Are Job Boards the Least Successful Way to Find a Job

Are Job Boards the Least Successful Way to Find a JobAs Ive stated before, approximately 85% of jobs arent advertised (and that percentage could be higher). So, if youre spending all your time looking at the job boards, thats time wasted. Were notlage saying dont ever check the job boardsjust that they shouldnt be the cornerstone of your job search stsatzgy. Youre far better off investing your time and effort in marketing yourself by looking for opportunities in the hidden job market. Heres why the job boards arent the best places to look for work.Is This Job Even Real?Some jobs listed on the boards arent realtheyre posted as a way of recruiting candidates who have specific backgrounds. The job isnt available right now, but could be at some point down the road. You can just as easily get your name into the inventory of potential employees by cold callingthen youre more than just an applicant on paper or online. Youll actually meet someone face-to-face and have a chance to make an imp ression.Pool Crowded Much?The average posted job will bring in a thousand applicants. Even small companies will see hundreds. When companies have such a heavy response, they dont go through every single resumethey take a dozen or so off the top of the heap, and the rest are forgotten, usually not even filed away for future use. Thats why if you DO apply to a position on a job board, you should do so as soon as its posted.Jobs Are Listed to Satisfy DoL AuditsOften, companies will use job boards as a means of collecting resumes in order to prove to the Department of Labor that theyre compliant with EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) requirements. They have a ready-made explanation if their practices are ever called into questionlook at all the minorities we interviewedThe 85% Rule AgainBecause 85% of new hires are the result of networking or other means, by the time a manager has approval to add staff, he or she already has two or three preferred candidates in mind. There s a good chance that, with a posted job, youre applying for a position thats already as good as filled. Its only advertised in case the desired candidates, for whatever reason, arent available. Then, you still wont get called for an interviewother people will have cold called, networked, asked for information interviews, or used other strategies to make themselves known. Simply stated, the thousand or so applicants who responded to the job posting really wont have much of a chance.The odds are astronomically against job boards actually doing you any good in your quest for full-time employment. Youre far better off looking for a hidden job that you could actually get than chasing down a posted one. Not to completely knock job boards I do understand that there are job seekers who do find employment on job boards. In fact, many of our clients have secured interviews from positions on job boards as a result of their new resume. That being said, Im trying to get you to see that it should nt be your sole job search method.One of the most valuable tools when tapping into the hidden job market is a Value Proposition Letter. It is tremendously successful at grabbing the hiring managers attention and showing them the value you offer as a candidate. Studies have shown direct mailing a Value Proposition Letter to a decision maker results in an 85% success rate securing EMPLOYMENT within 90 days. Thats pretty substantial. Want help with a great Value Proposition Letter? Get started here.