Job Sites

New trends: Craigslist.org and networking sites

Although Monster, HobJobs and CareerBuilder remain the largest job sites, there's evidence that job seekers and employers are finding more targeted ways to look for a potential position or candidate. While it didn't specifically start out as a job-hunt site, the online classifieds website Craigslist.org has been added to ConsumerSearch Fast Answers on the strength of its growing usefulness as a job-search resource. Employers are able to post ads to Craigslist.org for free or at a nominal cost, in contrast to the hundreds of dollars the major job boards charge per ad. This makes Craigslist.org attractive to smaller employers and to those posting more esoteric jobs. The site is organized by location, either by state or metropolitan area, and the listings represent a good cross-section of locally available opportunities. Jobs are categorized by industry, with the most recent postings listed first. There is also a keyword search engine with a few filtering options. Part-time and temporary jobs are listed separately under "gigs." Other career sites are blocked from gathering ads from Craigslist.org, so its postings generally won't show up on aggregator sites like SimplyHired.com or Indeed.com.

Job seekers may post resumes on Craigslist.org, but it's important to take privacy precautions since anyone at all may view what you post. Likewise, take precautions with responses, since anyone may pose as a representative from a company. Take the time to do your own follow up work to make sure the offer is legitimate. All personal information other than an e-mail address should be removed from your resume. Job-Hunt.org offers detailed guidelines on "Your Cyber-Safe Resume," tailored to sites like Craigslist.org.

Another trend is the increasing recognition of person-to-person networking sites as an effective alternative to the major job sites. The professional networking service LinkedIn is cited by PC Magazine as "by far the most developed" of these. Users can create a LinkedIn account and post personal profiles detailing their skills and experience. Headhunters browsing the site for employees with relevant experience may contact individuals after seeing their profiles. Each profile includes an option to add contacts and references from past and current colleagues, and enlarging your network increases the chances of a recruiter (or even just a colleague that knows about an open position) noticing your profile. According to About.com's Alison Doyle, "LinkedIn members comprise 130 different industries, and include 130,000 recruiters."

LinkedIn.com's members can invite others to join their list of connections and thus build a network. In addition, your contacts may provide referrals to people they list on their profiles, increasing your ability to make personal connections with those you otherwise would never meet. Members may search the site for those with the same background, university or experience, potentially leading to fresh opportunities. LinkedIn's primary function is social networking rather than job-search capability, but the site does have job listings and a search function. For any job posted, you can find out if others in your network know the poster or work for the company that's hiring and, if so, secure an introduction. Creating a profile at LinkedIn.com is free.

Jobster.com is a site that combines advertising and recruiting services for companies with social networking and job-search features. User profiles and employee reviews of corporations appear on the site along with resume posts and searchable job listings. In addition, Jobster's interface with the social networking site Facebook.com allows users to create a "Talent Network" listing the user's professional connections. CareerBuilder.com and HotJobs.com have also developed applications linking their postings to Facebook.

Aggregator job sites

SimplyHired.com and Indeed.com are job search sites that aggregate millions of listings from all the major job sites (with the exception of Craigslist.org), plus newspapers, corporate job boards and other professional sites. Searcher Magazine has a comprehensive review of both SimplyHired.com and Indeed.com. These two sites are different from the traditional job site because both focus on the job hunter. There are no services for employers, though they can advertise on the sites. Both sites allow job seekers to search by keyword. Searcher Editor Jennie Starr writes, "Both companies do a good job of providing information on the freshness of the job, listing the number of hours/minutes the item has been available on the site."

While Indeed.com is more frequently mentioned by reviewers of job search engines, SimplyHired.com is in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers because it offers more features. With SimplyHired.com, you can search by keyword, location or specific occupation. You can filter results by job type, required experience, education and date. You can also filter by company size and revenue. In addition, SimplyHired allows users to rate each job result, and when you've rated enough job listings, SimplyHired.com will begin suggesting job listings based on your preferences. PC Magazine says "this site should be your new first Web stop when looking for a job."

Although users can't post their resumes on SimplyHired, the site's recently added Resume Post feature will post a resume to five major job boards (including CareerBuilder.com, Monster and Job.com) for free. For a fee, SimplyHired will post your resume to 80+ job boards, spanning everything from HotJobs.com to niche job sites. From each job you choose to save on the SimplyHired website, you can also link to LinkedIn.com and search for connections in that company. Finally, at a humorous sister site, SimplyFired.com, users can relate their stories about getting fired and enter contests like the Office Pranks Awards.

Oodle.com is a classified-ad aggregator that pulls its listings from thousands of other sites (though not from Craigslist.org). The site simply links to ads found elsewhere, with some tools for refining a search and an option to receive e-mail updates about new listings. Classifieds are especially useful for those searching for non-corporate, non-technical jobs, and PC Magazine calls Oodle "a formidable Web presence" in the field.

Hound.com is a new job site that narrows its search results to employer websites only. The idea is to weed out "junk" listings and positions that have been filled in favor of the most current postings from company sites. The focus on quality over quantity could save time wasted by chasing dead or worthless links. Juju uses a similar strategy. To directly search employer ads, JobCentral.com is a membership organization of major corporations like IBM and Hewlett Packard. It posts job leads at a fraction of the cost charged by Monster and HotJobs.com, and might be worth a try if you're looking for work with a huge corporation.

Although America's Job Bank is now defunct, the Department of Labor's site CareerOneStop.org, allows users to search state job banks, which incorporate a wide variety of non-technical and non-business categories. The new site retains the InfoNet section, which contains occupation profiles, median salary information and education statistics supplied by the government.

Mega job sites

By all accounts, Monster.com lives up to its name, with a few thousand pages of career advice and over one million job postings. The job listings cover positions in all industries, in all locations and at all levels for part-time, seasonal, temporary and contract jobs. Monster Networking is a feature that hooks up people in the same industry to provide possible leads. Monster Learning is a directory of online degree programs. Job seekers can subscribe to targeted newsletters, browse message boards on various topics and read the job site's blog. The Privacy Plus feature now allows those who post resumes to block viewing access for certain companies (such as their current employers). Reviews are nearly unanimous in listing Monster as the best big job site. Job seekers agree there is an extensive listing of jobs, but a common complaint is there are too many temp agencies and recruiters posting jobs. Some job hunters say they get lost in a sea of information and recruiters are overwhelmed by the glut of resumes from unqualified applicants. Also, according to PC Magazine, "it is still hard to make personal contacts through Monster." Experts do agree, however, that Monster.com can be a good place to survey the landscape and "see what's out there."

HotJobs.com is also one of the better mega-sites, according to job site reviews. HotJobs makes it easy to find jobs and allows you to save your job searches and listings. Its location search is more specific than the engine at Monster, allowing a user to look in smaller towns as well as large cities. HotJobs' privacy features include HotBlock, which allows users to block specific companies from viewing their profile -- a helpful tool for people who fear that their current employer might stumble across their online resume. Job seekers can subscribe to any of eleven free newsletters that cater to segments of the market such as technology, government, sales, health care and college grads. The discussion boards at HotJobs receive a lot of traffic and are another good source of information and career advice.

Although HotJobs allows postings from headhunters and agencies, job hunters choose whether their searches include listings from staffing firms. The site has recently partnered with more than 350 newspapers and saw its traffic increase by 53% in 2007, according to The Wall Street Journal. By contrast, Monster saw a 4% increase.

Online job sites have always served technical professions better than others (maybe because high-tech jobs are more easily quantified by acronyms like HTML, NT or UNIX), and reviews continue to recommend Dice.com, which appeals directly to tech-minded people with its intelligent, no-nonsense interface. Experts say that industry-specific niche job sites generally work better than mega-sites in matching applicants with available positions. Plus, there are more tech jobs at Dice.com than at any other site -- currently more than 90,000 listings. The site claims that many who post their resume receive a job offer within 48 hours. According to Forbes, one of the best features of Dice.com is its section of links to training courses and certification exams, many of which are offered at a discount. Dice.com is still regarded by reviewers as the best site for those seeking jobs in information technology. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that traffic on the site had risen 34% as of August 2007.

College students and recent grads are best served by MonsterTrak, the most visited site for college-age job seekers. Monster owns this site, which has a focus on entry-level, part time or seasonal jobs. Reviews say that this is the best place to start looking for summer employment, an internship or your first job, with listings searchable by state and industry.

CareerJournal.com is part of The Wall Street Journal, a must read for business types. Most of the 125,000 job listings are for senior executives in a variety of fields. Its career content is also informative and updated daily. Extras include information about creating a great resume and about interviewing strategies, but other unique job-hunting scenarios are also discussed, such as tactics for switching careers. One caveat is that the site has so much information that it appears cluttered, and it may be difficult to find what you want.

Important Features: Job sites

If you're starting an online job hunt, reviews say to use more than one site and to remember that job sites are just one tool in your search. Many recommend posting a resume at a large site like Monster.com or HotJobs.com, as well as at smaller niche sites. You should try to find a site that specializes in your field or industry. One recruiter suggests the home pages of professional organizations or unions -- you can search for them at Gateway to Associations. CareerXRoads.com is a well-respected site that offers directories, white papers and personalized advice on finding a job. One white paper provides an annual list of the top corporate job sites.

There are online resources for arts administrators, zoologists and everyone in between. A recent Wall Street Journal article notes that employers may prefer specialized sites over the broad-based mega-sites. Employers prefer to target their ads to more qualified candidates, and ads on larger sites sometimes produce too many unqualified applicants. The large sites are working to develop relationships with niche sites, and they now have filters that employers can use to eliminate unqualified respondents. Overall, the niche sites are likely to keep gaining on the big boards, especially since they charge employers much less for posting ads.

The Riley Guide has a huge listing of niche sites. Go to the "Where to Search" section and click on the sector that interests you. Peter Weddle, author of "Weddle's 2007/8 Guide to Employment Websites," surveyed employers and recruiters who state that they find job candidates through job-related niche sites, as well as association and college alumni websites. Employers state that these sites have a higher quality of job applicants.

Here are some common features to look for on job sites:

• Resume posting lets the job come to you. Employers and recruiters can look over your profile and contact you directly. Most reviewers find this to be more effective than applying to specific jobs online. It also works better for high-demand jobs in the high-tech, business and health-care fields.

• Career advice lets you explore a new field. Most sites have some career-guidance features, including salary surveys and personality or skills tests. On larger sites, you will also find resume help, interviewing pointers, salary information and relocation advice.

• Privacy features ensure that your resume doesn't fall into the wrong hands. It may seem unlikely, but we found plenty of postings from unfortunate job seekers whose resumes were spotted online by their current employers. More importantly, with the onslaught of spam and identity theft, more websites are implementing strategies to keep your personal information out of the wrong hands.

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of Picks	Model
8	Monster.com
7	HotJobs.com
7	CareerBuilder.com
4	Indeed.com
4	Dice.com
3	CareerJournal.com
3	SimplyHired.com
2 each	Craigslist.org, CollegeRecruiter.com
1 each	Vault.com, JobCentral.com, LinkedIn.com, FedWorld.gov, Guru.com, Oodle.com, Jobster.com

Most often, reviewers recommend larger job sites, which offer something for everyone. However, experts agree that for serious, focused job hunts, the niche sites deliver better results. For Fast Answers, we focus on national sites that get the best results.

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