How valuable are Monster and CareerBuilder in 2012?
Note: Please spare me the importance of LinkedIn and social networking. This is not a question about that.
I'm curious how valuable are resume-specific websites, such as Monster and CareerBuilder. It is obvious that recruiters are searching for candidates there, but are those recruiters also searching on LinkedIn?
Should job candidates include Monster and its ilk in a job search strategy? Should multiple resumes be used? Or should Monster etc. not be bothered?
Good Answers (5)
Cheryl R.
Founder and Principal of CatapultMe and Cheryl Roshak Associates. Transforming Lives for Positive Change.
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I think their old hat, were never that good to begin with and with sites like Indeed.com and simplyhired.com who are far more advanced and on the money they are dinosaurs. And it's always been a crap shoot at best.
Recruiters don't search those sites that much, companies might, at times, but companies still use recruiters, and post listings on their own sites or have internal recruiters, their long shot are Monster and Career Builder. Word of mouth and referral still work best. Candidates are somewhat mislead as to how effective posting your resume is.
It never hurts not to cover all bases, why not? You should try every avenue available when searching for a job. That includes recruiters, networking, family, friends, former co-workers and employers, down to Craig's List or whatever. And everything in between. Leave no stone unturned!
But only send in one resume per job, per company. If you flood a company with too many resume you will set up a red flag. Call the company and always ask what to do, that you sent in a resume for X job and now Z job has opened up, how should you handle it.
Do not keep sending in your resume over and over again. It was seen. Get over it.
Do, however, if needed, have 2 or 3 resumes marketed toward different positions. There is no one resume fits all anymore. Yes, you can tailor your resume to each position you are sending it for. Not a bad idea. Also make sure you address your cover letter to the proper person or department and reference the job, and promote yourself briefly and succinctly. Do all of this a lot and you may land yourself a job!
Networking is a much more reliable way to get hired. Submit your resume to Monster or CareerBuilder and chances are it pretty good it will just wind up in a black hole. I've gotten lots of work from Craigslist and recommend it.
Natasha D. W.
LION Open Networker—Recruiter | Healthcare Recruiting Nationwide | Physicians, RNs, Directors, etc.
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I think Monster and CareerBuilder are still valuable. If nothing else, it gives you a wide view of what companies are out there and soliciting.
I usually look at Monster and CareerBuilder, visit the company website of the job opening I'm interested in and then apply there if possible. I don't work solely through those sites though; I still make it a point to try to follow up personally with someone from that company rather than just firing my resume once onto a job board.
John R.
Professional Recruiter | Recruiter Leader | Social Media Recruiter | John Rose CPC | LinkedIn Specialist
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Simple answer to simple question - Resume specific websites are of great value for companies and recruiters to search through, same as any database that has information on people. Remember Value is calculated as Time Invested v Return Achieved.
For the job seeker they [job boards] offer potential highs and lows; the high = you increase your potential to be found, the low = no one may want you when found.
Henri B.
Innovative, Business-Oriented Board Certified Physician with 10 years Experience in Medical Affairs & Pharmacovigilance
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Monster.com is not even officially in the employment business. If you dig deep into their annual reports, their mission is to sell advertising. Seriously, there are MILLIONS of resumes on Monster. Do you really think, even with advanced search software, that an HR flack is going to review the THOUSANDS of hits that will return? Last time I bothered to check the official hire rate is less than 0.43%.
Use networking and contacts if you can, or use LinkedIn to find managers in companies you might like to work for. Use those contacts to get referred to a live human being, and have an advantage over the rest of the masses.
A good resource is "Ask the Headhunter" both a book and a website / free newsletter. Gives lots of real world advice that actually works.
More Answers (16)
Jim W.
Talent Acquisition Manager
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While LI is good for some areas, it doesn't always capture all the active/passive candidates. The hourly employee or the kid in college may not see LI as a good resource for a job search.
Also, someone with a background in trucking, manufacturing may not even consider LI as place to network and would instead look to Craigslist, Online Newspapers (which are often powered by Monster or CB).
Patricia A. O.
at Consultant to Nonprofits, Freelance Writer, Civics and Government Instructor
You can put your resume there and search them occasionally, but don't count on them.
You should use ALL tools at your disposal in a job search.
Every time I renew my resume on Monster, I get a slew of recruiters for insurance companies, even though there is NOTHING on my resume to suggest that I woiuld want to work for one.
Terry H.
Corporate Payroll & Finance Recruiter / Sourcer
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1. Its easy to get lost, as a job-seeker, on Monster and CareerBuilder.
2. Not every company worth working for can afford (or wants to pay for) a company account on Monster and/or CareerBuilder
3. Several people in my network have said they get more SPAM via those sites than actual opportunities.
Rob M. F.
Advanced Candidate, Child & Adolescent Psychotherapy, Institute for Psychoanalytic Training and Research
Monster is good. CareerBuilder is not good, in my opinion. Why is that, because Monster is completely free and useful and CareerBuilder restricts its business to solicitation of paying clients only . . . I have been receiving too many unwanted e-mails from CareerBuilder asking me to "sign up" (pay) for their services . . . since showing an initial bare modicum of
interest . . .
Clarification added 4 months ago:
Clarification: Recently, I have been receiving cold-calls from life insurance agencies and such asking me if I want to interview to join their entry-level management team . . . as they had seen my resume posted on CareerBuilder . . . when I ask them if they understand that I have no direct sales or marketing experience, no real-world knowledge of life insurance products, and that my background is clinical in nature . . . that does not stop them from encouraging me to meet and interview with them . . .
Clarification added 4 months ago:
What gives?
Matthew B.
Experienced Copywriter, Marketing and SEO Practitioner, Small Business Marketing Consultant
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I'd say they're still important, but only as one component of the search. Like the others have said, it's easy to get lost in the "digital pile." If you're going to apply for jobs online, employers can learn a lot more about you through LinkedIn. You can better showcase your skill set and talents here.
Links:
RB R.
Consultant at HGRB Services (associates@hgrbservices.net)
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Hi Ari Herzog,
Your zeal is very much appreciated. I guess Mr. Wahl really asked for that one! However, that's a stark dramatization of the irrelevancy of the "Monster" and the spammer a.k.a. " Career Builders." The former apparently suffers from a chronic case of delirious impotency, and the latter can be credited with yesterday's news which never made the stands. Together, these are "spammicides" which should be shot on sight.
Ravinder L.
Experienced Program Manager in Telecom, B.E., PMP, PRINCE2 Certified, Diploma in International Business Management
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I will categorise Employer to Job Seeker in following manner-
1. Reference from Colleague or known person.
2. Taking help from Placement Consultant or Company HR, who further refer their database and use naukri.com or monster.com or resume specific websites.
3. Linkedin is used mostly to know backgound, e.g. recommendations, mutual connections, network stats of candidate. Mostly candidate use this tool to reach the employer by referral connections.
Now, to answer your question- Yes, resume specific web-sites such as monster, naukri are very important and first choice of Employer and placement consultant.
Derek D.
CEO at Ultimate Cleaning, Commercial & Residential Green Cleaning Service
I am a small business owner & cannot afford to pay their fees. When I need people I can post an add on craigslist for $25 & I get 100 people that apply
Lisa A. N.
Writer - Blogger - Telephone Operator
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I've never used either in a job search and don't plan to at this point. I get my jobs through applying directly to the company and also through staffing agencies.
As far as Monster is concerned, I believe it to be biased, even though I am sure they won't admit it. A Monster rep once paid a visit to our office, and I asked him "How come you don't have oil-rich multi-billion deal-striking Venezuela on your list of countries, and at the same time you have Paraguay and Equador? What if we decide to go ahead with the hiring for this particular region?" (no offense meant - this is from a standpoint of an oil industry worker, i.e. myself). He couldn't answer my question.
It's so easy for your resume to get lost in the shuffle on these kind of sites. Employers are flooded with resumes because it's so quick and easy to apply. Try and find websites / job boards that post jobs specific to the industry you're targeting. Not only are the positions better, but you're much more likely to hear back.
Links:
Erica F.
Social Media Optimizer, Publisher at ALC Publishing, President of Yuricon
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Job boards are still the preferred search spaces for recruiters. I get calls on a resume I posted back in 2008 (almost always for a job wholly unsuited to my skill set.) LI doesn't allow the same kind of drill down searching that the job boards do.
I would hazard a guess that many HR folks check out LinkedIn profiles at early stages before making calls.
Jodine L.
Your company could get 50% $$$ back for hiring and training me|Manufacturing|full time|Wisconsin jobs|“TIME”
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Not very valuable
Monster doesn't allow multiple resumes to be active. I always start getting spam emails after I visit the site.
Careerbuilder, I have alerts set up and the jobs are always so old.
I have been getting better results Milwaukee Jobs/ Local JobNetwork. I have been getting calls from recruiters who have seen my resume there.
They have a tweet my resume option.
And Indeed alerts provide me with the most current job openings.
Monster and Careerbuilder is good for getting your resume online or visable.
Links:
Clarification added 4 months ago:
Now I remember I really don't like Careerbuilder, it's their copy and pasting of resume option. It doesn't copy the resume as formatted. And the is no editor. No way to fix the resume.
Clarification added 4 months ago:
Ever since I said this "Careerbuilder I have alerts set up and the jobs are so old." I have been getting current job alerts
Brijendra C.
Human Resources at Dodsal E & C Pte Ltd
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Monster is good
no idea about Career Builder
Robert W.
How can I help your business grow?
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Put up a resume on both, but when searching use a job board like Indeed.com that searches muliple job boards.
Links:
Aygul U.
Marketer
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Hello,
I think CareerBuilder and Monster websites are not valuable at all. So, I wouldn't spend the time on them.
