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Successfully Navigating Online Job Sites

by Adam Anderson

When looking for a job, it pays to start online. At first glance, however, the amount of job sites out there can make your head hurt. With virtually thousands of job sites online to choose from, how does one successfully navigate through the windy waves of Web recruiting? Here are some quick hints, questions, tips, and potential roadblocks to think about when pursuing your dream job online.

Are the "Big Three" job sites the best?

Yes and no. Sure, the online job search industry's big three - Monster, CareerBuilder, and Yahoo! HotJobs - cast the widest net by displaying millions of jobs and posting tens of millions of resumes on their sites. ConsumerSearch.com states that while Hot Jobs might rank below Monster and CareerBuilder in the number of listings it displays, users find that Hot Jobs is better at protecting their privacy. All three sites are relatively easy to navigate and are seen by a large number of employers, but the downside means your resume could get lost in the shuffle. These big sites can also be expensive for employers to use. Some employers save money by posting on smaller, more specialized Web sites. In a vastly-growing industry, the job search juggernauts are estimated to account for less than 40% of a market some say is worth more than $5 billion. So what's closing the gap? Some of the more regional players, as well as sites specializing in a particular market.

Who is this Craig guy and what's so great about his list?

While SnagAJob.com, Jobfox, and Dice.com cater to niche markets and offer specialized recruitment services, the local job search site most people are talking about these days is craigslist. Founded by computer programmer Craig Newmark in 1995, craiglist's greatest strength is its ability to offer a more refined, intimate, and local job search experience. It's also available at a zero-to-low cost to job seekers. So what are some of the negatives? Watch out for scams as some sections run rampant with abusers due to the fact that posting any entry is free. Keep a look out for your privacy, too. Limit the amount of contact information you provide since anyone - including your current boss - can view your resume on craigslist. (Review the site's, "Avoiding scams and fraud," section for other helpful information.)

Check out some of the newest emerging players in the industry.

It's been a while since you've dusted off that resume, but over the past few years, a couple of hot new Web sites have emerged on the online job search scene. Indeed.com and SimplyHired.com both create a quick snapshot of a particular job market, in a clean, Google-like fashion. The user simply enters a job title, company name, and a city or zip code, and the applicant can sift through a list of jobs aggregated from a wide variety of sources. The fundamental difference between these sites and companies like Monster and CareerBuilder is that employers don't pay to be listed. Instead, these new sites "crawl" across the Internet to find job data and use mathematical formulas to bring back the fastest and most relevant job search results related to your criteria. (The sites themselves make money through advertising.)

Be cautious when choosing a job site.

When posting your resume on a job hunting site separate from the Monsters and the Hot Jobs of the world, always be cognizant of who owns the site and be sure to study its private policy statement. Your resume is not only a statement of your professional history, but it also displays personal contact information, so be extremely wary when first approaching a recruitment Web site you've never heard of. A quick Google search never hurts to ensure the site is credible. Make sure that the site will allow you to perform simple tasks - such as searching for a company's job listing or exploring job titles based in a specific region - before you have to register your information. In addition, if the site charges you money for its services, find another site. Very rarely will a job seeker have to pay for this service, either on or offline.

When conducting your job search, remember to weigh the different pros and cons for using each Web site. Don't put all your eggs in one basket, either. Hit the big job search sites as well as the more localized, regional sites. After all, when paddling from Web site to Web site, we need all the life preservers we can get.