Taming the Job Board Beast

They call it “Monster” for a reason.

If you’re looking for work, it’s natural to feel intimidated by the sheer size of massive job boards. And it’s frustrating to scroll through their seemingly endless lists of job postings, searching for a single opportunity that’s truly promising. Even more disheartening is the prospect of applying to dozens of positions, only to receive generic rejection emails.

Want better results? Use PrideStaff’s tips to “tame the job board beast” and make your online job search simpler, more efficient – and ultimately more successful:

• Choose the right board(s) for your career. Before you dive into search mode, make sure you’ve selected the best source for opportunities. Do a little research to determine which boards are right for your career interests and geography.
• Refine your search. Create a list of keywords related to your desired position, industry and geography, and use this as a starting point to narrow your search. Investigate the advanced search features your job board offers to further refine results.
• Be systematic. Experiment with different combinations/variations of keywords to ferret out opportunities that may be “buried” in a job board. A simple tweak in search strings could yield significantly different results – so keep track of what terms work best.
• Filter your search by “recently posted.” The older the job, the more likely it is that the recruiter already has a pool of qualified candidates and is well into the selection process.
• Set up email job alerts. Timing is everything! Take advantage of the “job alert” feature available on most major job boards, so you’re instantly notified when a job that meets your search criteria is posted (so you can be among the first to apply).
• Play by the rules. A beautifully formatted resume may make a great first impression when you deliver it by hand, but it might not be compatible with resume-parsing technology (which is what recruiters use to determine how good a match you are for their jobs). Stick to a simple resume format (MS Word .doc or a .pdf) and skip the graphics, tables and images.

Don’t just search; succeed.

Tired of fruitlessly searching massive job boards? If you’re ready to try something different, contact the PrideStaff office in your area to find out more about a wide variety of local job opportunities. Whether you’re new to the workforce or an experienced professional, we’ll help ensure that you don’t just search, but succeed.