A good job-hunting campaign should pay only a small amount of attention to want ads and internet job boards. Many job-hunters spend long hours patrolling the internet for job ads, which generally only gets them more depressed. Research indicates that fewer than 10% of executives find work through want ads, print or internet; however, most job-hunters devote far more than 10% of their time to want ads. It can’t hurt to set up agents at the major job boards, and to list your resume on-line as well. You should also check out the industry-specific sites (such as the Society of Manufacturing Engineers site, if you have a background in that field, or Dice, if you have an IT background). These sites frequently have job boards with positions that would be particularly appropriate for your background. The key here is to limit your time in this area to no more than 10% of your total job-hunting time.
The internet is a good place to do research, however. It can help you identify potential companies for direct mail or networking campaigns, and is a good place to research a company before an interview.
If you are actively looking, it is a good idea to join one or two of the fee-based executive job-hunting sites, such as The Ladders, RiteSite or Netshare (RiteSite or The Ladders allow recruiters to post ads for free, and RiteSite also allows recruiters to view your resume for free; the major job boards, such as Indeed, Monster and Career Builder, charge recruiters a hefty annual fee to view your resume).