A match made in ether: looking for a new job? Sites like Monster are taking the search to a whole new level.

How will you find your next job? What if your next job finds you? Isn't it about time that technology did away with the arcane process of paper resumes piling up on the desks of hiring managers? If only some "bot" would simplify the job-hunting process (which often feels like a full-time job in itself) and customize a cover letter, or notify you the moment an employer shows interest.

That's the kind of world we can expect if Monster, with a global footprint and technology smarts befitting Amazon or Starbucks, has its way. It's a place where 1 million jobs are up for grabs, and where 80 million people apply for a job every day.

Monster may be a "database" company, but it has mastered the power of networking very differently than eBay or MySpace has. When most people in the U.S. think of resumes and employee searches on Monster's monster career site, they think of it as an activity performed on desktop computers. But that may change.

"We are exploring the use of job agents to push the message to your wireless device," says Marcel Legrand, Monster's senior vice president of strategy and corporate development. He believes that someday soon Monster will be "platform agnostic"--that is to say, a job seeker would not necessarily use a computer to conduct a job search. This is almost like someone in the early 1980s saying that banks would one day be "branch agnostic," anticipating the spread of ATMs, phone banking, debit cards and, of course, online banking.

Transparent and accessible

Legrand's vision of Monster is one of a highly localized global machine that would be transparent and accessible. No one has used the phrase "language agnostic" to describe the company, but in a world where "bodyshopping" (not quite outsourcing, but rather the use of people services) and call centers are just another wrinkle in HR, Monster appears to be the global engine that's pulling the train. In Europe, where mobile phone usage is high, it's not unusual for people to interact with service providers using cell phones and text messaging. Thus the idea of giving job seekers a one-push application mechanism was born.

"Monster job seekers have the option of completing a QUICKApply profile, which includes a resume, cover letter and target job title," Legrand explains. When they find a job they like, "they may then submit that information to an employer with the click of one button, and avoid some redundancy as they apply to multiple opportunities."

Job seekers must first register with Monster, upload a resume (this step needs to be on a PC) and set up "agents" that could be customized to look for particular jobs, in a specific industry, within a certain salary range, etc. Then, they can instruct the agent to alert them via SMS (short message service) when an opportunity shows up in Monster's database. This way, they have the advantage of applying for that job without delay. For now, there's RSS (Really Simple Syndication), which delivers targeted job openings based on search criteria via the same kind of reader many people now use to grab news or podcasts.

Content follows connectivity

With the spread of Wi-Fi and WiMax (broadband access for mobile devices), media consumption on trains, buses, subways and ferries is surging. Commuting time is turning into productive time. Mobile Internet access is even blurring the line between work time and travel time. Content always follows connectivity, as we have seen in the rise of social networking, dating sites, sales referral sites and music sites, all of which tap into the networking phenomenon.

Monster has competition: TheLadders, CareerBuilder.com and even Yahoo! HotJobs all ply this terrain. But they don't have the same scope. CareerBuilder .com, co-owned by the publishing companies Gannett and Knight Ridder, is focused on the U.S. market. Yahoo! HotJobs has very good networking, salary information and presence in more than 25 countries, but does not flaunt its global aspect. In this environment, where some expect more than 3.5 billion mobile devices to be in use by 2011, career advancement could be something most of us engage in while we are on the move. Nothing like finding that plum job before boarding the southbound train to London Euston.

Monster has several other tools that are valuable to job seekers, such as a salary center, interview center, a highly useful blog, volunteering help and message boards. Which begs the question: Is Monster clearly on the side of employees? Legrand does not think so--or at least will not address this idea. But let's face it: HR is increasingly plagued by that pesky little problem called retention, and could do with some help too. Legrand cites numerous instances where Monster has also been a boon to employers. "We launched a customized Hurricane Katrina relief web site last September offering [employers] free online job postings," he says. It has jumped in to help some companies during difficult layoffs, with outplacement services for the employees. Log into Monster India's site (www .monsterindia.com), and you'll think the reverse is true--that it is on the side of employers. The logos of several high-tech companies, such as Dell, Nortel, Microsoft and IBM, are prominently displayed, with links not to the corporate web sites but to their local Indian domains. There are also links that allow you to search jobs in Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai, or by categories such as finance, engineering, call center and more.

Keeping this balance is a key feature for a company that is in the business of matchmaking. Inside a large database, your resume is just another piece of data, but that piece of data can materialize into a phone call, an e-mail, a job interview or an offer.

A monster business 

* Number of resumes posted on Monster every day: 25,000

* Number of jobs available: 1 million

* Number of resumes searched by employers over the past four years: 200 million

* Number of local content sites: 26, in 24 countries

* Percentage of Fortune 1000 companies served: 90

* Number of member companies: 200,000, across 24 countries

Angelo Fernando is a freelance writer based in Tempe, Arizona, covering business, marketing, media and technology.