internet is a significant problem, and there is tough competition for every job posted. So savvy use of the Internet is a survival requirement as well as a job search advantage." Here are Job-Hunt.org's seven rules:

1. Protect your privacy. For your job search, use an anonymous e-mail address (HotMail, Yahoo, etc.), and limit the contact information in your resume to your e-mail address and cell phone or other unlisted phone number. 2. Don't look for a job with a new employer while you are at work. That's a quick and easy way to get fired. According to a 2005 American Management Association survey, 76% of employers monitored employee Web surfing, and 25% fired employees for inappropriate use of the Web or e-mail. 3. Use the Web to research an employer before you apply for a job. Visit the employer's Website to see what they do, and find job postings. Also visit Yahoo Finance, BusinessWire.com, PRNewsWire.com, Hoover's, etc. to discover the latest news about their industry, competition and financial situation. Don't be the last person hired before layoffs begin. Guess who'll be first out? 4. Don't depend on any Web job site (large or small) to find you a job. Job boards can be very effective, but recruiters receive an overwhelming number of resumes for every job. Instead, differentiate yourself from the crowd by following these rules, and following up on every application, politely but relentlessly. 5. Use the Web to expand and renew your personal network. Check your school's career center, local job search support group, former employer's "alumni" network, and/or any professional or industry organizations you have joined. Post privacy-sensitive profiles with sites like LinkedIn, Ziggs, ZoomInfo, etc., but be cautious about disclosing information irrelevant to your job search. 6. Leverage technology to differentiate yourself from the pack. Use the computer combined with your research to create resumes and cover letters customized for specific opportunities. Unless directed otherwise, copy the text of your resume and cover letter into an e-mail. Don't attach them. 7. Don't expect e-mail to be reliable. Most organizations protect their e-mail systems with spam filters that might send your message to the junk mail folder. And their messages to you may meet the same fate. Follow up via phone, and check your junk mail folders often.

Find more information on using e-mail, protecting privacy, and online networking at http://www.job-hunt.org/, recipient of several prestigious awards including Forbes Magazine's "Best of the Web" and PC Magazine's "Best of the Internet."

Job-Hunt.org is owned by NETability, Inc. of Marlborough, MA. For more information, contact Susan Joyce at 508-624-6261, Susan@NETability.com.

Media Contact: Courtney O'Regan Peter Arnold Associates coregan@parnold.com 781-239-1030

CONTACT: Courtney O'Regan of Peter Arnold Associates for Job-Hunt.org,
+1-781-239-1030, coregan@parnold.com; or Susan Joyce of NETability, +1-508-
624-6261, Susan@NETability.com

Web site: http://www.job-hunt.org/