Jobs boards - the features that are useful to graduate recruitment

They offer many features that can be used to actively find you appropriate vacancies, and tell you about them immediately. They also have a mass of information and help to support you during your job seeking process.

The features that are offered on jobs boards do vary, so below there are details of those facilities which are the most useful to you whilst you are looking for work.

Job and keyword search facility

The job search is probably the most obvious feature available, but you should be aware of keyword searches as these can be very useful. If you were only interested in, for example, sales jobs, then you can enter 'sales' as the keyword. The tool then searches the text within the job details for 'sales' and only list those that include this keyword in the text.

Company Listings

Information about recruitment and client companies are available on most boards, and they are often grouped by business sector. You can use these directories to find out more information about a company you are interested in working for, and they often include contact details and web site links.

News updates about sectors

Many jobs boards have sections that contain current and old news which you can browse, and also the ability to register to receive updates as they appear on the site. You can use this feature to stay up to date with your research, without taking too much effort.

Making your CV available

Some companies subscribe to a service with jobs boards where they search for suitable CVs to match vacancies that they may have. By posting your CV onto the site, you can be 'found' by agencies and companies looking for new employees. This is an effective part of the job searching process, saving you from having to go out and find vacancies constantly. You should be aware that once your CV is uploaded, it can be seen by virtually anyone, including your current employer, who will then know that you searching for a new job. Some jobs boards allow you to select companies who you do not want to see your CV, but be cautious as this method may not be completely effective.

Email job alerts

To use this facility, you need to create a profile of the type of job you are looking for, for example 'graduate sales jobs' in 'London'. Once the profile is activated, you will receive email messages to let you know when a job that meets the profile criteria has been posted.

Text message job alerts

This is based on the same idea as the email job alerts but in the form of a text message. There is a charge for this service but the advantage of finding out about a job straight away may make it worth the associated cost. Details of charges will be in the site's terms and conditions.

Community Forums and Blogs

Through a forum or blog, many jobs boards let you communicate with other users of the site. This is really useful if you want a quick answer to a question you might have about a particular job or company, and usually you will get multiple replies.

Access to articles

Some jobs boards will have libraries of articles that can help you when trying to develop your career. They provide a lot of information and are useful whether you are starting out, or some way through your career path.

To summarise, the internet jobs boards mean that looking for graduate jobs has never been easier. With awareness of the available features, you can make sure that the site is doing most of the hard work, letting you know when new posts are created, and providing easy access to information at the press of a button. Just remember that during graduate recruitment, all information about yourself that you make available on the web can be seen by anyone, so upload carefully. And good luck!

About The Author:
John Bult runs an internet jobs board for graduate recruitment agencies in the UK