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Job search was the fastest growing US online content-site category in 2008, according to digital ratings authority comScore. The growth coincides with the loss of over 2 million jobs and a rising unemployment rate, but it also underscores how easy and effective the Web can be for finding a job.

“Online job search resources provide a vital service to those in need of new job prospects and opportunities, and Americans are turning online for this assistance now more than ever,” said Jack Flanagan, executive vice president of comScore.

But are job seekers using Web tools to their best advantage? Here are several essential tips for making the Internet work you:

Diversify Your Search

You want to cast a wide net when looking for a job, so don’t limit yourself to one site or type of site. In addition to job boards like Monster.com, try sites associated with your relevant industry or professional associations, alumni career resources and local career centers.

Search Many Terms

Think about possible synonyms for the types of jobs you want. If you’re looking for a sales job, you should search on all relevant terms like “sales rep,” “account executive,” “sales associate” or “inside sales.”

Use a Job-Search Agent

Once you create a profile and do an online job search, many sites allow you to save your search parameters so you can be notified via email when new job postings arrive that fit the parameters of your search.

Research Every Promising Job Opportunity

The Web makes it very easy to learn about places you might want to work. For example:

• Check individual company sites to learn about the culture or corporate mission.
• Search news sites for relevant reports about a potential employer or follow its financial performance.
• Ask questions about certain employers through your online networking groups or other resources, like the Monster Career Advice forums.
• Prepare your salary expectations by using the Monster’s salary tools.

Connect with Social Networking Sites

You can use your profiles on sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and ZoomInfo for professional benefits. The sites let you highlight your work experience and achievements, learn about new job openings from your contacts, or keep a mini blog about your accomplishments or job search.

These suggestions are just a few of the many creative ways people use these tools to network successfully. In addition, recruiters increasingly use these sites to search for information about candidates, so having an updated profile can boost your exposure.

But that exposure leads to a final caution, since most people also use those sites for recreational purposes:

Monitor Your Online Appearance, or Digital Footprint

Do an Internet search on your name, and examine the list of search results. Are there questionable photos you should “untag” or inappropriate comments you should delete? Use the privacy settings on your profiles, and be discreet about people you let into your networks and the information you share.

Getting hired is all about making a good impression, so make sure your online appearance enhances the impression you make.

Mounting a job search when you’re unemployed may leave you feeling like you can’t compete with your gainfully employed peers. This just isn’t true. Transform your resume from holding you back to propelling your success.

“The best way to address an employment gap depends on how long you’ve been out of work,” says Teena Rose, director of resume-writing firm ExpertResumes.com. Unemployed for a year or less? Then your best strategy may be to say nothing. “Shorter time frames of up to a year or so aren’t absolute necessities to explain on a resume,” says Rose, noting that she advises her clients with less than 12 months of unemployment to resist the temptation to overexpound. “Hiring managers understand job candidates will have date gaps from time to time, especially when factoring in the jobs lost during this recent recession,” she says.

Longer employment gaps can be trickier, and this is where your resume could use some well-crafted words to show how you’ve filled that gap. Here’s how to write a resume to show you’ve been productive while between jobs.

Emphasize How, Not Why

“Hiring managers are more interested in knowing how you used your time away from the workforce as opposed to why you were unemployed,” says Anne-Marie Ditta, president of First Impression Career Services, a Mount Vernon, New York-based career-planning firm. Instead of focusing on the layoff, company closure, job termination, caregiver responsibilities or other circumstances that led to unemployment, Ditta recommends you spotlight how this time off allowed you to acquire new skills, deepen existing industry knowledge or cultivate your contacts.

Get Busy During Your Unemployment

If you can’t think of a single resume-worthy activity or pursuit to show how you’ve used your time off, then you need to get busy. “I coach my clients that unemployment is not vacation time,” says Kathy Sweeney, president of resume-writing firm The Write Resume. “If they haven’t been involved in some sort of activity, I implore them to investigate options to gain further experience.”

Many activities can provide compelling resume content. For example, volunteering; tutoring; coaching sports; learning a new computer program; studying a foreign language; or pursuing temporary, freelance or contract work can show current experience on the resume.

For example, a stay-at-home parent can highlight her accomplishments as a volunteer like this: “Won board approval to establish a community parent/child playgroup at the town hall. Led grassroots group to raise $47,500 annually and opened new revenue stream for county.”

Sweeney tells her clients “that experience is experience, regardless of whether it is paid or volunteer. If a client is enrolled in school, for example, I will make that a full-time job on the resume. I’ll include information on the certificate or degree program as well as any quantifiable results, such as grades or instructor praise.”

Ditta emphasizes the importance of showcasing what you accomplished during your unemployment, just as you would for paid employment. “‘Devoted four years to managing a large estate and complex/difficult medical decisions while caring for terminally ill parent’ will be better-received by an employer than ‘took time off to care for a sick relative,’” she says.

Avoid These Resume Mistakes

• Never Exaggerate Dates on Your Resume to Extend the Duration of Your Last Job: “Stretching dates to cover a gap is lying on a resume, and that is never a good option,” Ditta warns.
• Don’t Feel Forced to Use a Traditional Resume Format: A purely chronological resume may not be the best option for those who have been unemployed for a number of years. Instead, explore the advantages of a combination resume, Rose suggests. This type of resume allows you to emphasize key skills while downplaying employment gaps.
• Don’t Sell Yourself Short: “The most common mistake I see unemployed professionals make on their resumes is minimizing their contributions,” Ditta says. “I’ve worked with clients who have raised significant amounts of money for nonprofit organizations, for example, but when asked about this, they reply that they were only a volunteer. The fact is that they achieved it, and therefore, they should take credit for it.”

Remain Proactive

“When it comes to covering resume gaps created by unemployment, it’s best to be proactive rather than reactive,” Rose says. By focusing on what you’ve achieved during this challenging period, you will demonstrate to employers your can-do attitude, resourcefulness and ability to drive successful results.

Here are half a dozen essential tips for landing the right job — in good economic times or bad:

Try a Sales Technique

Be prepared during a telephone screening or a first interview to make the “60-second sell,” a four- to five-sentence summary of your biography and career accomplishments, according to Robin Ryan, a career counselor and author of 60 Seconds & You’re Hired!

“When they say, ‘Tell me about yourself, why should I hire you?’ you have a memorized statement about why you’d be good on the job,” says Ryan.

Work Your Personal Network

Networking doesn’t have to be confined to business contacts, especially when you’re trying to break into a big company that may use automated software to screen applicants.

Ask everyone you know if they have a connection to a specific employer; the goal is to get your resume forwarded to a hiring manager via the company’s internal network, rather than having it come from the outside and get lost in the shuffle of other applicants.

“Microsoft gets 100,000 resumes a month — how do you think they’re going to find you otherwise through that cyber hole?” Ryan says.

Expand Your Horizon

Julie Jansen, a career coach and author of I Don’t Know What I Want, But I Know It’s Not This, recommends attending professional association meetings in a related field as well as those in your own specialty.

For example, although your experience may be in marketing, add gatherings for finance executives or other fields in which you could apply your skills and experience to your regular schedule of ad and marketing group meetings.

Another networking strategy is to give it the old college try by tapping alumni — even those you don’t know.

“Most universities have online directors of alumni, so I’d go that route if possible,” says Jansen. “If not, contacting the alumni office would be Plan B.”

Check Your Skill Set

Although you may not have the time or financial resources to pursue an advanced degree, taking additional coursework in your field to boost specific skills can get you noticed by a recruiter. Also, don’t forget to cite key experience gained from volunteering for community, school or nonprofit groups.

“Look at your transferrable skills, including project management, budgeting, supervising others and organizational planning,” Ryan says.

Know Your Worth

Even during a downturn, it’s a mistake to settle for less just to get the job. Before accepting an offer, consult a salary survey or online salary calculator to make sure the package is competitive within your field.

“It’s an outdated idea that you should take anything to get your foot in the door,” Ryan says. “It could take you 10 years to get a decent salary.”

Do It Daily

Whether it’s posting your resume in the common area of your apartment building, or sharing your job hunt with your doctor, dentist or dermatologist, you should incorporate your search for work into every aspect of your daily life.