Job Boards Really Suck! Here Are 5 Tips to Help Navigate Them

If you follow me on twitter (which you should, my gif game is 🔥🔥) you might’ve seen me post this exact statement in a tweet a few days ago. Job boards really suck. I’m not saying they aren’t necessary, I’m not saying they don’t have a few good qualities, I actually do like LinkedIn. What I’m saying is that majority of them suck extremely bad and we’re paying for it.

So, I’m doing a search for a position. If I type in ‘Human Resources’ I get 30 postings for ‘General Manager Positions’. It’s kinda like going to Google and typing in “Black Woman with ________________” and getting everything BUT a Black Woman in the image results.

Navigating a job board can cause a big headache. Even the most skilled pro (which I am not, at least in this matter) can see the problems, but how do we fix it? Now, maybe I’m missing out on the great ones. I pretty much stick with LinkedIn, Indeed, A Smartplace Place, and just a few others. So, maybe I’m not searching that PERFECT job board, if you know of it drop a comment below and let me know so we can start sharing.

While I appreciate and understand job boards, they suck and you need to learn how to navigate them to find the job for you. Here are my 5 basic rules when starting out on your search using a job board.

1. What is your title: This one is more about knowing who you are and the position you want. I mean lets be honest, we want a lot from jobs, we deserve a lot, but some jobs can not provide us with our wants and sometimes we just aren’t ready for the position. Take time to review job responsibilities in organizations. The job title might be completely different from the actual job functions. You might not know every function, but what are the basics that you know you can do and what are the things you’re willing to learn?
2. Filter will be your best friend: Some people are fine with finding jobs anywhere. They just graduated and will move where the job is, but that option isn’t available to everyone. Make sure you’re putting the filter option to use. Where are you looking, what is your pay range, how far of a commute will you allow? If these things are important to you, make sure they are included in your job search.
3. Look at the Date Posted: Some job postings are available for weeks, months, and yes, even years because the job posting is so horrible. It doesn’t describe the job well, it doesn’t provide enough information, it ask for an entry level hire with 10 years of experience and a certification, it’s just all wrong. Pay attention to the job you’re reviewing. I’m not saying that jobs that have been up for months are horrible, I’m just saying it has a high possibility of being horrible …

4. Write the job: I think this one is very important because searching on multiple job boards can get confusing. You need to make sure you’re writing down the jobs you’ve applied for take more time researching them. Also, to make sure you’re not applying to the job more than once. Many pros, including myself, have said that searching for a job is a full-time job. If you really want to find the position, you have to put in the work. It takes a lot more to job search than you might think. Being in this position has definitely helped me understand what applicants are going through in their job search and try to figure out how to make it better.

5. Be Prepared: Job boards move fast and some companies pay a lot of money to get their job posting pushed to the very top at the drop of a hat. Make sure your resume is ready and you know exactly where it is saved. Save it to your computer, save it to your phone. Also, don’t wait until you’re graduating to start your job search journey. I’ve had a few students say they’re waiting until graduation night to get their resume together and start the search. Big Mistake. You realize that you’re graduating with 100+ other people at your school alone, right? Companies are changing and you might find a great one that is willing to work around your last school schedule or start immediately after graduation.

My biggest advice for job boards is making sure this is not your only source of the job search. There are amazing recruiters that can be found, but please make sure they recruit for the job you want. Yes, they might know others who can help, but getting upset that a medical recruiter won’t place you in a engineering job isn’t helping your case. Always remember networking is key. If you’re looking to move to another city/state, reach out to people on social media. Ask them how and if they can connect with you, put out a basic tweet about the area and use hashtags so it can catch the eye of others.

There are plenty of job boards online and they aren’t all easy to navigate. Have a plan in place, like I’ve said earlier, finding a job is a job. Do you have more tips for the newbies starting out? Drop a comment below! Good luck on your job board journey 🙂

Until Next Time …