They’re too big and not targeted.- A large part of the jobs are lower-level positions.
- Many jobs they include are already filled.
- Employers will post jobs and then hire from within.
- When you make your resume searchable, you lay yourself open to approaches from scams.
Here’s a recent real case in point:
After keeping her resume private on one major job board, one professional decided that she had nothing to lose a year after a layoff by opening access to all employers and recruiters and making it searchable.
Predictably, within days she started receiving emails from insurance companies and other “recruiters” offering her a great future if she only contacted them, took a course, or something else suspect. Because these were anonymous emails and obviously not targeted to her personally, she trashed them immediately. For a couple of companies, though, she took the time to check them out on the web—and found several results that associated the word “scam” with them. At that point, she could have changed her settings to block public access to her resume, but she persisted.
One afternoon a week later she received a phone call from a legitimate employer’s recruiter, who had found her through a resume search. The call led to an in-person interview with the recruiter and a planned second interview with the executive team.
The following week she received an email about a temp-to-perm job that called for the skills she offered, asking her to call if interested. The sender signed the email, but forgot to mention that a job board resume search was the source. Our subject called and learned that the job was a real lead offering good pay. The short phone call concluded with plans for follow-up by the recruiting firm and a pitch to the employer.
So, you decide.
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Posts
In 1999 I was hired by a company that found my resume on Monster.com. When that job ended, I went online and found another one, also on Monster.com
ReplyDeleteI think it is much harder for your resume to be found today. There are many more sites, not to mention many more candidates. I have not been contacted by anyone worthwhile after more than one year.
Janet,
ReplyDeleteYou're right. The competition is thick, and it's definitely hit or miss for resumes on job boards like Monster. I suggest you make sure the key words are in your resume that will get recruiters to you in a search. That will increase your odds.
Late to the conversation, Cynthia, but I have my own potential testimonial as of this morning. After pursuing a mostly networking-based job search for a few weeks, I finally went back on Monster and Career Builder to update long forgotten resumes there. Within 24 hours, I had half a dozen e-mails and two phone calls regarding "Territory Manager/Sales" positions with Aflac -- something in which I am decidedly not interested. But this morning I received a call from a recruiter looking to fill a temporary contractor position in my line of work for the major competitor of the company I most recently worked for, something in which I am decidedly interested.
ReplyDeleteWe'll see how it goes, but I have to say I was surprised. I updated the resumes on those job boards more as a matter of going through the motions following advice at a weekly job search support session.
Speaking of which, you are providing a wonderful service with this blog on so many levels. There is a special place in heaven for you.
All the best,
Michael Clendenin
Michael,
ReplyDeleteYou are too kind, but thanks. Good luck with the Monster lead(s). The way I see it, every angle is worth a shot. Also, someone told me yesterday that if you update your resume periodically, even in minor ways, it will get new hits in Monster searches.