You may have noticed an explosion of career networking sites recently. It seems as if they are everywhere, promising to get you out of unemployment or your current low paid job. But what do they actually do and are they really effective? As with all forms of marketing, the answer to this depends on the quality of the site in question. However, career marketing as a whole is an essential method of gaining employment. Many of these sites talk about personal branding and they have a point. In the modern job market, you need to stand out. Essentially, you are a company all by yourself and have to create your own Unique Selling Proposition.

• Workopolis is a company based in Canada that offers career solutions online.
• 6FigureJobs is dedicated to finding its members jobs worth at least $100,000 per year. An estimated 700,000 people use the site to view suitable jobs and post their resume.
• TheLadders job seekers have access to around 12,000 employers and can use the expert help of the site’s team to help fix up their resume.
• Vault.com is a site dedicated to providing information to professionals and those currently in college when it comes to finding the most suitable and lucrative jobs.
• ExecuNet was formed in 1988 and is designed to bring together high-level executives online in a bid to help them improve their network.
• Doostang is a career network website that is available only to students and those who graduated from high ranking MBA and undergraduate programs.
• Flexjobs.com is a great online job service for people looking for freelance and flexible jobs.
• TaskRabbit is an online marketplace that allows people to outsource jobs or duties to other people situated nearby.

The Effectiveness Of Career Networking

When it comes to the main function of a career networking site, the clue is in the name. It has been established that networking is the best way to get employed. It can work for employees at any level. The more people you know and interact with, the more likely it is that one of them will know of a job vacancy that will suit you. Statistics show that approximately 60% of people find their jobs due to networking. Compare this to sending a resume to an internet career site (4%), or sending resumes to companies in the old tradition (7%), and you will see why career networking sites are so important.

Meeting New People

What career networking sites are especially good at is placing you in touch with like-minded professionals. They ensure that employees from similar sectors start networking and hopefully, branch out. According to Forbes Magazine, the most important strategies for effective networking include becoming the person people want to meet and learning to listen to others. With career networking sites, you can show that you’re more interested in other people than in yourself. They help you have stimulating conversations without being forced to meet in social environments which can be uncomfortable. Social networking sites like LinkedIn and Twitter are excellent starting points but there are also sites that offer jobs too.

Locating Jobs

These sites divide jobs into sections, reducing the time you spend searching. Your online contacts will also be searching and you can coordinate your efforts. A crucial part of any career networking site is offering a vast array of information relating to seeking employment. Most sites of this nature have blogs, articles and various packages that help you with interview techniques, resume writing and career development. Many of these sites have tens of thousands of available jobs at one time with most of them covering huge areas. There are also exclusive networking sites where members must meet certain criteria relating to their salary and experience level.

As the statistics above show, failing to network is the number one mistake you can make when looking for jobs. When you network, you increase your prospects of finding a job because you have dozens of pairs of eyes looking for work on your behalf. You can then help others and create sustained connections which may become friendships. Because everything is done online with career networking sites, there is no pressure with ample reward.