By Carolyn Mansfield
Published August 03, 2009
If you're starting a job search, probably the first thing you'll do is hang out on job boards. But be wary: They have the potential to be a waste of time.
Yes, this may seem counterintuitive, given that we at Bright Green Talent post all of our jobs on job boards.
However, it seems like every day we get an email from some new "green" job board, claiming to be all sorts of superlatives (the "best," "largest," "most relevant," etc).
The creators of these job boards are correct in identifying a market opportunity -- there are a LOT of jobseekers right now, there's a LOT of interest in green jobs, and it seems like you can make a quick buck by setting up a posting site and charging per post or just for advertising given increased traffic.
However, in the end, another green job board doesn't really help anyone: It wastes time for jobseekers, who have to add another site to the list of places they visit and for the employers who feel like they have to post their job in another location. The reality is that, as of yet, there aren't the mass numbers of green jobs that necessitate so many different green job boards, so each of these hundred-odd sites basically shows the same set of jobs.
So, how can you fight back and make sure you're using your jobseeking time efficiently and effectively?
