Internet job board use is on the rise.
Regular readers know that for some time I have put forth the argument that there is a paradigm shift taking place in how one finds a job. As I mentioned in June, Internet job boards have replaced networking as the number one way to find a job. This was confirmed by a WEDDLE's survey in July of how candidates are finding jobs.
WEDDLE's recently asked the visitors to its Web site to answer how they found their last job. A total of 708 people nationwide participated in the survey. This constitutes a statistically significant sampling. Here's what the respondents said were their top ten sources of finding a job:
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31.2%
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Answered an ad on a job board
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10.6%
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Sent their resume to the company
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9.3%
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Answered an ad in the newspaper
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8.5%
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Responded to a tip from a friend
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6.8%
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Were referred by an employee of the company
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6.6%
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Received a call from a headhunter
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5.1%
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Answered an ad posted on the company's Web site
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4.9%
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Attended a career fair
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4.8%
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Used networking at a business event
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2.7%
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Received a call from a staffing firm
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2.7%
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Responded to a tip from a family member
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As with any paradigm shift, it takes time for everyone to understand what has happened. I occasionally run into a candidate who thinks the only way to find a job is through networking. There are even some in the human resource community that are in denial about the paradigm shift to the Internet regarding finding a job or finding employees. The important lesson to be learned here is that the old dominant method of networking, while still vital to any job search, is no longer the number one way to find a job. Numerous sources confirm the paradigm shift has occurred and the Internet is now the proven way most jobs found. But not everyone has realized the shift. Those who do not will get left behind.
Reinforcing the paradigm shift and the WEDDLE's survey was a recent study by Booz Allen Hamilton of 73 leading large employers covering over 100,000 hires. That study found that 51% of the jobs filled in 2005 were from the Internet and only 5% came from newspaper ads. The study also showed that the majority of employers felt the Web contributed to an increase in quality of new hires in 2005 over previous years. More importantly, in terms of what the companies planned to use for future recruiting, 51% chose niche jobs boards to only 29% for general job boards.
This information is important to you when you are planning your job search. According to the U.S. Conference Board, two million brand new job openings are posted online every month. Niche job boards should be a critical part to any effort you undertake!
Think of the various ways of finding a job as being part of a tool chest. The largest tool in your kit used to be networking. Now it is using the Internet, especially niche job boards. But because the Internet is now the largest tool, it does not mean you throw out the other tools!
So if you are in the job search mode, use all the tools at your disposal, recognizing that statistically, your best shot at finding the job you are seeking will be with the Internet tool. PCD&M
Ted Daywalt is CEO and president of VetJobs, the largest military-related job board on the Internet. He can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
