The Employment Report

Monster.com, CareerBuilder and HotJobs are the most popular job boards on the internet, which are both their greatest strengths and their worst weaknesses.

Due to their popularity, a great many companies use the Websites to list job openings that might interest you. Whatever your career is currently, you can find dozens of jobs in that field listed in any given week. If you’re looking to switch careers, there are similarly dozens of opportunities in whichever new field interests you. Let’s say you know you want to switch careers, but don’t know exactly what it is you want to do, you can use the big three sites as a research tool to see what industries are in your area; what they pay, what they require and what they do.

However, just as there are thousands of employers listing jobs, there are millions of users applying via those Websites. The competition for those jobs is tremendous with employers getting literally thousands of responses to their listings. Your one little résumé and cover letter can easily get lost in that monster stack, pun fully intended.

Although they have a few networking tools like a forum, they don’t offer a surefire way to market your résumé like an employment agency can. Rick Kleinschmidt of Right Fit Staffing characterizes the Monster.com process as “just post and hope.”

That’s not to say that it’s impossible to find a job utilizing these Websites. It may just require a little more effort than the marketing will lead you to believe.

Target Jobs

It’s really easy when surfing one of the big three to see a job that “might” interest you, or that you “sort of” have the qualifications for and then click to apply. This clogs up the inbox of the employer and the first thing they will do is triage the applications. If you don’t have the qualifications or education they are looking for, you are red tagged and brushed to the curb.

Whereas this doesn’t harm you, it does teach you lazy habits. When you do come across a posting that is exactly what you are looking for and you meet those qualifications; you won’t give that posting the attention and detail that will win you an interview. Maximize your job search by only applying for jobs that both highly interest you and that you are highly qualified for. This will increase your application to interview ratio and do wonders for your self esteem – not to mention, your chances of landing the job.

Multiple Résumés

A prime mistake that most users make is only building one profile and expecting to use it for all of the jobs they apply for. Nothing could be less effective.

Multiple résumés enables you to better address the needs of each individual employer. Just as you want to be considered unique, so does the employer. Tailor your profile and résumé to speak to their list of qualifications for the job. A résumé highlighting your skills and knowledge may make it easier for the hiring manager to review than one chronologically ordered. Discern the needs of the company and tailor your résumé to those needs.

Unique Cover Letters

Write a unique cover letter for each job you apply for. It may sound like a chore, but it’s going to help you stand out.

A cover letter is your sales pitch. It’s a way to tell an employer unique information about you they can’t see in your résumé. The best sales pitches take their audience into consideration. Research the company you are applying at and, if possible, the position you are applying for. Tailor your letter to explain how you best fit the specific needs of that position. Use examples from your research to show that you know the company. Make them stand out in your letter as much as you want to stand out in the hiring process.

Attention to Detail

Before sending your résumé/profile to any employer, run through it several times to look for any errors. If possible, have a second set of eyes give it a gander as well. Once that résumé is in the hands of the employer you can’t get it back to correct it.  With so many résumés to dig through, an employer is just looking for any reason to dismiss it, and any small mistake might be the excuse they’re looking for.

Be Patient

Looking for a new job can take months. Don’t expect to hear back about every position you apply for. With so many applicants, it’s unreasonable to expect companies to get back to each and every one.

Most importantly, the big three job boards can be an effective tool in locating a new job, but they shouldn’t be your only tool. Utilize a network, send applications to companies that might not be advertising positions but you want to work for anyway, explore any and all leads that come your way, and follow-up on all résumés you send.