How Effective Is Monster.com in Finding Jobs

In a survey conducted by a multi-national career consulting firm, the most effective means of finding a job is through networking. This constitutes about 70% of the most effective job search strategy. This implies that all other means (e.g. print ads, TV and radio ads, walk-in job applications, employment websites and job search engines etc.) only share the rest of the 30%.
 
Many people try their luck in finding a job through employment websites particularly those who want to get employment abroad. However, the rate of turnover is very minimal compared to traditional job search strategies.

Monster.com has made its mark to Internet users nationwide in terms of employment opportunities. Wikipedia describes Monster.com as an employment website owned by Monster worldwide. It is said to be ranked a 20th most visited website out of the 100 million websites. It has well designed web pages, which allow applicants to easily apply to job listings.

You may be one of the millions of jobseekers who aspire to get a job through this website. Little do you know that Monster.com receives about 300-600 resumes to one particular job listing. If you applied to 3 jobs, your resume is lost to almost 1,200 resumes posted to them.

How effective is Monster.com in finding you a job?

1.    Job advertisements through Monster.com take only about 5% of all the employment opportunities in the Internet.
2.    Filling out forms in employment websites accounts for only about 5% of the actual methods in considering job applications.
3.    Limiting your applications through employment websites and search engines hurt your job search process. You get very few job postings to choose from which may not actually fit your qualifications.
4.    Monster.com only has a 3.6% success rate according to news reports.
5.    Advertisers and/or employers who advertise job offers at Monster.com pay almost $300 to get their advertisement published, which makes the job ads very limited in scope.
6.    The job advertisements are highly competitive. That is why aspirants should have remarkable qualifications to land a job posted by employers at Monster.com.
7.    Monster.com earns a huge amount of money by selling your resume to employers who, in turn get the privilege to view your resume. Although you posted your resume free of charge, they actually earn from it.
8.    Monster.com earns primarily due to (1) expensive advertisements by employers and (2) access to millions of resumes.
9.    Most employers, career experts and headhunters believe that the best way to find qualified job applicants is through networking.
10.    Monster.com makes you think that you can find work by posting your resume for free in their website.

The fact that employment websites’ and job search engines’ main purpose for existence is for profit and business means that your welfare is only secondary, if at all considered. Do not limit your job search to this strategy.

Exhaust all means possible to find opportunities within your network, e.g., a friend, relative or former classmates employed in a company looking for applicants that fit your qualifications. Above all, decide the career path that you want to pursue. If the job opportunity that you are looking for fits your job skills, traits and interests, increase the probability that you will be considered for the job. And thus, you will remain in it for a long period of time.