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Why Job Searches Should Start—But Not End—On the Web

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Based on this article, I signed up for JobFox a couple weeks ago. They have sent me one job referral -- when I clicked on it, it said, "The company has removed this job posting." What they've also sent me is daily, unsolicited e-mails for a resume re-write at a "special low price" of $359 (almost double the cost of any other such service I've been offered, and I've been offered a bunch). Call JobFox what it is: a spammer. It sure isn't a job-hunting site.

mrgate3 of MI 10:01AM May 14, 2010

I firmly believe that aside from the fact that many employers don't have the time to interview perspective workers, the fact remains that they are too picky. There are a lot of people out there who want to work, but are overlooked for one reason or another. Many of these people are good workers, and would show up for work, whereas the people who do get hired, are often absentee, and offer the poorest excuses for their lack of attendance. I think we need to revert to the hiring practices that served us so well in the past.

janet of PA 9:08AM May 13, 2010

Some readers may incorrectly infer that I recommend that job seekers use JobFox. I do feel that the matching technology trumpeted by sites like JobFox hold promise, but only in those very, very rare circumstances when both the job seeker and the employer have spent the time necessary to complete the lengthy process required by the matching engines. If they don't, then all the technology in the world won't be able to help and actually may hurt their efforts because the two sides will essentially abdicate their responsibilities to technology without providing that technology with the necessary information for it to do its job.
The reality is that very, very few job seekers and even fewer employers are able or willing to spend the 30 to 60 minutes typically needed per posting and instead rush the process by spending at most a few minutes. They provide a small portion of the information necessary and then blame the poor results on JobFox or whatever matching engine they're using. It is kind of like failing to get an oil change for your car and then blaming the car manufacturer when your engine seizes up after 50,000 miles.
I recommend that job seekers spend one of their first job search days on the job boards. Use an aggregator or two (i.e., Indeed, SimplyHired, TopUSAJobs, or LinkUp); use a general job board (i.e., Monster or Careerbuilder); and use niche sites which are targeted to your industry (i.e., Dice), geographic location (i.e., Jobing), or experience level (i.e., CollegeRecruiter.com). Search the job postings and apply to all of those which are of interest to you and for which you're qualified. Set up resume match agents / alerts so you'll be notified when new jobs are posted which match your interests. Then go away and never come back until you receive one of those agents and it truly matches your interests. Spend the rest of your time networking. By the way, networking is where you look for ways to help other people, not the other way around.

Steven Rothberg CollegeRecruiter.com of MN 11:19AM May 12, 2010

Go to YouTube, search word: FedEx Inhumane Treatment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YnbcCV2KI4

JC of KY 12:48AM May 09, 2010

The next logical question is...what other alternatives are there. I think the recommendation "phone calls and handshakes" leaves a lot to wonder.

FG of NY 11:57PM May 05, 2010

Instead of spending all that time slogging from job interview to job interview trying to climb your way up the corporate ladder, why not go straight to the top? Put your expertise and experience to work straight for your own pocketbook and be your own boss. You can do this by buying a small to midsize business.
Right now is the perfect time to buy a small to midsize business. This economy has left a whole lot of businesses out there selling for less than their worth. Now is the time for people who want the most out of life to grasp on and take the plunge.
Anyone interested in the buying of a business should check out http://www.businessbuyeradvocate.com/ . It is a great blog full of must have knowledge for anyone thinking about taking the plunge. It’s frequented by quite a few experts in various aspects of the field that can help you with any questions you might have or perspective you might need.
Buying a business very well could be the most important decision you ever make in your life. You have to make sure you buy the right business the right way.
They also have a sister blog called The Business Seller Advocate which can be reached at http://www.businessselleradvocate.com . It’s the same thing but geared towards the folks who are looking to sell their business. Even if you’re not interested in that side of the situation, it’s a valuable resource to get the other perspective.

Frank Fitton of FL 1:34PM May 05, 2010

Although the story does not indicate that I recommended that job seekers use JobFox or other sites that promote their matching software, some readers may infer such a recommendation. I did not make such a recommendation.
In fact, I believe that sites such as JobFox have often left job seekers with the mistaken impression that all the job seeker needs to do is post a resume and then sit back and wait for the phone to ring, which is exactly what I warned against in the quote near the top of the story. The problem with sites like JobFox is that they rely on both the employer and job seeker to do a good and perhaps even excellent job of entering information into the software in order for the software to then make an accurate match. In my experience, that rarely happens on either side and so it almost never happens when both the employer and the job seeker enter good to excellent information. Garbage in, garbage out.

Steven Rothberg CollegeRecruiter.com of MN 8:34AM May 05, 2010