The value of understanding job boards

When you are looking for a job, you have to use a multi-pronged approach -- posting resumes, applying to jobs online, networking, setting your sites on specific companies and approaching them directly -- in other words, leaving no stone unturned, especially when facing the invisible wall at 50 plus.

It can be very difficult to identify with keywords OR with general search terms the types of jobs that match up with your skill set. I've received many emails from readers who can't decipher what job titles represent in today's marketplace. There are general job boards (like Monster, Careerbuilder, Craig's List), niched boards (like Dice, Gen Plus), and job feeders (like Indeed, Jobster, or Simply Hired) that gather online job postings from many boards and make them searchable in one place.

So, how to figure out where to spend your search efforts? I decided to do a bit of research in one place that I knew HR professionals frequented -- Linked In, a social network focused on employment.

Social networks (think My Space, Eons) are very interesting and ones that are focused on employment, of great interest to me. Sites like Linked In, have a fantastic forum (Answers) for asking and receiving information. As well, many Human Resource professionals and recruiters used Linked In as a means to broaden their own recruiting networks. What I found particularly interesting was their take on what each type of job board offered them.

Here, in a nutshell, is a very generalized industry opinion (from both jobseekers and recruiters) on the unique characteristics of the different job boards available to jobseekers and employers.

The most talked about boards are: Monster, Careerbuilder, Dice, Hotjobs, Net-Temps, Craigslist, Indeed, Simply Hired, together with internet sourcing to find candidates and social network boards (like Linked In) to make connections and get the word out. This is an interesting mix, because most of them are general boards and a couple are niche boards.

Monster is a solid general board but doesn't offer as much detail on candidate searches as some recruiters would prefer. Careerbuilder seems to be seen as better for engineering, manufacturing and clerical positions. Both have strong marketing campaigns and solid general databases (posted resumes and job postings). A few jobseekers have mentioned the irritating commission-only solicitation they get from both sites from insurance and financial planning companies, as well as by spam scammers through email.

DICE is much talked about -- it is technical niche board focused on IT positions. There is generally a great need for web-skilled staffing across the US and Canada and a marked shortage of qualified candidates. Tough for Gen Plussers, who may not have the skill set, but there is a lot of need in this market.

HotJobs is further down the list and seems to be a good backup board to search for resumes, although recruiters seem to prefer the search abilities on other boards. Jobseekers generally like Yahoo HotJobs.

Net-Temps is getting some talk, and Craig's List is still a strong hook for posting positions.

So, look for niche boards, check job postings, connect through social networking sites and make sure your resume is up -- on every board you can post on at no charge.