Are you wasting your time on online job portals? Do online job portals really work?
How many jobs do you have to apply for to get one call-back? Do people really get the best job on these job portals?
In which cases, the online job portals do a good job?
If you are searching for the best job, such questions might have crossed your mind. I have answered all these questions in this article and my next YouTube video.
Job seekers apply for many jobs on these job portals, waiting to hear back from the hiring managers. They rarely get any feedback. There is no guarantee about anything while using these job portals.
The chances of getting a perfect job through job portals are as good as winning a lottery.
But, why the job portals are the default choice for any job seekers? The main reason is they get tempted by thousands of job postings. The work involved in applying to these posts keeps them busy. There is immediate gratification when they get some call-back from a random recruiter.
5 reasons why online job portals don’t work
Let me state 5 reasons why online job portals don’t work. The video explains these in detail.
- Too many job applicants: You are not the only one viewing the job post. A survey by Glassdoor shows that every job posting receives 250 applications on average. I have personally seen countless examples of some jobs receiving 1000+ applications.
- ATS screening of resumes: Most mid and large companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen resumes. Unless your resumes have the right keywords and you have used the right resume templates, there is no chance your resume will screen through ATS.
- Very few resumes get a human glance: Even if you beat the ATS algorithm with a strategically crafted resume, very few resumes get a human glance. Aren’t hiring managers busy? Do you think your story gets read?
- Referrals: Hiring managers have other means to fill the positions. 60% of jobs get filled by referrals from their own network, employees’ network and industry connect, Many jobs don’t even get posted on job portals. So if you are solely relying on job portals, aren’t you missing most of the jobs.
- Non-linear profiles: If you have a non-linear career profile, means that you are a career switcher, you have changed your industry, role during your career, they is very little chance for you to get through the job portals path. Your resume will not have the right keywords and the hiring manager will not understand your career story.
When job portals do work
You might think that are the job portals dead? Why do the companies post jobs on these portals? In my coaching programs, I do recommend using job portals as the core job search strategy for specific students. I will tell you when job portals do work.
- Mass hiring: When companies do mass-hiring e.g. entry-level roles in retails, sales etc.
- Linear profiles: If you have a linear career profile, you have performed similar roles in the same industry, you have a good chance on these job portals.
- Niche job portals: There are job portals specific to industries or roles. These job portals do a much better job for you finding the perfect job.
Better strategies for job search
90% of recruiters use LinkedIn to search and reach out to suitable candidates. Are you using LinkedIn to its fullest potential? Check out my video on 5 Smart Strategies to Attract Recruiters to Your LinkedIn Profile.
Are you using your network to get referred? Do you know how to use social media channels to reach out to the right people in the industry and get referred? Stay tuned for more tips on using this fabulous strategy of using networking to get in.
I have collated the 8 expert tips for job search in an ebook. You can download the Free Ebook here.
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