Double J Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 It seems I've only been able to get responses from jobs on Craigslist, most of which are low-paying, dead-end jobs advertised by fledgling or unstable companies. Since I began searching in mid March, I haven't had much luck with CareerBuilder. I've only received calls from staffing agencies for the most part. I received a call from a legitimate employer that called to tell me that the position I applied for had frozen, but that they were opening a different one and wanted to see if I was interested. Unfortunately, I wasn't. Before I got laid off last year, and even when I just got out of college, CareerBuilder and Monster still didn't help that much. The job I got laid off from was found via CareerBuilder, but that was pretty much it. Even when the economy is booming, I think jobs advertised on CareerBuilder and Monster still receive tons of applications because everyone and their cousin uses them. I had more success turning to my college's career services site, and lesser known job boards like link removed. I received 4 offers using those two sites alone. (Granted, the economy was still a lot better in late 2007/early 2008.) The number of jobs on those sites has since dried up, too. I guess it pays off to go directly to the employers' websites and try to find openings not listed on CB and Monster. I've found that link removed and link removed are good because they pull jobs from various websites. How much success have you guys had using the big boys (Monster, CareerBuilder and Craigslist)? Are there any obscure, less popular websites that have come in handy? Also, what other job searching tips can you share in these dire economic times? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gromalamaz Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 I found my current position posted on Careerbuilder, however, I went directly to the company website and applied through there. I think this made a difference -- I wasn't just one of the many people out there sending their resumes out to a multitude of postings through a job search site. I also researched companies in my area (in my line of work) and sent letters of interest to them with my resume. Many of the companies also had an area on their site where you could submit/store your information for future openings. I think it helps to be able to dig a little deeper. Best of luck in your search! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shes2smart Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 I've gone to two different job/career coaches in the last 5 years. Both of them, plus several "job seeking" books I've read all say the same thing - While finding a job online sounds like the easiest/most efficient way to go about it, in many cases it's still relatively new and hasn't caught on with a lot of employers yet. Many (if not most) jobs are still found the "old fashioned" way -- networking. You know someone who knows someone who works somewhere and they have an opening, so they put in a good word for you. Being the anti-social introvert that I am, this was the LAST thing I wanted to hear when I got downsized last year. Then I looked at my own employment history - First job - got it in part because I worked with this guy at my college radio station and he was leaving this position to work at another radio station in another state. He put in a good word for me to be his replacement. I was in that job for 20 years. Next job - got it in large part because I had worked for the guy before. He had moved on to a new company and about 2 years later, asked me to join him. I was there for 5 years. Next job - when I got downsized and decided to leave the radio business, I got the job I have now because 1-the guy who is my immediate supervisor used to be one of my listeners so I already kinda knew him and 2-my husband used to work for this company so they already kinda knew me. "Networking" doesn't mean you have to have superficial, self-serving connections with a lot of people (some of whom you probably don't like)....it simply means maintaining relationship with people you DO like -- and helping them out when you can, and in turn they're likely to do the same. I am moving toward doing full time freelance voiceover work, which essentially means I'll be looking for a job ALL THE TIME. While I'm using online resources to their fullest, and I am getting work through various online avenues, I find I'm getting more work through my network and maintaining those relationships. Before I decided to start my own business and was still looking for a full time job working for someone else, I noticed it was too easy to submit resumes for things through the online job search sites and feel like I'd "done something." Yeah, I'd "done something" that made me feel better.....but in my case wasn't as effective (if you're define "effective" as "getting hired") as working the connections with people I already knew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuffy Nose Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 That sounds about right, shes2smart. I've been looking on all the job sites, sending out resumes everywhere. I've only gotten calls from staffing companies, and very low paying jobs. I'm not looking for a career, though, just a way to make some money. Even for these, mainly entry level jobs, the online sources haven't been too useful. I tried a job fair, and it was many times more useful. I have several interviews coming up now. I think it's less about knowing the person, and more about knowing that it is a person, as opposed to looking at applicants online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavenderdove Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 Here's some more: Yahoo Hotjobs link removed link removed link removed Also, look at the website for you local newspaper which will usually have a lot of jobs. I have gotten all my jobs off these websites (or newpaper websites), and when i'm looking, every week i search them all. Also, find out the names of companies that in general have jobs in your field, and go to their individual websites. The other thing to do is really evaluate your resume and make sure it is in tip top shape and showcases your skills. I tried different resumes, and some got hits and some didn't, and eventually refined the resume until i had something that people said they liked. Try getting some books on resume writing to look for ideas. But keep in mind that the economy is just impossible now. When times are good, I used to get a call for about every 3 resumes i sent out, and now i can send out 50 before i get a call. There are just a lot of people looking, so lots of competition, no matter where you apply, so you have to expect it will take a long time. I've heard that the average time to get a job now is anywhere from 6 months to 18 months depending on your industry and age. Companies are laying off and many aren't hiring, so even if you're great, there just is precious little out there and hundreds of people for them to choose from. Since the resume is the thing that gets their attention, i'd spend some time on that now, and visit 20 or 30 different websites a week sending resumes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavenderdove Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 And I agree with the other poster who said to find the opening on one of the large sites like Careerbuilder, then go straight to the company's own website to apply rather than applying thru careerbuilder. Once you find the name of an employer thru one of the large sites, you can start looking on that employer's own site every week and grab new postings as soon as they arrive and get your resume in early. Most companies look thru resumes until they find a few that meet their qualifications then interview those people, and may not look at resumes sent in a week or two after the job was first listed if they've already found enough good people to interview. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ConfusedDater Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 90% of my job interviews came from Craiglist and the job that just hired me was from...................Craiglist Stay away from Careerbuilder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ConfusedDater Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 Hotjobs is not good for nothing but telemarketing jobs. American Income Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganBohemian Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 I found my current job on Craigslist, but I hate it...and you have to watch out for a lot of spam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ConfusedDater Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 I found my current job on Craigslist, but I hate it...and you have to watch out for a lot of spam. But you can't overlook the fact that you found a job through CL. CL has helped you bring in MONEY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omh44 Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Craigslist seems pretty promising to me, but I agree, watch out for any spam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ConfusedDater Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 My only advice is to stay away from link removed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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