If you’ve been on the job market for any length of time, you’re probably familiar with some of the largest, universally recognized job search sites on the marketplace (think Monster and Indeed). These big sites are great places to begin scrolling through lists of available jobs and getting a sense of what’s out there. But the same thing that makes these sites valuable to employers—their high visibility—can also make them less valuable to job seekers. It’s exhausting and unproductive to pursue a position that attracts a thousand competing resumes from equally qualified candidates all over the world. A job search for a professional mid-level position in your geographic area should never feel like buying a Powerball ticket. So once you’ve scoped out these big venues and gotten the lay of the land, it might be a good idea to turn your attention to a few job boards with a lower profile, a narrow industry focus, or filters that can help you target your search to a specified area within your commuting limits.
Job Boards: Best Kept Secrets
Here are a few general job boards you may not have explored just yet. These sites are well known to employers, so you’ll find excellent posts here. But you’ll also have a realistic opportunity to pursue these posts and land the job you’re looking for. Give these a try and then consider some of the job board tips below.
Jobs.livecareer.com: Livecareer’s job board is growing fast and attracting the attention of high-profile employers. Find out what’s available and highlight the jobs that meet your needs.
Us.jobs: This is a site provided by the National Labor Exchange that specifically targets veterans, youth, seniors, and differently abled job seekers.
Authentic Jobs: Authentic jobs.com provides an in-depth listing of web design, digital design and IT project management jobs at all levels. The site is also a great platform for freelancers, moonlighters, part-timers and interns looking for an opportunity that suits their schedule.
Beyond.com: This site offers available positions in a wide variety of industries including healthcare, finance, sales, technology, and business management.
Jobing.com: This site specializes in local employers and local job search resources that can be accessed right in your neighborhood.
Net-temps.com: Looking for temporary, contract, or contingent positions? This site can help.
Simply Hired: This site makes it easy to find the job you’re looking for, submit your application, and move on to the next opportunity.
Finding a Job Board: Tips Before you limit your search to large job boards with a general focus, do some search engine research to target sites that emphasize your own corner of your own industry. To do this, visit Google and type in the most specific search term you can think of, for example: “Part time studio engineer and voiceover mixing jobs” or “private practice nurse anesthetist positions Redbird Montana”. These entries aren’t likely to deliver the perfect position right to your list of search results, but they can introduce you to very small and specialized job search sites you may not have otherwise known about. The more tightly you target your efforts, the faster you’ll connect with positions and employers that fit your search criteria.
—
For more on how to reach out to these employers and grab their attention, use the resume and cover letter creation tools on MyPerfectResume.
