An article in the Washington Times declared that Monster, one of the leading Internet job sites is experiencing declining revenue. As the job market weakens then posting for jobs are fewer. With fewer postings, advertising revenue diminishes. So everyone in the proverbial food chain suffers in the end.
The article notes that the Monster revenue has declined more substantially in Europe. In Europe the economic downturn is worse than here, so there is little need for psoting jobs. Here in the United States there weas a significant increase in traffic on the various Internet job sites as unemployed workers searched for employment over the Internet. I don’t really know whether that traffic remains steady or if the unemployed workers are starting to give up hope they will find something on the job sites.
I don’t know if it is true or not, but several headhunters have told me the job sites are far less than what they are purported to be. Some have even categorized the job search via the Internet job sites as futile and worthless. They claim far too many candidates submit resumes for the same job. The flood is overwhelming and unmanageable. Additionally, most of the resumes are submitted by candidates who are hardly qualified for the targeted position. It’s just a Hail Mary Wing and a Prayer. So what remains is the job sites themselves are essentially advertising platforms dressed up to look like viable job sites. If nothing else, the pros and cons of spending one’s time applying for jobs via the job sites is worth considering.
Another area where there is some controversial pertains to those who order background checks on the various job sites. The belief is that the candidate can pre-qualify themselves by vetting himself of any criminal records or negative marks on his background that would prevent him from being considering for a job. some believe they can show these background search reports to the human resources managers at the companies where they are being considered for employment. They believe they will have some sway. Frankly, they won’t.
Employers conduct their own preemployment screening. They rely on background screening companies for this purpose and reports provided by the individual have little or no currency. It is one thing if the job applicant wants to spend his money to review what may be on his record so that he can answer any questions posed by human resources. A memory refresher, if you will. But beyond that, the exercise can prove more of a waste of money than a worthwhile investment.
That said, there are people who are uncertain just what is on their record. So who knows? maybe for them it is worthwhile.
In any event, the best way to seek worth is probably through your networking or through a staffing agency. And beware, positing your resumes on too many websites may nullify the efforts of a headhunter, discouraging them from taking you on as a client.
As for employers, be sure to check them out before you hire.
