As an HR Manager, I cannot disagree that the internet is an invaluable tool for recruitment. It’s easy to post positions, communicate with applicants, and share information easily. My advice to job-seekers is in stark contrast however; relying on the internet alone get a job might be the very thing keeping you from it.
While major job sites like Monster and Careerbuilder.com advertise themselves a one-stop-solution, in all honesty they’ve become too big for their own good. Posting an advertisement online now can easily yield hundreds of applicants; it is so easy for candidates to jobs there is no incentive not to. Unfortunately, the effect is amplified in this current economy, and while you may meet all the criteria, there is the chance your resume will get lost in the pile. While these websites advertise as having the most number of job postings, many postings are blind advertisements by recruiting middlemen and staffing agencies.
Specialty web-sites like TheLadders.com try to cater to a higher clientele by charging to use their service, but if I am a candidate, why not pay the $25 to take a chance and apply to a high paying position? Social networking sites like Linkedin.com have been touted as the next big thing in job hunting, but risk becoming too saturated as well. The Connections feature on Linkedin is in danger of becoming cliché like loosely defined “friends” were on Facebook; I know you from where? LinkedIn’s answers section, where people can post questions to get advice on a particular area from “experts”, a really great idea in theory, is becoming a place for people to spam unrelated responses to gain a higher visibility.
So what is a job-seeker to do? First, understand that the internet is a great way to find an open position but not the only one. Talking to a person, even if it takes you a few calls can be much more valuable. If you are going to use the internet avoid large sites; shift your search to niche sights, especially if you are a specialist in a particular field. Better yet, research companies you have interest in and apply through their website directly; typically these candidates will get a higher priority.
Most companies will expect you to apply online, so make sure to follow all the instructions, and check for obvious mistakes. I cannot count how many cover letters I’ve received addressed to another organization. And lastly, how do you distinguish yourself from the hundreds of other applicants that may be applying, and are also qualified? Understand the internet is a great source of information, but that e-mails and resumes are cold, lifeless documents. For a recent administrative opening, I had over 100 applicants in 24 hours apply online; only two called to follow up and inquire about the status. Guess who got an interview?
January 20th, 2010 at 6:42 pm
You are right. Great post. The internet is a great place to find out about open positions, but applying and landing a job through a monster or careerbuilder is next to impossible – nobody has ever told me, “I’ve landed my dream job from monster.com!”
Emailing a resume and cover letter is easy – one can do it 50x a day. As you argue, that is exactly what makes it so ineffective.
Never before has creativity, value, and old-fashion communication played such an important role in the job hunt.
January 21st, 2010 at 10:25 am
Excellent article. I strongly encourage my students/clients to use LinkedIn but it’s only for research. The real magic happens once you start having face-to-face conversations to verify your research and learn more.
Also, based on my 15 years of Career Counseling experience, most HR professionals welcome a phone call to inquire on your status or even ask questions BEFORE you apply. The caveat is that you have to be careful as to what you ask. You CAN ask about the procedure to apply, advice on what to negotiate and typical timelines. You CANNOT ask what your chances are of getting an interview, if you’re a fit nor what’s the liklihood of you getting promoted w/i 3 years. Those questions should be asked when you do your informational interviews before applying.
Use the internet to do your research but use your good old fashioned common sense of shaking someone’s hand, learning about what they do and listening to what insight they share about the company’s culture.
January 21st, 2010 at 2:34 pm
This is a good article for new graduates looking for jobs but most of the HR professionals do not pick-up calls or reply to voice mails (in short they don’t entertain us at all) . What is the solution for that?
January 21st, 2010 at 3:37 pm
I would assume that the 3 comments above are from HR people, not professional recruiters.
The power of the job boards works for the recruitment agencies, 10 years ago finding candidates through traditional media was expensive and time consuming. The internet has changed all that, the problem is now how do you find the right candidates.
A good E-Recruitment application like Hiredesk or Mr Ted will solve the problem of filtering responses and will keep track of the most cost effective supply of suitable candidates. If you use a multiposting system like Broadbean then you can post to lots of job boards all at once.
If online recruitment didn’t work then it would have died out years ago.
The successful online recruiters, both agencies and corporations, understand the problems but turn these to opportunities.
whilst working at the British Standards Institution last year I set up a committee to look into creating a BS quality standard for Job Boards and Online recruitment systems. So hopefully some of the inherent problems associated with unscrupulous operators and low quality standards will will be addressed.
Regards
Kevin McMahon
CV Consultant
TheLadders.co.uk
January 22nd, 2010 at 12:24 pm
Sam -
I think a lot of it has to do with persistence, calling until you get someone live on the phone, rather than relying on voice-mails. I can’t speak for every company, but personally I try to respond to everyone.
Good Luck -
Brian
January 26th, 2010 at 9:31 am
Thanks for the tips. Next time, I am sure to make a couple of calls after submitting the resume on line.
January 26th, 2010 at 2:17 pm
Good advice, do you think the same is true for finding internships while still in school?
January 26th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
I would never go as far as to say that the internet is ruining your job search. As another commented already, it is a lifeline in many respects especially to recruiters. Rather it is the applicant’s failure to think outside the box and go the extra mile that is prohibiting. Do we typically attempt to hire the complacent or individual willing to only do the minimum (apply online). There are far too many interested applicants out there, and if you don’t get the employer’s attention in a professional manner, you lost the game.
January 27th, 2010 at 11:49 am
Interesting article, great points!
My experience is that most job postings on boards redirect (via link) to the company’s resume intake page (brass ring for example) and therefore the resumes end up in the same pile.
Follow up on any resume is the key, but many times the best skilled individual is not the most outgoing and feels intimidated or uncertain about following up. The wheel that squeeks gets the grease but is not necessarily the best wheel. A good recruiter, corporate or third party will dig deeper. That’s where I come in.
January 27th, 2010 at 12:24 pm
Thanks for the article. Hey even I have the same query. Does the above apply to internship also?
January 27th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
Absolutely applies to internships, I’d say even more so.
January 27th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Hey excellent article..I now know the importance of follow up and phone calls.. thanks…