For the purposes of this assignment I visited three online job sites; Indeed.com, WorkinTexas.com, and Monster.com. There are many other sites that job seekers and employers can use for their needs, but these are the three I have the most recent experience with. I have taken a break recently from actively seeking work, but about a year ago I started seriously looking to return to the workforce after a several year absence. I came close on a few wonderful positions, but beyond a part time temporary job I have not had success. I am currently focusing on completing my Bachelors in Human Resource Management so that I can increase my opportunities for successful employment in my chosen field. From a job seeker perspective, my favorite site, and in my opinion the most user friendly, is Indeed.com. They have an easy to use search engine, where you can search by location or job title or keywords. There are advanced search options, but even the general search options provide excellent results. This site pulls from all the major job posting sites, in addition to some other job search options. Most posted jobs have a link to the employer’s website, or at the very least enough information so that you can perform a search for the company and research them some before you apply. Monster.com has many of the same advantages that Indeed.com has, but it is a little more difficult to navigate, and requires you to login in to really access all of the resources, which I would sometimes prefer not to do, because you get bombarded with so many emails. WorkinTexas.com is the most difficult to use in my opinion. The job search and job match options are very narrow and very specific, and many times your skills may suit many jobs but you don’t find the posting because you did not word your search properly. You can also only create three job match/occupation/location searches at one time, and that greatly limits your results, especially if you are open to a larger employment region. This site does have a resume creation tool, but in my opinion it is not very professional in presentation or easy to use or update when you complete it. Probably the best thing workintexas.com provides is an option to complete and save a State of Texas job application on the job site, and it makes it very easy to complete and submit the very lengthy state job applications. All of the above websites are free for job seekers, which in my case, and many others, is a very important consideration, especially if you are unemployed or on a set budget. Before this assignment I had wondered, but not really checked into what it costs or requires of an employer to use these sites.
WorkinTexas.com is free for employers, there are no costs associated with using their services, and they have employees at the local Workforce Centers that can help you with any questions or advice. They write up your job posting and requirements, they can handle the application process and even prescreening and interviewing for you if you prefer, all at no cost to you. This option also provides the employer a place to interview applicants at a workforce center rather than the employer location. This is