Using a Job Site
When looking for employment, which job site you chose can be the difference between satisfaction and frustration. Picking the wrong page to upload a resume to can lead to increased spam or even identity. Another job site maybe completely harmless, but lack enough listings in your area to be of any help. Therefore, before making your mind up about which job site to use it’s a good idea to make sure it fit’s a few criteria.
For starters, use a job site that you’ve either heard of, know someone who had good luck with, or can find good reviews for. Although new job sites pop up daily, if no one you know has heard of it then there’s a good chance that employers haven’t either. If you found out about the site through spam mail, then it’s probably best to avoid it. The same goes for websites that require you to register before browsing the available job listings.
Make sure the job site you chose has an understandable Privacy Policy and take the time to read it. This is the part of the webpage that will tell you who will have access to your personal information, how it will be used, and how long your posted resumes will stay in circulation. If an exact amount of time is not listed then your old resume can stay on the site for years, surfacing later to cause trouble in your career by making your boss believe you’re still searching for work. Also remember that a privacy seal from TRUSTe or BBBonline does not ensure the quality of a job site, only that it has agreed to undergo audits and adhere to it’s listed policy.
Before signing up for a job site do a brief once over to make sure there are jobs in your area in your particular industry. Take the time to notice the dates a few of these listings were posted in order to make sure that the site is frequently updated and still in favor with employers. If possible check to see whose posting the jobs on the site. Are they listed by employers or agencies on behalf of employers, such as temp agencies? Since many companies prefer to hire directly, rather than through a third party, job listings made by the employer themselves are preferable.
Remember that using only one job site will limit the number of listing you’re exposed to. Since not all employers can avoid big name web pages for their vacancy announcements, it’s often more effective to use one largely known site, one locally known site, and a industry specific site. If seriously searching for a new job, then don’t rule out old methods like the newspaper classifieds and social networking, because only about 20 percent of open positions ever make it to job sites.
