ALT-2 How Effective is Monstercom in Finding Jobs
Like so many other things in the realm of business and finance the effectiveness of Monster.com in finding a job depends on the individual and the circumstance. For me, Monster.com proved a headache and almost completely ineffectual - almost because it is, in the end, how I found my job.
Monster.com provides a free job-hunting service that has many great features. The most important for a job hunter is the database of available jobs. A simple search can display hundreds of available jobs in a specific geographical region.
These jobs can be sorted according to field and type. This makes it easy to find jobs in the DC area in the medical field, for example.
In addition to providing this searchable database, Monster.com allows the job hunter to organize his/her searches, applications, and letters all on the site. This provides a convenient one-stop site to organize and track job-hunting activities.
The downside to Monster.com that I quickly discovered was that many of the job postings were lacking in credibility. I don't know where Monster.com gets their job leads, but many of the listed jobs failed to follow through on their end. I had some companies that called me months after I contacted them on Monster.com.
More disturbing were the obvious scams that I ran into quite often on Monster.com. Being wary of such things it was easy for me to avoid these scams, but it was disconcerting to see them on the website.
I received a job lead from Monster.com indicating that a local business was having an employment open house for positions in my field. I half-heartedly printed the information and planned on attending.
My expectations were not very high by this point, but my wife insisted that I attend the open house. The actual experience was wonderful. I got the job and love it- all thanks to Monster.com.
So in my final analysis, Monster.com will be as effective as one allows it to be. It should not be the sole source for job leads, it will quickly disappoint and if you are not careful it could get you into trouble.
Like all resources Monster.com has its uses, and should be used by any serious job hunter in this Internet based society, but don't neglect more conventional job search methods. Also, don't be disappointed if nothing comes from an initial search on Monster.com. Use the resources that Monster.com provides to help build a stronger resume and cover letter.
