ALT-1 Website Reviews Monstercom
Monster.com - I give it a Thumbs Up!
It's a job search site - so, guess what, you search for jobs! There are two basic differences between all the job search sites - ease of use and results, and of all the sites I've looked at so far, Monster has the edge in both.
MONSTER SPECIFIC FEATURES:
- Diversity ProgramMonster has something it calls the "Diversity Job Search" which is targeted at those of us who aren't on the neat little 'normal' bumps on the graph of life. They try to address the issues of non-mainstream workers, including the disabled, non-whites, women (still having problems in some areas), older workers, those with "alternative lifestyles", as well as those of us wanting to get back into the job market.
When you post your resume(s) you specify that you want to be targeted in searches by employers who are interested in diverse candidates.
- Re-location DetailsMonster allows you to enter expanded Target Job Location details, including listing the ability/desire to work overseas - the first bite I got was for a consultant in London, England!
EASE OF USE
Usability is one of the BIG differences between the various job search sites, and Monster is the best I've found so far.
- Entering a ResumeYou can enter up to five resumes, one of which can be flagged as "searchable" (available to perspective employers who are looking for staff). You can also have private resumes, I assume to keeping works in progress hidden.
Monster uses checkboxes rather than radio buttons - for those not in the know, a checkbox allows you to make multiple selections for one question, radio buttons allow one selection per question. Using checkboxes is GREAT - for example, if you're willing to work part OR full time, you have the option of specifying both.
Since I added my first resume, Monster improved the size and usability of the scroll boxes for selecting industry, occupation and location - much easier to work with and much easier that some of the other sites!
When you are initially setting up your resume, you are only allowed to enter one job experience, presumably the most relevant to your job search/resume. To add additional experiences, education and so on, you go through the Edit function, which I found confusing at first (why not just have an 'Add' link).
- Searching for JobsI found the job search functions easier than most of the other sites as well.
You can select multiple job categories (rather searching one at a time). I also found specifying the search location easier too - you can specify an area/region, postal code or city and state. An area is actually within a state - a real region would be nice too, like New England or the South West.
There is also a Search Local Jobs link, which takes you to a map of your state, sectioned into major areas - click on an section to get more specific job information. (They left the Upper Peninsula off the map of Michigan, I thought the Yoopers had finally seceded the union!)
The list returned can be sorted by date, relevance, title, company name and distance, which gives you a lot of flexibility if you are lucky enough to get a lot of hits. There is a pop-up map function too, which is handy if you aren't familiar with the area. I liked the fact that they include jobs a bit beyond the search radius, to give you more job options to choose from.
- Career/Job Search AdviceThere is a wealth and abundance of advice available on Monster, on writing resumes, finding jobs, perfect interview techniques, listings of Monster job fairs, education options, career advice and for some reason, general money management.
I concentrated on on-line education, because that's where I'm at currently, and it seemed a bit 'fluffy' - for example, they used the phrase "schools must be fully accredited". It isn't that simple, there are many different accrediting agencies, and some are better than others (from what I've read, regional is better than federal). Also, if you are considering getting an associates degree on-line and transferring credits to a major college or university, you need to make sure the credits will be accepted by the larger school.
The 'School Finder' is really just a mechanism to collect contact information, and if you give in to temptation, those recruiters can hang on like little bulldogs - in some cases they will keep contacting you until you yell at them! Fair enough, Monster is working with these institutions for their mutual benefit, it's up to us to do our research and make our choices - but beware!
EFFECTIVENESSI was impressed with the jobs that have been returned from my searches and the companies that have contacted me about jobs - in just two weeks I've been contacted three or four times, with real opportunities (not my experience with other sites). This doesn't sound like a lot, but my resume doesn't look that great, and I haven't been working at finding a job. I've looked at the websites of the companies that have contacted me, and if they're scams, they are good ones!
I found the local job searches to be relevant, and within the area specified by my searches. As it's a sparse list in mid-Michigan, the search went a few miles over, to give me a decent number of jobs to look into. I specified I would like to work in England, and several recommendations have come back for jobs that would be a good fit there too.
I'm also not getting a lot of reminders from Monster, with lists of bogus job offers, just to get me back to the site. The other sites I've looked at in depth aren't horrible about sending unwanted email, but the jobs offered were obviously not real.
MY SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SITE
Although I understand the need for advertising to pay the bills, Monster and the other job sites like to collect contact information for their clients, in particular on-line colleges. The forms pop-up randomly as you are submitting resumes or searching for jobs. I find this very irritating, as I have low-speed dial-up - and no interest.
There are a LOT of options for getting a wide variety of information, must of it is related to the process of finding a job, some isn't - I often felt overwhelmed. Information and options are great, but getting the site 'clutter' under control would make Monster easier and faster to use.
SUMMARY
I am actively using Monster in my search for a real job. Can anyone write a better recommendation than using it themselves?
-I conducted my review early in 2008 - in the two weeks from my initial look till I wrote the article, major improvements were implemented! Please contact me if you feel this review needs to be revisited.
