The Old vs. the New: Word-of-Mouth vs. Internet Job Boards

Technology is advancing, times are changing, and so are employment methods. It used to be that the classic way of finding employment was through the word-of-mouth. From family members to affiliates, acquaintances and by networking, jobs were sought and jobs were found. But with the Technology boom, the internet has become the new means in receiving information, even on job opportunities.
 
But ‘why fix something that ain’t broken?’ Networking continues to be a reliable method in finding employment but online job boards has built itself into a multi-billion dollar industry. With the broad trend of internet usage on the rise, is the new method for employment via online? If you are hesitant to jump on the Internet train just yet, let’s check out its’ pros and cons:

Pros

• Online Job Boards is a simple process for both employer and job seeker. The employer pays an inexpensive fee (or on some sites, for free) to post up their advertisement. The job seeker doesn’t even have to leave the comforts of their home! All they need is an e-mail account, a well-polished resume, and cover-letter to send. If the candidate meets the given criterion, a more personal interview is set up. This casts a bigger net than word-of-mouth or newspaper advertisements can reach.
• More and more employers (Wall Street Journal reported 73%) are using the internet to search for candidates. With online job boards gaining in popularity, the consumers begin to gravitate towards the use of these job boards in search of job opportunities. Some online job boards that have proved to be quite popular are Monster Jobs and CareerBuilder.

Cons

• Popularized online job boards tend to be highly commercialized, attracting large corporations and job seekers who have extensive experience and higher level education. This makes it difficult for job seekers looking for hourly wages, seasonal, part-time, entry-level, internships, etc. However, choosing a job board that focuses its interests on local job opportunities and targeting specific interest groups will prove effective in avoiding large corporate types of occupations. For example, Idealist.org hosts a large collection of non-profit volunteer and job opportunities.
• Online job boards come with its’ own annoyances such as unwelcome solicitations and unresponsive employers. To avoid solicitation, create a new e-mail account purposely for receiving and sending employment information. Online job boards are also undependable in that some employers do not respond to applicants if they don’t fit the job, or the post is outdated. Try to stick with dependable websites that specialize in job opportunities and are constantly updated with new employment posts.