How to Use a Job Board Efficiently

How do you go about looking for jobs? Do you sign up to recruitment agencies, go through companies directly, or ask your friends to refer you? These are all perfectly acceptable ways to find a role and there are plenty of avenues to try. Job boards in particular have quickly emerged as some of the top tools that people use to look for — and advertise — their jobs.

That’s because according to CV-Library research, 83.5% of job hunters start their job search by registering their CV on a job board. Alongside this, a staggering 90.6% of recruiters say job boards are their number one source for finding candidates.

If you’re not sure where to start, or want to find out more, we’ll show you how to use a job board efficiently.

Which job board to choose

There are hundreds of job boards out there. This makes it difficult to know which is the best one for you. If you’re looking for something a little more niche, you may be best off signing up to a sector specific site which advertises jobs related to your specialism. If your job is more generic, look to sign up to one of the larger job sites which advertise hundreds of thousands of roles a month.

It’s often worth signing up to multiple job boards. After all, different employers will post their vacancies on different sites. However, larger companies tend to advertise across a range of job boards, so don’t worry too much about this.

How they work

The main benefit of using a job board is that you can be headhunted for roles and search for vacancies yourself. You’ll start by registering your CV, so make sure this is up-to-date and that you’ve given it a thorough proofread. Then you can play around with your profile.

Consider specifying your desired job title, your expected salary and the date on which you’ll be available to start your new job. Alongside this, choose your industry and highlight some of your main skills. This makes it easier for recruiters to find you.

If you know what type of role you’re looking for, use the search functionality to find relevant jobs. Tweak your search to ensure that only the most relevant results appear. For example, you may want to put how far you’re willing to travel, what job type (permanent or contract), and salary type you’d like, and so forth.

How to stand out

Because there are millions of other people signed up to these job boards, be proactive to ensure you stand out. Don’t just upload your CV and be done with it. Align your skills to those that feature in the types of jobs to which you want to apply.

For example, a job advert for a Sales Executive role may look for candidates with strong negotiating and influencing skills, the ability to prioritise, excellent communication skills and so on. If you were looking for a sales position, you’d need to plug these skills throughout your CV to ensure you appear at the top of the search results.

If you’re proactively looking for work, keep your profile as up to date as possible. Login on a regular basis to check for the latest opportunities and make any amends to your CV or profile where necessary.

What else do job boards offer?

If you’d rather not search for jobs and want the opportunities to come to you, most job boards will have features which alert you of relevant positions as and when they’re uploaded to their site. This is perfect if you’re a busy professional and don’t have the time to conduct a search yourself.

In summary

Overall, job boards can be a huge benefit to your search. Not only do they allow recruiters to find you, but you can also look for relevant opportunities and apply to these jobs directly. Every individual is different and the tools you use will be dependent on your particular career path and progress. The good news is there are plenty of platforms to use, so get started today.

CV-Library is the UK’s leading independent job board. For more expert advice on careers and the workplace, visit their Career Advice and Recruitment Insight pages.