The Importance of E-Mail (FREE) This free topic will give you good idea as to how effective this guide can be. Read how a simple item like "email" has changed our lives and the way we look for jobs. This entire guide is a must for anyone searching for jobs online. Make your online search effective and register today. The Importance of E-Mail Searching for jobs online can be quite useful. But when combined with maintaining an e-mail account, your online job search can be an efficient way of landing the position you want. But do you really need to have your own e-mail address and maintain it regularly? If you want a job…yes. • Only five years ago, e-mail addresses were optional for the career-minded. But as the pace picks up, expectations increase for today’s marketplace. An e-mail address is almost a prerequisite for establishing yourself as a competent candidate in the current job market. What’s so great about e-mail and why is it crucial for job seekers? • Speed. The speed at which you can transport thoughts and ideas over the information highway is tremendous. Case scenario: Say you send a resume and cover letter via snail mail on Monday. Depending upon your mail service it may not arrive until Thursday. So the human resources department may not look at your credentials until Friday or even the following Monday. But if you e-mailed that resume and cover letter, hiring managers would probably have seen it within minutes. They could be calling you for an interview instead of waiting for your documents through the mail. The quicker you apply for jobs, the quicker you may get hired. And e-mail can be your ticket out of the unemployment line • Cost. Even if you pay a monthly fee to an Internet service provider (ISP), you can literally save yourself hundreds of dollars on postage, labels, printer ink, gas, stationary and envelopes. Resume paper is a necessity for any job seeker so he can print out fresh copies to hand out in interviews. But resume paper with matching envelopes can be quite pricey when combined with postage. Consider the cost: o Resume paper (Package of 80 sheets): 12.00 (or $0.15/page) o Resume catalog style envelopes (Pack of 10): 8.00 (or $0.80/each) o Postage: $0.55 (or more) per resume So each time you mail a cover letter and resume, you are spending 1.50. If you send out ten resumes a week for a month, you will spend $60. This figure does not even include the gas, ink, labels or time you spent preparing these beauties and driving them to the post office. Now if you e-mailed these same documents and paid your ISP $20 a month, you will have saved $40. Quite a difference! • Access. Some online job boards post openings that may only list an e-mail address for you to contact. If you do not have an e-mail account then you will be at a severe disadvantage. Don’t let e-mail envy prevent you from getting the job you want. • Communication. When someone is interested in you, they may want samples of your work, references, recommendation letters and other records of your credentials. Through e-mail, you can attach files and documents easily. This will save you money and time while quickly letting your contact know you mean business. . not even include the gas, ink, labels or time you spent preparing these beauties and driving them to the post office. Now if you e-mailed these same documents. minutes. They could be calling you for an interview instead of waiting for your documents through the mail. The quicker you apply for jobs, the quicker