April 6, 2011

How to make online job boards work for you

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Q: I have been job-searching for the last six months using online sites such as SnagAJob, Monster, LocalJobWall, JobsOnLine, etc. and am concluding these sites are a total waste of time! I have filled out countless questionnaires and still get daily lists of hundreds of non-pertinent jobs. I have applied for at least 150 jobs with no response except the occasional, "Thank you, your resume is on file with us." Is there a list of reputable online sites? I have been to several job fairs and handed a glossy corporate brochure and told to go to their website to apply. What do you advise?
--IRH, Issaquah

Kristen says: The volume of job sites can be overwhelming. It is important to understand how job boards work. Companies pay for jobs to be posted on specific sites such as Monster and CareerBuilder, which have huge databases of candidates, as well on as industry-specific sites (an example would be the American Marketing Association job board) or local resources such as Craigslist and NWjobs.com. There are also services such as Indeed.com and SimplyHired that set up what are called “scrapers” that index employer career sites then aggregate them for job-seekers. You can check with WorkSource for reliable resources.

Most jobs that are on bona fide job boards are real because they cost companies money to advertise. The scrapers are also fairly reliable as they set up feeds daily. However, the only place to be completely sure a job is “open” is on a corporate website. Anytime you see a job on a board or through a feed, definitely check the organization’s website. The newer the job is (usually there is a job number associated with each position and sometimes a posting date; the higher the number, the newer the job), the greater the chance that it is a valid opening and the better your chances for consideration. It is imperative that your resume contains appropriate key words and is in a reverse chronological format to make sure you come up in candidate searches. The more times a key word appears on your resume, the higher your resume will rank.

There have been some federal (EEOC and Affirmative Action) mandates in the last few years that have resulted in most businesses directing candidates to apply online for any/all positions, especially at job fairs. If you can, get a business card or write down the name of the representative at a job fair and follow up after you have applied. Use LinkedIn to find them if you don’t have a contact address.

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3 Comments

Md. Masum on September 30, 2011 10:34 AM | Reply

I have been job-searching for the last six months using online sites such as SnagAJob, Monster, LocalJobWall, JobsOnLine, etc.

bohnny007 on October 30, 2011 10:50 PM | Reply

Most jobs that are on bona fide job boards are real because they cost companies money to advertise. The scrapers are also fairly reliable as they set up feeds daily. However, the only place to be completely sure a job is “open” is on a corporate website. Anytime you see a job on a board or through a feed, definitely check the organization’s website. The newer the job is (usually there is a job number associated with each position and sometimes a posting date; the higher the number, the newer the job), the greater the chance that it is a valid opening and the better your chances for consideration.

akhtar on November 26, 2011 10:12 PM | Reply

Now a days, many people work In online site. They earn money to leave. so I think that it is a good site for everybody. I am a new applicant in this site. And I hope that I will find a job for leave.

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