by Norma Mushkat Gaffin
Monster Staff Writer

Remember buying resume paper? There were so many options. You wanted your resume and cover letter to be pretty yet professional, and you wanted them to stand out but not too much. Then sites like Monster that post jobs, as well as general email correspondence, took the stress out of that paper-buying decision.

But be aware: You can further alleviate job-search stress by applying online to Monster job postings. All you have to do is click on the "Apply Now" button at the bottom of a job posting. Here are five reasons to take advantage of this feature:

Cost

When you're looking for a job, the price of every stamp counts. Applying online means your resume will not get lost in the mail or not go through when faxing.

Accuracy and Flexibility

When you apply online, everything goes through the Monster Web site, and you receive an immediate confirmation that you have applied for the job. So even if an employer has a typo in the contact information, rather than that resume you emailed getting lost in cyberspace, employers will see you've applied when they visit the Web site.

You can build resumes by going through the Monster Resume Builder, using our copy-and-paste option or uploading a Microsoft Word document to your My Monster account.

Application History

Have you ever sent off a resume and then had the haunting feeling that you might have already applied for that job? When you apply online to a Monster job posting, Monster saves a record of it to your History in your My Monster account for 18 months. Each record includes the date you sent your resume, the job title and company name. No more worrying about sending a resume to a company twice for the same position.

You Won't Be Mistaken for Spam

With all the viruses hitting email inboxes, hiring managers are wary of email with attachments unless they know the sender. Applying online through the Monster site helps you get around this. Since everything is done via our Web site, prospective employers will receive your resume from Monster, a recognized entity.

Easy Access to Cover Letters

When you apply online, you can choose any cover letter you have already stored on Monster, make changes to a stored cover letter to customize it for a specific position or create a brand new one. This can help you expedite the process without forgetting that very important note that helps you create a great first impression.