ARE JOB BOARDS BROKEN? A PROFESSIONAL'S VIEW

This entry is taken from a weekly newsletter written by a professional recruiter designed to constructively inform its recipients on the effectiveness of the internet as a means of applying for jobs online.

The writer's identification has been deleted since the purpose of this entry is to inform but not to advertise.

"Good Monday morning,

If you've been looking for a job recently, you've discovered the ugly truth: job boards are broken. They don't work, they don't help, and they aren't getting you where you need to go. Sure it sounds nice in theory — making it so easy to apply to jobs for anybody from anywhere at any time. But the truth is that the Internet has made it too easy for anybody to apply to any job. So what happens? Everybody applies. The typical job posting on Monster or CareerBuilder can get hundreds of applications, which means talented professionals like you can't stand out from the crowd of student drivers, stand-up comics, and late-night janitors who have also lobbed in an application. And recruiters and hiring managers have discovered it as well.

Job boards are broken for them because when they have an important position to fill, and only a little bit of time to do it, they don't have hours and hours and hours to sort through all the inappropriate applications that come to them over the internet.I mean, how many folks do you know in HR with tons of extra time on their hands these days? With all of the budget cuts over the past few years, they have less time than ever for each job they're working on. Job boards are broken... and that's why we do things differently here at --------. I've been in this business for over a --------- and have crisscrossed the country speaking with job seekers. Just like the snowflakes, each one of us is unique — we've got special backgrounds, a twist on our experience, or insights that nobody else has. It's this special background, after all, that makes you so valuable to employers.

So my colleagues here at -------- and I want to make your job search strategy as attractive as you are as a professional. We want to help you emphasize what makes you a better person for the position than all the other applicants — your search should be as special as you are. Are you doing the most to make yourself stand out? Are you taking the right steps to make yourself more attractive? Is your approach on the phone, in email, in person as effective as it could be to make yourself stand apart? Are your marketing materials (your resume, your interview answers, your interview questions) designed to make you irresistible to your future employer? If not, if you're just another form to be processed, another LinkedIn profile to be stacked up, another in the long line of applicants to be weeded out... you're not making your job search as attractive as you could be.

And that's why job boards are broken... by shoe-horning you into the same cattle chute as all the other applicants, job boards fail at the essential task of highlighting your special experience and background.That's why we take a different approach to connecting job-seekers and opportunities. We have at least two human beings screen every job before we let it onto our site to ensure it pays over $----------per year in salary and bonus. And we have a team of people that reviews every job-seeker, every company, and every recruiter to ensure they are appropriate for our $----------community before they are allowed onto our site. That's why we focus on making your job search more effective through articles and advice tailored to the $--------job search, professional resume writers who know how to make you stand out, and a personal Job Search Advisor to help you get the most out of our site. Folks, we all know job boards are broken. Let's start fixing your job search today in order to make 2011 a great year for you and your family. I'll certainly be rooting for you!"
Warmest regards,

Author's note:
"I've been writing these newsletters weekly for almost ---------in order to provide you with the advice, encouragement, and assistance you need in your professional job hunt. I'll take what we've learned at --------during the week, or experiences I've had with job-seekers all over the country, and try to find a usable lesson, a valuable insight, or a helpful tip to share with you on Monday morning.

I do read your replies to this newsletter. Because of the volume of replies — typically over 1,000 per week — I'm unable to answer you personally, but one of our very qualified staff from our Job Search Support team will get back to you — most of the time within three hours or less. As I am interested in every reply I get, I'll also occasionally reach out directly by phone or by email to say thanks, or ask a question, or to see how we can solve your problem better. Thanks for reading!"

Blogger's Note:

Having interviewed 100's of candidates who are searching for Career Positions the number of interviews obtained per 100 applications sent out via the internet varies between 0.5 - 4%. The number of interviews which result in relevant offers is less than 0.5%.The impact on applicants is traumatic.This blog has been written for the same reason as the author's, namely, to help clarify the process for those who have an interest in this matter.