My In Box is full of information on what are supposedly the best new job sites ever. I usually get several pitches a day, more lately, from sites that have new technologies, new features, and new products and solutions for job seekers.
Some are valuable resources for job seekers, others are not. I do my best to take a look at every email message I get, even though, to be honest many of them waste my time, of which I don't have a lot to spare.
The reason I look at them all is because I don't want to miss anything that's a terrific resource for job seekers, and, so far, this year, I've come across some good ones, both on the web and on Twitter.
That's not why I am writing this though. I am getting more and more aggravated at the sites, especially in this tough job market, that take advantage of job seekers.
These sites, at best, don't offer anything new or anything different. At worst, they take advantage of job seekers who are already in a difficult situation, and, in some cases who are in the direst straits of their working lives.
What a Job Site Should (and Shouldn't) Offer
1. Provide Value. What does your web site offer job seekers that isn't available anywhere else? Does it offer new technology (VisualCV), information on jobs or companies (JobNob), a new way to access job listings (JobShouts and LinkUp), a compilation of great resources (Alltop) or job search help (JobAngels)? If not, be ready to make a compelling argument for why your site is valuable for job hunters.
2. Don't Reinvent the Wheel. We already have job search engines, job banks, and more niche job sites than I can keep track of. You don't have the latest and greatest job site if you're simply pulling listings from someplace else.
3. Don't Remix. In conjunction with #2, don't simple mix information from existing sites (throwing a tacky video resume product in with a networking package comes to mind). Again, a new site has to actually provide something that's not already been done to capture the attention of career professionals and job seekers and make a dent in this competitive career space.
4. Don't Charge for What's Available Free. If you're charging job seekers, please (and this is a plea) don't charge for something that's already available online for no charge. The site who told me they have great CV templates starting at $15 each comes to mind. As does the site that charges $9.95/job listing (marked down from $14.95).
If you're charging, be very clear what you are charging for and what you are providing for the fee charged. Examples of "good sites" that charge include Optimal resume and letter building, portfolio, resume hosting, etc. and JobSerf (finds and applies to jobs for you). They both offer value and are clear about what they charge, which is very reasonable.
Five Ways to Promote Your Job Site
If you have a site that meets all the criteria above, here are my top five suggestions on promoting it.
1. Contact Me - Politely. Email me and other career and job search experts to let us know about your site. Be clear, concise, and well mannered. Don't demand a review or brag about your site. Believe me, we have seen just about everything - from the new sites that are brilliant ideas we wish we had thought of to the pathetic dregs of terrible ideas. Say please (it helps).
2. Provide a Description. Provide a description of your site, including what it does, why it's a good resource, and what's different about it. Include the URL (believe it or not, some of the requests I get for site reviews don't include a URL and it's not always intuitive from the name).
3. Provide Access. Send me a user name and password. I don't care how good your site might be, I am not going to register to use it - their aren't enough days.
4. Share Your Site. Networking is a terrific way to promote your site - follow job/career experts on Twitter and share information from your site with your followers. Also, let your LinkedIn contacts, your Facebook friends, and your other networking contacts know about it.
5. Provide Advice. If you're a career expert, give advice. You'll be able to get exposure for your site on discussion forums and bulletin boards. For example, job and career experts who provide advice on my Discussion Forum can include a link to their site in their signature.
