Even if you’re not going to use them, I hope you find their creativity and ingenuity interesting. (Click here to tweet this list.)

1. JobsMiner.com

JobsMiner.com uses data analysis technology to extract job postings from social media networks. By presenting only the most relevant information from social networking sites, blog posts and forums, it lets you focus on the human connection.

After signing in with a Facebook account, you can see jobs from around the country that JobsMiner found from various social sources. Clicking on the job you find interesting will bring up the source. Comparing these results with those of a traditional job board, JobsMiner shows you some very hard-to-find opportunities that simply don’t appear on other boards.

2. LinkUp.com

Rather than asking employers to pay to post their jobs on its network, LinkUp.com simply finds and indexes jobs from the employer’s own websites. Clicking on jobs you like on LinkUp takes you directly to the employer’s website. Because LinkUp isn’t paid for applications, it doesn’t need to be involved after you’ve found a job or company you like. No scams or weird third-party websites are involved.

On LinkUp, you’ll find jobs that simply never made it to other job boards. After all, most companies don’t bother posting their jobs to major job boards. Currently, the site indexes well over 35,000 companies’ jobs sites.

3. ApplyApp.ly

ApplyApp.ly is a job-matching service that looks at your past experiences, skills and even personality traits to suggest better-matching jobs. Each job you see on ApplyApp.ly lets you know how well your personality and experience would fit.

As a measure of your personality, ApplyApp.ly relies on your Myers-Briggs personality type. If you don’t already know your Myers-Briggs type, you can buy the test for a discount through the site. The site also offers a service called Résunate, which shows you how to customize your resume based on the job you’re going for.

4. Jojari.com

Jojari.com uses your entire LinkedIn profile or resume to conduct a more thorough search than traditional job board searches. This technology is also used by lawyers to find related cases.

After linking your LinkedIn profile or resume, Jojari quickly provides you with a list of stack-ranked jobs. You make the search results smarter by telling it to give you “More Like This” or “Less Like This.” It’s amazing how accurate the personalized results can be.

5. Startwire.com

If you’ve applied for a job before, you know how frustrating it can be to wait and wait and wait to hear anything back. This experience is often called the “black hole” by frustrated job seekers. Startwire.com seeks to end the black hole by giving you status updates on the progress of your job application.

Along with its job-matching service and one-click apply, you get alerted when a recruiter looks at your application, passes it on to someone else, categorizes you or puts you in various buckets. Just knowing what’s going on with each of the jobs you’ve applied for can be a huge stress reducer.

6. TweetMyJobs.com

TweetMyJobs.com leads the way in bringing the job market to Twitter. The site has been reviewed in The Wall Street Journal, on CNN and in BusinessWeek. Even if you don’t plan to be very active on Twitter, having a TweetMyJobs account to stay up-to-date is certainly worthwhile.

As a job seeker, you need to engage in three primary activities on TweetMyJobs:

1. Subscribe to a Twitter job channel. A job channel is simply a Twitter feed that’s specific to your location and industry.
2. Upload your social resume and tweet it to TweetMyJobs’s @TweetMyResume account. @TweetMyResume has more than 16,000 followers who are instantly alerted every time a new resume is posted.
3. Sign up for alerts. TweetMyJobs can notify you of new job postings that match your profile in many different ways. If you don’t want to receive tweets of job postings, TweetMyJobs can send you an SMS text message or email with relevant jobs.

TweetMyJobs also helps you in finding referrals through your social graph, mobile apps for job searching using geolocation services, and augmented reality.

7. Bright.com

After a study of over 2.3 million resumes, a team of data engineers and computer scientists from Bright.com found a way to grade your resume to predict if it’s going to help you get the job you’re applying for.

After you upload your resume to the site and do a search for jobs, Bright tells you which jobs you’re more likely to stand out for based on your resume, which can help you decide which jobs to apply for.

8. Jobfox.com

Jobfox.com sends you an email every time a new job is posted with your location and title criteria. It’s that simple!

9. JackalopeJobs.com

Jackalopejobs.com analyzes your LinkedIn and Facebook network connections to provide search results not based on keyword but based on the number of connections you have. After all, why not just tell you what companies you’re better connected to?

After linking your LinkedIn and Facebook accounts, simply use JackalopeJobs like a normal job board and see which jobs have more connections. And, even more powerful, you can see which connections have more jobs! Just click on the name of one of your connections and see how many jobs are open at their current company.

10. Cachinko.com

By leveraging your Facebook network, Cachinko.com tells you who in your network may be a good connection to the opportunity you’re looking at. So before you apply, you can reach out and network first. Because Cachinko is fully integrated with Facebook, you can send messages to any of your Friends directly from its system.

Cachinko lets you indicate which jobs you prefer by starring them, and it gradually begins to customize search results for you. After you’ve done a few searches and starred a few jobs, click on “Jobs You’ll Love” to get an automatically generated list of jobs delivered based on your past preferences.

This post appeared on Career Enlightenment and was originally posted on Dummies.com, from the author’s book Job Searching with Social Media For Dummies (2nd edition).

Joshua Waldman is the founder of Career Enlightenment, which offers professional LinkedIn profile writing and job search services to colleges, WorkForce offices and re-entering veterans.Watch Joshua’s exclusive video “3 Secrets to Getting Job Interviews by Next Week” to learn the three secrets no one wants you to know about getting hired in today’s job market.

Get our best career advice delivered to your inbox. Sign up today!

The post 10 Job Boards That Use Social Media to Boost Your Search appeared first on Brazen Life.

Online job boards are everywhere on the post-college/entry-level job scene. If you’re unemployed, you’re surely a member of one (or maybe 10). Even when we have full-time jobs, some of us still stay subscribed!

But do these online job systems actually hold up to their promises?

The truth is, job sites like Monster, CareerBuilder and even your alma mater’s online board might be the reason your job search is failing. Here’s why:

You forfeit your networking power

If someone had told me that finding a paying, full-time job was 90 percent networking and 10 percent resume, I would have shaken their hand—and then owed them an expensive dinner.

The problem is, we focus instead on our resume, cover letter, GPA and experience.

The online job site, your supposed friend, makes it easy to submit all this info with a couple of clicks and, heck, you feel productive doing it.

But once you hit “submit,” you instantly join thousands of candidates who appear exactly like you, if not better.

Seriously, put yourself in the recruiter’s shoes. What stands out from one guy to the next? On paper, virtually nothing. Your school name might pop out and get you an interview, but that’s about it.

Instead of submitting 10 online job apps a day, try one internship, externship or cup of coffee with an acquaintance in your field. This active approach worked well before the Internet even existed, and even Forbes agrees that personal recommendations are the number one source of new hires.

You’re dead last in an endless line

You have zero priority when you apply online. Unless you’ve met a recruiter and they make you apply online as a formality, you’re going to be waiting…and waiting…and waiting.

What’s worse: the position you’re drooling over may have already been filled! A job site certainly doesn’t pull down an opening the moment it’s filled; it’s not in their best interest to do so, because more openings and postings means a more valuable site, which means more site visitors. And that’s largely what they want.

PBS even found that Monster.com misconstrues information to entice applicants.

Then there’s the college job boards, usually intranet portals used to network with alums and find exclusive offers. These sites are more relevant to an applicant and produce higher success rates but still have an anonymity factor that blocks the hire, or even the interview, from happening.

To get first in line, you have to actually to be on the ground in the city where you want to work, working your connections. There’s really no rocket science behind this.

Most importantly, it was never even about you!

Listen up, because this is where it all comes together. Three parties are involved in an online job search, including you. There’s the company you apply to, the job site who’s the middleman and then you.

The first two parties benefit a ton. The company benefits through exposure. You read about their programs online and you think they look great, that they must be growing and prospering if they’re hiring. It’s free advertising.

Then when you get rejected or never receive a reply to that cover letter you slaved over, that company looks even better to you. How exclusive! You’re not good enough!

The job site benefits simultaneously from traffic. Your eyes on their site means great things for them, and if you pay a membership fee to access premium job offers, all the better.

Then there’s you. You fuel the job sites, yet usually get little more than a follow-up email and a small sliver of satisfaction and false hope. You might benefit in the case you do get called—and if you do, then by all means congrats—but you surely suffer via lost time and lost motivation.

A sketchy agreement?

Here’s how we might imagine an interaction between a job site and a company “offering” a job via an online posting:

Hypothetical interaction 1:

New job site: “We’ll post your jobs for free.”

Company: “Do we have to maintain the postings?”

New job site: “Nope, just give us an email.”

Company: “Sounds good; send all applicants to Margie.”

Hypothetical interaction 2:

Well-known job site: “We’ll post your jobs for a small fee.”

Company: “What’s it it for us?”

Well-known job site: “You can save on your recruiting budget.”

Company: “Deal.”

Lots of arrows point to why online job searching isn’t tilted in your favor; you just have to look into the process to find them.

Even so, it’s mainly your fault, anyway

If you rely only on online job apps and aren’t finding that dream job, let alone any job, sadly, it’s sort of your fault.

Good news, though: as much as the job world is changing, the principles on which you’ll be hired still remain relatively the same. Present yourself well, be personable and have the poise to talk the talk—and then, hopefully, walk the walk.

And never underestimate the value of a personal recommendation. It really is 90 percent networking in the real world, so get out there and make a new connection.

Then click “unsubscribe” on those darn emails.

Greg Narayan spills coffee while blogging. Get free updates from his email club and find Greg on Google +.

Get our best career advice delivered to your inbox. Sign up today!

The post Online Job Boards: What Nobody Dares to Tell You appeared first on Brazen Life.

If you’re limiting your search to major job boards like Monster and Indeed, you probably aren’t making much progress. If you’ve filled out more than 25 job applications or if you can’t keep track of how many applications you’ve submitted, which companies you’ve applied to or who you need to follow up with, you probably also suck at applying for jobs.

Lucky for you, we’ve compiled some tips to help you improve your current job search strategy:

1. Do your research

Most industries and cities have niche job boards and communities dedicated to certain areas of the market. For example, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) has a job board dedicated to each city where companies looking to hire PR professionals can post their openings. Sometimes these openings are also posted on major job boards like Monster, but sometimes they aren’t.

By researching and finding these niche communities, you can stay tapped into what’s going on in your industry. You’ll have access to different, more targeted job posts and be able to make valuable connections in your specific market. You’ll also have a leg up on the competition by seeing job postings with a more limited audience.

Ask your professional contacts for suggestions if you’re having trouble finding these niche communities. You can also ask if they know of any job opportunities that would be a good fit for you.

2. Slow your roll

While it can be tempting—especially with form applications and fill-in-the-blank fields—to apply for each and every job you come across that seems like a decent fit, don’t do it.

Although it seems like casting a wide net would be a good job-search strategy, what you’re really doing is akin to “spraying and praying.” You can’t possibly keep track of all of those applications, follow up with every hiring manager or do enough research to impress every single company you’ve applied to if your net is 100 companies wide. Instead, you should…

3. Do more research. Yes, MORE

Take the time to look up each company before you apply for their position. See if they have a company culture that you would work well in. Research the name of the hiring manager and look at his or her Twitter feed. Check out client reviews and testimonials. Click around on the website and make sure you like what you see. Look at your social networks and see if you have any connections who work at the organization.

Not only will this give you a better idea of what it would be like to work there; you’ll also be able to write a much better and more individualized cover letter explaining to the hiring manager exactly what it was that attracted you to the company. Once you’ve done your research and identified companies and opportunities that seem valuable and desirable, you’re ready to move on.

4. Rank your opportunities

Take a look at the jobs and the research you’ve compiled. Rank the opportunities in terms of companies you’d most like to work for, jobs you’d most like to have and positions for which you’re the most qualified. Pick your top 10. These are the jobs you should apply for, not all 50 of the opportunities you found.

5. Track your applications and follow up

The nice part about niche job sites and learning about openings through your network is that you can learn more about the position than you might on the typical job board. Often, major job boards don’t offer any unique information, like the hiring manager’s name or sometimes even the name of the company.

Because you’re using niche boards and doing extra research, you have access to the information necessary to follow up and track your applications. Once you’ve applied to a job, make sure to note the name and contact information for each hiring manager, what date you submitted the application and what date you told them you would follow up. Mark those dates on your calendar—and then follow through. Keep track of all your communications with a particular manager or company to ensure you’re doing all that you can.

By casting a narrower net, you can focus your time and energy on each job. While your resume is great and shows your work experience, you need to show the employer all sides of you to land the position. This includes follow-through, research and initiative—all of which are possible if you use niche communities and job boards to find your opportunities and really dedicate the time and energy to each application.

Follow these tips, and before you know it, you won’t suck at applying for jobs!

Are you doing enough with each job application? What could you do to follow through after you apply for a job?

Amit De is the CEO and Co-Founder of CareerLeaf, a platform that helps job seekers showcase their skills and talents, search for jobs and track and organize communications all from one place. Connect with Amit and CareerLeaf on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Get our best career advice delivered to your inbox. Sign up today!

The post Why Your Run-of-the-Mill Job-Search Strategy is Getting You Nowhere appeared first on Brazen Life.

Most of the findings are what you’d expect: all of those groups now focus their searches online, and Gen Y and Gen X turn first to Google (and Google+), while Boomers focus more heavily on LinkedIn. Oh, and all generations say the job hunt is stressful and frustrating — something job-seeking Brazenites can certainly attest to.

But what editors here at Brazen found most interesting about this survey is that all generations reported job boards as their top resource.

Job boards?! Really?

Job boards are fabulous for learning what types of openings are popping up in your industry and what skills you need to qualify for those jobs. They’re NOT fabulous for actually landing jobs.

Why? Because so many people apply that way. And if you do just that, without finding another “in” at the company — through a professional contact, by making new connections on social media or through some sort of unique, attention-attracting stunt — your resume and cover letter might not even get read.

So what should you do instead?

Here’s what’s more effective than applying via job boards: networking. Going to Meetups. Interacting on Twitter. Building a brand for yourself — so a job will come to you, rather than the other way around. All of these brazen techniques are much more likely to help you stand out than responding to an online ad.

And today’s study gives you even more reason to go the brazen route, rather than browsing job boards: because it’s different than what most everyone else is doing. If you’re different, you’re more likely to stand out in a sea of job seekers.

On this same note, guess which online tool survey respondents said they use the least for their job search? Twitter. Only 8 percent of Gen Y, 6 percent of Gen X and 4 percent of Boomers are using Twitter strategically to find a job they love. Which is absolutely NUTS. Because of all the social networks, Twitter is arguably the one that’s most effective for connecting with people you don’t already know, for broadening your network to include new contacts. And that’s what’s important in a job search.

Here are two more interesting findings from the survey of nearly 5,270 job seekers:

• When it comes to qualities each generation values most in a potential employer, location came out on top for Gen Y at 59 percent, followed by meaningful work and job security. Sixty-five percent of Gen X ranked job security highest, and not far behind fell employee benefits like healthcare and location. For Boomers, 60 percent said meaningful work, which was followed by location and both employee benefits and job security. Gen Y valued both salary and workplace flexibility more than Gen X and Boomers.

• Each generation prepares differently for job interviews. Boomers are more likely to review the company’s website and get up-to-date on news that affects the company or industry, while Gen Y spends more time practicing interview questions and interacting with the company on social media. Gen Y also puts more effort into customizing resumes and cover letters, a smart move.

Oh, and one final note: if you absolutely MUST use job boards, at least make them niche boards that cater to your industry. That means the pool of applicants is smaller (although perhaps more qualified), and shows you know where to look online for industry-specific information.

What do you think? Is this study right on?

Alexis Grant is managing editor of Brazen Life.

Get our best career advice delivered to your inbox. Sign up today!

The post Most Job Seekers Still Rely Heavily on Job Boards, Study Shows appeared first on Brazen Life.

Wielding your mouse as you look for the perfect-fit career? While you shouldn’t focus all your energy on job boards, they can be a great resource to help you learn what types of jobs are out there, which positions are available and which companies are hiring.

And here’s the best part: whether you want a job in tech, television or typography, there’s likely a specialty job board out there designed to meet your specific desires.

Here are 15 unique job boards to help jump-start your next search:

1. Escape the City

Who will love it: Talented 20-somethings looking to ditch the 9-to-5 and “do something different.”

Why it’s cool: London-based founders Rob and Dom believe there’s more to life than doing work that doesn’t matter to you. More than 50,000 corporate professionals around the globe use this site to make their next career move.

2. 37signals Job Board

Who will love it: Programmers, designers, business types and iPhone developers.

Why it’s cool: Since 2006, this no-frills website has connected job candidates with industry leaders like Apple, The New York Times, Facebook and American Express.

3. Krop

Who will love it: Creative job-seekers from art directors and copywriters to web designers and developers.

Why it’s cool: This site works double-duty as a portfolio host and receives more than one million visitors each month. We love the Pluck-t portion of the site, which profiles a daily hand-picked peek at a portfolio.

4. Mediabistro

Who will love it: Anyone who creates content – whether you’re an author, blogger, writer or editor.

Why it’s cool: Frequently updated job boards keep job-seekers coming back, but it’s Mediabistro’s bulletin boards, classes (both online and in real life) and in-depth “how to” informational pieces that create community.

5. Tweet My Jobs

Who will love it: Anyone who’s tired of filling out long (and exhausting) applications on online job boards.

Why it’s cool: It’s like Mad Libs for job-seekers. Type in your desired role and industry and how you wish to receive job leads (via email, mobile or Twitter) and matches are sent directly to you. Heavy hitters like Starbucks, UPS and Verizon all use this hiring tool.

6. Glassdoor

Who will love it: This little black dress of job board sites offers resources for a wide variety of fields – from customer service and clerical positions to health care and human resources.

Why it’s cool: It includes lots of employee-generated content, which means an insider peek at anonymous salaries, company reviews and a sneak peek of interview questions and protocols.

7. Talent Zoo

Who will love it: Advertising, creative, digital, marketing and new media folks.

Why it’s cool: This easy-to-navigate site not only connects qualified individuals with clients, but also offers helpful blogs and columns from industry thought-leaders.

8. Job Postings

Who will love it: College students looking for practical job-hunting advice, who want to connect directly with employers.

Why it’s cool: This one-stop career resource offers a wealth of information, including articles, blog posts, a monthly e-advice column and a quick and easy “dream job” search engine. Its magazine is Canada’s largest career lifestyle magazine for university and college students.

9. Indeed

Who will love it: Anyone who seeks a more efficient job-application process.

Why it’s cool: With a few clicks of a mouse, applicants can narrow down job possibilities by position, salary, title, location and job type.

10. Chef2Chef

Who will love it: Culinary art students, chefs and hospitality industry types looking for positions in culinary field.

Why it’s cool: Whether you’re a baker, bartender, restaurant manager or sommelier, this site features jobs across the country, as well as resources for those still in school, just starting out or looking for a career change.

11. Journalism Jobs

Who will love it: Anyone involved in publishing and media.

Why it’s cool: Not only does this site offer extensive job listings, it also features fellowship, internship and online contest opportunities. We love its savvy industry commentary and event listings, too.

12. Think Beyond the Label

Who will love it: Workers with disabilities.

Why it’s cool: Job results are prioritized to first list those companies that are actively recruiting qualified job candidates with disabilities. The site also provides tools to employers so can they hire people with disabilities and seamlessly integrate them into the workforce.

13. Law Jobs

Who will love it: People looking for careers in the legal field.

Why it’s cool: Job-seekers can browse by category or location for everything from contract work to in-house positions. The site offers many resources, including connecting workers with temporary legal staffing agencies and legal recruiters.

14. Public Relations Society of America Job Center

Who will love it: Public relations, communications and marketing job-seekers.

Why it’s cool: The site offers handy education and professional resources from entry to senior level, as well as a tool for those considering a career change to public relations.

15. Mad Jobs

Who will love it: Design, marketing and advertising types.

Why it’s cool: This UK-based creative firm has its finger on the pulse of the new media industry.

What are we missing? What’s your favorite job board?

Charyn Pfeuffer is a food, travel and lifestyle writer and journalist based in Seattle. She can be found on Twitter at @charynpfeuffer.

Get our best career advice delivered to your inbox. Sign up today!

The post 15 Unique Job Boards to Help You Find Your Next Gig appeared first on Brazen Life.

Congressman Wilson and his aides are struggling to find the one, magic weapon they can provide to the mujahedeen. His weapons expert explains that they shouldn’t look for a single new weapon, or a “silver bullet.” Rather, they needed a “symphony of different weapons that, when put together, would change the balance in favor of the mujahedeen.”

With each new piece of technology or trend, we hear about the “death” of something else. Resumes are out – bios are in, job boards and sending cold applications are out, networking and LinkedIn are hot.

Nonsense.

Adopting any one approach (especially if it’s the latest, hot trend) to the exclusion of others is a bad idea. Job hunting isn’t a zero-sum game where the presence of one technique, strategy, platform, or application means the absence of another. The key is to use as many methods as possible while maintaining harmony.

Resumes

To say resumes are out is just crazy. Talk to a working recruiter and ask if they think resumes are out. Resumes have been the standard for measuring professional suitability for decades, so the recruiting industry isn’t going to just shelf them any time soon. Even if more elaborate bios, or video resumes, or LinkedIn profiles do grow in popularity, they aren’t going to replace traditional resumes. Each tactic will evolve, with some becoming mainstays and others falling away. You need to experiment with all of them and find the ones that work best for you.

Another point about bios: these new voices praising the importance of a well-written bio run contrary to just about every recruiter I’ve talked to about how applications are viewed. Recruiters scan resumes for bullet points and keywords and almost always skip over bios, personal statements, or anything else that results in more reading time. If you have a statement, be very careful it is not there at the expense of an easily digested bullet point. No matter how good it is, it doesn’t matter if no one reads it!

Job boards? Really?

I know, I know – leviathan job boards like Monster and CareerBuilder get a bad wrap for being too big to navigate, too clumsy to use, and overall just a waste of time. While I don’t think they have all the answers, it’s a mistake to ignore them completely. If nothing else, you can use job boards for market research when looking for a job. When trying to break into a certain field, those massive job boards provide tons of job descriptions from which you can tailor your resume. Also, Monster is at least trying to diversify their offerings with BeKnown, which is a somewhat tardy version of In the Door and BranchOut (apps that help you tap into your Facebook network’s professional connections). From what I can see, CareerBuilder is still just a job board.

I also like using job boards the way I used to use Orbitz and Expedia (before Kayak). Back in the day you could search for flights using Orbitz, find what was available, and book using Orbitz for a slightly higher rate. Or, what many people did was use those services as flight search engines, find out what was available, and then just book directly through the airline’s site. I didn’t want to search each airline’s website for availability, but I also didn’t want to pay the extra fee by booking through the flight search engine. Job boards can be used the same way – use them to find out what’s available and apply directly through the company’s site.

Applying online? I thought I was supposed to network!

This is another place where getting caught up in the trend is dangerous. Yes, networking is extremely important, but it’s only one means to an end. Networking is not an end itself. If you are talking to someone about a job at their company, most of the time the first thing they will ask you is, “Have you applied online yet?” If your answer is “no,” or worse, if you didn’t know about the opening, you look like someone who isn’t serious about working at that company. You need to do your due diligence and get the obvious steps out of the way before networking can do anything meaningful for you. If all your ducks aren’t in a row, networking is just socializing.

Submitting job applications online also makes it easier for anyone in a position to help you, to actually help you. Once you can tell them about a particular job at their company, they can refer you to a specific person or department. Much better to attack a specific job from multiple fronts, than to approach someone and say, “I’m not sure where exactly, I just really want to work here.” Everyone says you need to network to get a job, but networking only works when done in conjunction with other approaches.

Regardless of the latest advice, or the supposed “death” of a trend, always remember than there is no silver bullet for your job search. There is no one solution. You need a symphony of job search weapons, all working in harmony, to land a job in this market.

Tim Murphy is a member of the Brazen Life Contributor Network.

Ed. note: If you’re looking for your next great opportunity, consider signing up for the Job Hunt Network Roulette on Wed., July 27.  Tim’s right on — there is no silver bullet for job search. But making some great connections is sure to provide powerful ammunition! Okay, okay… done with the metaphor.

Get our best career advice delivered to your inbox. Sign up today!

The post There is No Job Search Silver Bullet appeared first on Brazen Life.