The Problem With Online Job Boards
Madness, they say, is doing the same thing twice and expecting different results. I think of this every morning when I boot up my computer and scan a number of websites, in search of a job that will utilize the soft skills of the liberal arts grad. Consider the positions that were sent to me this past week by the following websites, based on my broad search criterion of "writing":
1) "Informationsplanerare," from LinkedIn. Come again? Typo perhaps? Oh, it's at the "Hanken Swedish school of Economics." Alas, I did not specify, in my search, that I could not speak Swedish. I am not sure I can "Att utveckla webben för distansanvändningen av våra tjänster." Darn.
2) "Journalist Job," from Facebook. The description? "The journalist or writer is anticipated to utilize reality to explain happenings, opinions, or matters that are pertinent to the people. Big Rs." Company unlisted. What does it mean to "utilize reality"? Really write words composed of letters that, like, totally exist? And what are "big R's"?? Perhaps short for a phrase one of my friends is apt to use: retardanzo beans.
3) "An Int'l Moving Company searching for a professional writer." A moving company of... ideas? I click on the link, in Craigslist's "Writing/Editing" job section. Description: "An international moving company is looking for a talented writer who can help us write 'fresh' original text for our new web site." I contemplate, for a moment, what fresh text might look like, in the field of moving companies. The word "locomote" comes to mind.
4) "Construction Analyst." This comes from the reputable New York Times' Job Search Agent, who sends me a daily email with all job postings filtered to be writing-related. Usually JSA isn't so off the mark: "Surveys construction projects to identify and evaluate physical conditions, safety practices, hazardous situations and compliance with established safety standards and provide recommends." So writing, in this capacity, would mean writing down my evaluations, yes?
5) "Indie Music Radio Announcer" for a radio station in the Bronx. Mediabistro, the source of the weekly "Revolving Door Newsletter," which highlights everyone who is being fired in the media industry, has given me this gem. The position calls for "someone who lives and breathes the NY's indie music scene." So what if I am currently listening to a Robert Schumann Pandora station? He was indie... in 1840.
Please write back with uplifting stories about how job posting boards have helped you find your dream job. I need to boost my morale. Or take up Swedish.
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To respond to the person who was talking about niche writing. I was over on http://wor
I made the move to work at home several years ago and I absolutely love it. I do not profess to be a writer but I do blog occasionally for fun and side money. I have found more opportunities to do what I do then I could ever find where I live on a job board and have been very happy with the results.
In my profession of multimedia artist (film/video, photography, graphic design) here is some of what I encounter looking for gigs online:
1) "No pay, great for your portfolio.
2) "Will trade services" Great, but I don't a makeover- I don't wear make-up.
3) "Just a little work needs to be done, two hours tops" This usually means a week of work for less than minumum wage.
4) Why would someone with all your experience apply for this job?
5) At the interview: "You're overqualified/ we can't afford you, we just wanted to meet you because we like your work." Then at least take me out to lunch!
6) Spam responses.
Every job I've landed was either because I applied to a posting I saw online or because someone (employer or recruiter) saw my resume online. So while I don't think one should rely just on the internet to find work, I do think it's a valuable tool.
My brother 'subscribed' to some of those online job boards and found they are a big waste of time and money. They usually have the same ones on the free boards or elsewhere and they don't tell you too much, mostly the info. that you need the most.
I search job for a job skill like "project manager" because many time these are called different term and not defined as JOB SKILL, JOB TYPES like JOB FUNCTION, TITLE. If they are I still get better hits on a generic search.
I once received pro writing jobs from online forums ... about 10 years ago.
Niche Job Boards that focus on the type of job you are looking for make sense. They help filter out the clutter. Though I am not sure if we have a good site for writers yet, we have received many thanks for helping lots and lots of people find jobs. Dean Davis - Targetedjo
Don't bother with looking for writing jobs. My experience? There are just too many people doing it for free. Better look for a new profession like I am.
Yes, I guess there are problems but ....
Just because it's not legal to discriminate doesn't mean that it doesn't happen.
What do you think "Very Competitive" means?
Well Sophie, I do wish you luck..alon
I've been outsourced for 3 1/2 years, have a degree in Poli Sci, worked on lots of campaigns.
I'm still looking too:)
I dunno what you're complaining about: you got five different results. Granted, they might not be the results you wanted, but then, in this economy, beggers can't be choosers.
Hmmm....
Well Leper, I have to ask...
Do you have a job?
Yes, I do. I work in a volatile industry (application programming) where the average job is 12 - 18 months. I have had jobs that lasted a couple of weeks and I have had jobs that have lasted as long as four years. I am in my current job courtesy of some help from the HR department of my former job (that job lasted two years) and I got that job through an online board. I got the previous job through the newspaper classifieds and I have gotten other jobs through temp and contract agencies. I know many people in my profession who hop around more frequently than I and do just as well as I if not better.
I graduated from UCSD with a bachelor's degree in literature. What I do is, essentially, write for a living. I write computer programs. I use only three forms in my writing: the declarative (let x = y); the inquisitive (does x = y?); and the imperative (do x). I have also written a couple of articles for a popular programming sight.
To be continued.
...continu
Writing is what I do for a living. Yet, if I were to go onto a job board and search for a writing job, I doubt that I would find any that fits my field of expertise. In my field, we don't call that "insanity", we call it GIGO -- Garbage In, Garbage Out. If you want something meaningful out of a job board, then you're going to have to put something meaningful into it, like what kind of writing (opinion, reportage, personality studies, interviews, fiction), how much you think you are worth for the writing you do (you know, your salary), your work schedule (freelance or hourly), etc.
This isn't to say that there aren't job boards that are not a waste of time, but you will waste a lot less time if you told it what you are looking for instead of having it (a computer) try to guess what you want. Computers are not good at guessing.
Well gee, then next time there's a job for a neurosurgeon I'll just go ahead and take that one even though I would be a very very bad neurosurgeon. If I'm a "beggar" of jobs that is. Your logic on this one needs some work.
That assumes that you would be hired as a neurosurgeon.
If you were a beggar of a job and you were offered a job as a neurosurgeon, why would you not take it?
If there was a program where you could go to school on a scholarship to become a neurosurgeon, would you really not jump at the chance?
Yet, we have similar programs where people who are laid off a job can be retrained for another job. It's not neurosurgery but it beats holding a sign on the side of the street saying "will work for food".
Buy the way, if you really think that someone is going to offer a beggar a job as a neurosurgeon, it is your logic that needs some work, not mine.
Darn. This hard scientist/engineer is getting itchy. My job descriptions always read the same
"Independently specify, design, test, document and prepare electronic circuits for production
I know what my employers expect me to do and it's exactly the same at every company that would employ me anywhere in the world. Of course, this kind of job description guarantees almost universal security, but it also comes with basically no variety. Maybe a soft arts major is not so bad, after all? You just have to take it with the insecurity and variety it comes with.
I too have been unable to find Professional Employment from any of the major online web sites.
The Professional Search Firms seem to have the real jobs, and they are responsive to your inquiries.
At the online services, the listings are littered with "Work from Home, earn $10,000 a month" inserted in between what appear to be legitimate positions.
And when you actually send information to a potential employer via the online service, it seems to go into a big online black hole. When there is actually a response (Only about 40% of the time), it is an automated response (which at least is something). Otherwise nothing seems to happen.
In the mean time, I am receiving several acknowledgments and interview set-ups, and eventually a few offers via the search firm. And at no cost and with less work from me.
I believe that many of these positions, including my new one, were on the online services, yet I received no responses.
I just do not understand.
Too funny!!!! I thought that some of the ones I've been matched to were a little off the mark (although of course none come to mind immediately!).
Good luck in your search!
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