Company Sites Better for Applicants Than Job Boards

Company Sites Better for Job Applicants Than Job Boards

Study Finds Employers Dash Through Mountains of Resumes From Job Boards

by Derek Campbell on July 16, 2011

While the average job seeker online may think to first check out the openings posted on job boards, like Craigslist and Monster.com, a recent study reports that the chances of actually getting hired for one of these jobs are miniscule. There are far more effective ways of getting hired, statistically speaking, than dropping your name in a hat.

According to the study, companies look through about 219 applications per job post on boards. By finding jobs through job pages of a company’s actual website, your chances of being noticed skyrocket. On average, employers only need to look through 33 applications per job before finding someone to hire.

Company sites can mean the difference between an application being lost in the deluge and a resume illuminating an employer’s inbox. Try researching various companies in your area or industry (if you’re willing to move) and then searching each of the companies’ websites for the job you want. This will not only give you prime access to the jobs themselves, but will also get you better acquainted with the business itself. That familiarity can make the difference in an interview.

Even the job boards themselves are looking for new ways of doing business. LinkedIn and JobFox both offer social media as a way of networking.

Robert McGovern, the founder of CareerBuilder.com, went on to found JobFox when he realized the job board model wasn’t working. “Online job boards worked better when there was a surplus of jobs and a shortage of job seekers,” says McGovern. “The recession has clobbered the electronic classified model. Smart people are saying, ‘I’m going to do something different.’”

The numbers tend to agree with McGovern’s logic. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures put the current amount of available jobs at about 3 million. With unemployment at about 9 percent nationwide, this equates to around 13 million people looking for jobs, in effect, 10 million more people than there are existing jobs.

The absolute best way to get hired, as indicated by results of a study conducted by consulting firm CareerXroads Inc., is to gain a referral. The study found that one out of every 10 referrals is hired. Of course, not everyone has a network connection just waiting to refer them to the job of their dreams. Your best bet remains company websites.

Adhering to industry best practices and educating consumers about payday loans since 1997, CashAdvance.com has helped over a million consumers obtain cash advances.