Editor’s note: This week Alex offers some of his experience with different job search websites. It seems he is onto something: he has had impressive response using a different job search website.
This week a dark cloud has been lifted in regards to gaining job interviews. Over time I have been growing weary and frustrated with poor websites that contain a percentage of fake and old job adverts that would either lead you on or steal your information through sending your C.V. I know, it’s pretty sinister.
The website in question is Jobsite.com. I advise anyone looking for retail and customer based jobs to upload their C.V to this site. Then the job search itself becomes much more straightforward, and as far as I’m aware this site doesn’t crash or produce false results from your search. So far most of the relevant jobs I’ve found require little more than a few clicks of the mouse. It’s not that it’s such a strain to fill out a few paragraphs about yourself, unless it’s your life story of course, but it makes much more sense that the employer simply receives your C.V and a small introduction, which already contains the initial information and background on you that they need (Essentially it is just “Hello, this is me and this my C.V”).
Given it’s name, Jobsite, you’d think that it was an obvious choice for job search from the get-go. However, I was once advised by a Job Centre member of staff to primarily use the government website, which to no surprise is completely useless in terms of layout and browsing. It has recently been changed, but I still find it hard to trust it to operate without crashing or just look like it was designed by someone with no common sense. I was also told at the Job Centre that Jobsite isn’t great, so perhaps it’s been revamped more recently or maybe this person was talking out of their rear end. Either way, I feel a bit annoyed and let down over this advice, and how I’m still told to use the government website even if it does cause me to rage.
However, the point is that progress has been achieved. For me it’s more that I now possess a tool that works, and whilst it could still be to some coincidence that almost all the employers got back to me, with two or three of them being right in the middle of conducting interviews, it’s nice to feel like you know what you’re doing for once. Previously in my job search I was firing C.V’s and long-winded detailed applications into pitch blackness, with some jobs on certain websites not even existing. Now there is clarity, at least, and as I get noticed there are less clouds distorting the view. I can see what I’m doing, and now if I’m successful in an interview scenario I might even be able to get on with life.
Oh, and the website I’ve had most trouble with is Indeed.co.uk. I used to think it was quite good, but I only got a fraction of responses through following job application links as what I’ve achieved so far with Jobsite.
A final piece of advice I can give is that if you see job positions available for Krispy Kreme Donuts (I was desperate and craving sugar at the time) do not bother with applying, they are set up by temporary job agencies to take your C.V, and perhaps your soul.
I think you should always use online sites to supplement your job search, however networking is a better bet. You avoid all the competition. Anytime you can avoid the deluge of resumes and long lines of applicants, it is a winner.