Why Job Boards Aren't Working for You.

Not so long-ago job seekers started using job boards, including Indeed and Career.com to apply for a position while posting their resumes to allow recruiters and hiring managers to view their information. However, times are changing within our increasingly tech-driven world today, social media platforms have dominated how we communicate, share information, and receive news. Job seekers concentrate their applications on online social networks; wherein the convenience and shareability of jobs through social media have provoked a shift away from the ‘career fair’ quality of job boards, candidates send out impersonal cover letters accompanied by generic resumes to a name and an email.

The job market today is getting strict, and the competition is very high. It is perfectly normal to find yourself discouraged by repeatedly applying to jobs on job boards and not hearing anything, or only getting responses for jobs that are completely not you. But, do job boards work? How do job boards work? What are the pros and cons of job boards? The reason why job boards are not as effective as they used to be, is that they are not accessible and mobile-friendly. They don't work for most job search candidates, but we tend to think that it's something we're doing wrong as job seekers.
 
It is a common experience to feel like a job board is not working for us and below are the three reasons why.
 
You are not using the proper keywords
 
Job boards and resumes must be aligned with each other many people are not aware of this. Employers are searching for candidates who know the particular role that they have. If you don’t naturally have the keywords in your experience, you will not attract their attention. When we say naturally, it means that you don’t have a current position or previous experience that might be a title that they are going to use for the said job search.
 
For example, if there is a job opening for a project manager, employers might look for candidates who have the same experience and/or current/previous job title in their resume. If you don’t have that title, they’re not going to contact you or invite you for an interview no matter how well your resume is written and it goes for almost any level.
 
Job boards are not for career changers 
 
A global pandemic has affected our economy, and many businesses are closing or experiencing challenges, thus making the job search more challenging than ever. Layoffs and reduction of the workforce have made people pursue a career that sometimes they don’t like because they don’t have a choice and it is a matter of survival. Many people are changing careers, and job boards are not helping them, why? You can refer to the first point above.
 
In addition to that, if a candidate’s recent job title is Director of Marketing and looking to break into something new because his current title doesn’t match the job post, he will not be considered. Hence, the power of networking or referrals will come in handy, especially if you are changing careers or applying for a different job for the time being. Highlighting the transferable skills you can offer to your future employers in your resume or LinkedIn profile will help you a lot.
 
You are dealing with an automated system
 
Employers are also looking for automation in hiring and recruitment. Nowadays most of them are using a system that collects information from job candidates. Job seekers are hoping an algorithm and a search term will cause someone to reach out to them, which was the electronic equivalent of playing the lottery for their retirement plan. Just when you're dealing with an electronic process and not reaching out to people directly, it's hard to control anything.
 
Still, it is much better to reach out to people you know versus trying to play an electronic algorithm, you have a greater chance of getting a response. Indeed, the most significant impact has been made by LinkedIn, custom-designed for employers and recruiters to discover and connect with employees with the exact skill sets they require. So, if you are still not sure if you want to use job boards or not, you may want to contact us. We are more than willing to assist you with your job search.

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To learn more about Why Job Boards Aren't Working for You, schedule a call today to speak with one of our career experts. 
 
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