CareerBuilder/Monster

How do you make the best of out of these sites?

I always end up finding the sketchy scam jobs (like work from home or those other ones that aren't really jobs)

What keywords work best?

Without knowing your industry, I can only tell you some specific hints.

Use the most detailed industry specific slang. If you are a programmer use terms like Visual Basic, C++, SQL Server, Oracle, Java, Tomcat, etc. An accountant, use terms like CPA, Audit, etc. You should know the slang for your industry.

Try and vary the slang. For instance Visual Basic can also be referenced as VB. Look at terms for competing products to see if there are other terms you might be missing. For a DBA you might also look at Data Warehousing, OLAP, MOLAP, PL/SQL, T-SQL, etc.

If that doesn't help. Look for a company that hires people in your field, even if it is in another city you aren't interested in. See what skills they are looking for.


Also, use other sites like DirectEmployer.com or Flipdog.com

I've signed up with a temp agencies and have a seasonal job at a dept store starting this week. But I need something more permanent.

I assume you learned a foreign language or two. I would definitely key off of that.

Other key words which come to mind might be:

"IR" (That is an industry shorthand), "NGO", "Economic Development", "International Law", "Global Security Analyst", "Terrorism Analyst".

You might also take a look a this link as it looks to contain some industry specific search boards as well as some possible direct links to employers.

L-

I will do that.

Much easier to navigate and much better response ratios. I hear this all the time from my job hunting friends. The problem with places like Monster is that they often use automated job ad gathering software that doesn't take into account the actual validity of the information they harvest. The jobs themselves often seem ridiculous obscurely skilled or appear in oddball corners of a chose profession.

Many of the jobs you’ll see posted don’t really exist, or aren’t serious postings (i.e. long filled jobs or ones that are really designed for internal applicants but are posted due to company policies.) Seeing as how most job hunters don’t have time & effort to waste on fruitless leads, this can be frustrating.

Places like Craigslist carry postings that feature motivated employers who have to type their own requests for workers into the site themselves, and it generally caters to a more progressive crowd, something anyone here on DU can appreciate. Best of luck with this Jiacinto, it’s not a fun time to be looking for work.