Job Search Engines: Winners & Losers

Like most people who are searching for jobs right now, job search engines have become both a friend and enemy to me. There are the usual suspects that I have used in past job hunts and then there are new job boards that utilize social networking that I am using for the first time. Obviously, human networking is always best but not always practical. In the meantime, job boards are the sea into which I throw my net in the attempt that I can catch a single fish. My opinion thus far:

1. Indeed.com

Having a vertical search engine do most of the work for me makes my job quest much easier. Indeed consistently finds positions that I might have overlooked using other search engines and it is not unusual to find a listing that has been put up by the hiring company itself. The user interface is simple and easy and I like that the positions are updated regularly. I find the most hits (jobs most closely aligned with what I am searching for) using this job search and generally find them much sooner than the other job sites. Two thumbs up for Indeed.com!


2.Simply Hired

Much like Indeed.com, Simply Hired is another job posting aggregator. The UI is very similar and just as easy. The reason I am giving Simply Hired only 1 thumb up is because it does not seem to update as quickly as Indeed. I don't often find positions on Simply Hired that I haven't already seen on Indeed when the reverse happens pretty regularly. However, Indeed seems to have been taken hostage by JobFox recently (which I will review shortly) making for a very annoying application process. If this continues to happen, Simply Hired might move up a position.


3. LinkedIn

I appreciate what LinkedIn has become and what LinkedIn can do...for a select few. My experience, along with many of others I know, LinkedIn is similar to your high school yearbook. Your "popularity", as it were, can be easily determined by looking inside of the yearbook and seeing how many pictures you are in and whether or not you were homecoming queen or class president. I compare this to your resume and overall professional accomplishments. When the end of the year comes (or when you lose your job) you make a fruitful attempt to get as many signatures (or connections) as you can. Sometimes, you ask your teachers (or bosses) to also write something in your yearbook, too (recommendations). In the end, those who were most popular will not need LinkedIn to network because their connections are real and not signatures in the back of their yearbook. So, for me, I can apply to the very few positions that are available on LinkedIn but often times I know my resume will be glossed over because I am just not popular enough.


4.LinkUp

LinkUp is a fairly new (to me, anyway) job posting board that is supposed to uncover hidden jobs from company websites. They monitor thousands of companies to connect applicants to unadvertised jobs on company websites. Their only source are actual company postings which means that they should remain current and there shouldn't be any duplicates. I don't know about any of you, but I know of many companies in the past whose "open positions" I applied for only to realize that they hadn't been updated in some time. Although LinkUp is pulling advertisements of current company postings, they have to assume that the company is actually updating their career section regularly. The UI is a little fuzzy. I mean, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out but it could be a little friendlier. In addition, all I have come across thus far are engineering positions which isn't helpful to me in the least. The concept is so promising, I will continue to give LinkUp a try.

5. Tweetmyjobs

I have to admit that I was very excited about the possibilities that Tweetmyjobs brought when I signed up. Everything that I had been reading said it was going to take the best of social networking and the Tweeting phenomenon and keep job seekers updated about the latest and greatest opportunities as they rolled in. Being a social Tweeter for the past couple of years, I thought this would finally give me a good reason to utilize my Twitter account. The sign-up process is somewhat laborious but, again, the anticipation of non-stop job Tweets makes you forget about the pain. You can sign up for specific "channels" that represent mini job boards. These channels are specific by location and job type (i.e., San Jose- Marketing Jobs). I signed up for about 6 channels and waited for the firestorm. Well, it's been about 4 days now and my daily Tweetmyjobs updates have produced less than 6 jobs a day. Of these 6 jobs, I would say I 2 are close to what I am looking for. So far, I am still not impressed.


6.JobFox

Well-played, JobFox. You nearly took advantage of my dire situation with your "free" resume critique and seemingly personalized service. Your UI is very pleasing and simple enough to navigate. What I think got me was the in-depth questionnaire that I filled out after uploading my resume. For some reason, it reminded me of meeting with a job coach who was going to provide some valuable feedback and locate jobs that matched my search perfectly. The resume critique I received did seem as though it was talking directly to me, which is a nice touch. However, what I have received thus far has been absolutely nothing. I can go to the site and see what jobs most closely match my skill set based on a star rating. I can even apply to these set of jobs if I'd like. However, it is not without constant pestering to sign up and receive better matches and personal introductions. The cost? $20 a month. Seems pretty steep for positions I have already seen on Indeed and Simply Hired and can apply to without being told how upgrading can increase my chances of landing said job. Just show me the jobs without me having to show you the money, okay?


7. Monster/ HotJobs /CareerBuilder

Ah, The Big 3. Updated regularly? Check. Access to many jobs? Check. Relevant jobs? Depends. Friendly User Interface? Sure. Helpful? Well, let's just say in all of my job hunting that I have ever done, none of these search engines has ever proven successful. In addition, these sites are a favorite for spammers and scammers alike. Want to work at home and make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year? Well, if you're on Monster, Careerbuilder or HotJobs, you'll have no problem finding your next opportunity. I have uploaded my resume to one of these sites but I still can't shake the feeling that it's gone to an abyss with millions of others. Overall, I don't find these sites to be worth my time. And right now, time is not on my side.


8. Craigslist

Don't get me wrong, I am a CL lover. I've used Craigslist for all sorts of things, including job hunting in the past...when I was still in college. Now that I consider myself a working professional, I don't think I would trust a Craigslist search for my next career. Firstly, a company that can only afford to post a position on Craiglist is really pinching pennies and probably won't pay you what you're worth. Secondly, if the company's only employee search is via Craigslist, then they aren't putting much energy into finding the best possible candidate which says a lot about the company itself. Thirdly, Craigslist is a breeding ground for all sorts of scams right now. It's an unfortunate thing, but when times are bad and people are desperate, sleazebags get creative and look for every opportunity to take advantage of the situation. What I'm saying is: Buyer Beware.