THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ONLINE JOB SITES – THE DOWN SIDE

• Most job sites are NOT your friend.  They are out to make a buck just like you are.
• Apply for whatever jobs you want, but realize that unless you are lucky or applying for a niche job, you may be one of hundreds applying
• If you apply online, you very often will not find a simple email link or phone number to follow up on your application.  I personally have sent follow up emails to a dozen or so to the job site’s email link (i.e. someone@careerbuilder.com/job12345) which I have found to be conveniently ignored.
• Some lesser known job sites have used my email address to send me crap emails which are nothing but “come to my site and apply for this easy method of getting a job”.  I even have one which sends me a “you haven’t posted your resume yet” email weekly
• Unless you feel lucky and have a lot more money to spend than I do, don’t use the “We can send your resume to thousands of recruiters” feature.  Recruiters don’t want to be spammed, and may ignore the resume.  Realizing that the way an ad looked and knew it would cost money, one afternoon I took 15 minutes to fill out the application – resume and generic cover letter and all.  When I got to the final page, they nicely asked me for my credit card number so they could charge me $147 for that month’s service.  Yeah, right!  I don’t think so.
• Recruiters are just like anyone else.  They don’t like spammed as discussed in the previous item.  Most of them want to build report with their clients, and want to get applicants who will be a good fit for the job they are given.
• Post a good resume online and make it searchable.  In the last 5 weeks I have been contacted by at least 10 recruiters by phone to discuss my resume and how I may be able to fit in the position.
• You don’t owe anyone anything.  Just like walking into a car dealership and the nice salesman gives you a cup of coffee, and lets you test drive the BMW or Corvette, you can walk out of the dealership.  Remember just because you get an email or call, there is no obligation to answer emails or calls which you don’t feel you need to reply to.  Recruiters are salespeople and will paint a good picture for you.
• Remember, you control your life.   What you get out of it depends on what you put into your job search efforts.