So here you are, a fresh-faced job seeker with a professionally written resume in hand (or on your hard drive, anyway). You are a mixture of emotions: anxious, a little excited, uncertain, maybe even a bit bitter about having to look for a new job in the first place. But most of all, you are hopeful.
It sounds so easy...and so quick.
But after a few frustrating weeks, you soon find out that it is anything but easy or quick. You've spent practically whole days combing the Internet, uploading your resume everywhere, replying to posting after posting...and what do you have to show for it? Probably very little.
Now you're experiencing even more emotions, including anger. And you are ready to blame someone. You probably start with your resume writer because after all you spent good money to see results. And so far, you aren't seeing results!
Before you clobber your resume writer, however, let me clue you in on a dirty, little secret: Online job posting sites are the most ineffective way to get a job!
Yes, it is true. And the bigger they are, the more ineffective they seem to be. Depending on which report you find, these sites have a less than 4% effectiveness rate. And when you ask most job seekers where they spend the bulk of their job-seeking time, they will tell you that they spend 85-90% of it on the Internet.
I know, I know. These sites are popping up everywhere. And why not? Job seekers are now convinced that they are the answer to their prayers.
It's sad, really, because although the Internet is definitely a great research tool and has some great resources, it has really taken on a reputation that it cannot live up to, particularly when it comes to the job search.
Why don't these sites work? The reasons are diverse, but essentially, many companies post for positions that they either end up filling internally or through other connections (referrals, recruiters, etc.). Employers are often bombarded with applications through these postings, and it can take them weeks to get through them all. In many cases, they may even give up looking through these applicants to pursue some other avenue for finding the best candidate.
Listen. At the end of the day, a job search is all about action. And although these sites keep you busy filling in online questionnaires and uploading files, more times than not, your info ends up in some black hole, never to see the light of day again. So all that time you spent equates to nothing more than busy work.
Does that mean I think you shouldn't bother with these sites? Not necessarily. I think you need to be careful in the ones you choose to spend time with. Find ones that are more local to your area and specialize in your field. Don't get waste time with too many, and instead use the Internet to research companies, hear about potential openings, link up with old colleagues, and find valuable resources like group job hunting forums.
So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?
My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have been in the career consulting business since 2002 with 8 years of hiring experience prior to that.
The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional resume writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 6 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.
I know that my products will work for you because they are based on commonsense principles leveraged with good, solid expertise and knowledge of the job search process. After working with countless job seekers, I have become more and more convinced that most of them do not properly prepare for a job search and rely way too much on online sites and trendy articles to tell them what to do. Thus, they waste a lot of time, money, and energy.
If you still aren't sure whether our services are right for you, feel free to give me a call toll-free at 1-866-755-9800 or better yet, sign up to receive my free Job Search Advice eGuide today.
Starting in February 2009, I will be launching a brand new group job hunting networking site called Noddle Place. You can check it out at http://www.noddleplace.com
