Using Job Boards Like Indeed in Your Executive Job Search
Using online job boards is one strategy in a well-rounded job search plan. Sites like Indeed, Monster, SimplyHired, etc. can help job seekers identify specific opportunities, find growing companies that are hiring, and even research salary and benefits.
If you decide to use job boards as part of your search for new employment, a behemoth in that arena is Indeed.com. This post zeroes in on how to get the most benefit out of it.
Begin by setting up an account. This will allow you to benefit from all of Indeed’s features, including saving jobs you want to apply for.
Do not upload your executive resume to your Indeed profile. Instead, send your resume individually to each listing and where appropriate tweak it to the specific position for which you want to be considered.
Use Indeed’s powerful search function to identify job opportunities by location, distance, industry, job title, experience level, salary, and more.
Use filters to refine your searches, adding or removing criteria until you find positions that are a good fit for your skills, education, and experience.
Use Indeed’s “Easily apply” link or “Apply Now” functions to apply for roles you find on the site. This will allow you to track your applications from within Indeed.
Target specific opportunities by type of company (employers only vs. agencies), specific salary ranges, and recency of the job posting by using Indeed’s “Advanced Job Search.”
Set up job alerts to be notified of opportunities when they are posted. Consider using one of the Indeed browser plug-ins that provides job notifications.
You can also use Indeed for company research. Company Pages provide reviews of the employer, photos, job openings, and salary data.
In addition, you can generate ballpark salary data based on job titles and location using the “Find salaries” function. This can be a secondary source to back up research from sites like Salary.com.
Do keep in mind that job boards are just ONE tool in your well-rounded job search. Especially at executive level, your network is going to be a paramount resource for a successful search, as are the relationships you have built with professional recruiters.
Other effective tools to consider are:
Joining reputable executive networking and job search organizations such as ExecuNet. (Be very circumspect in evaluating “career marketing” firms with huge fees for “representing” you.)
Submitting your executive resume to the sites of major recruiting firms such as Lucas Group, Korn Ferry, Heidrick & Struggles, Spencer Stuart, Russell Reynolds, Egon Zehnder, and others.
Obtaining memberships in sites that multiple major recruiting firms participate in such as BlueSteps.
For more tips and information on executive job search techniques and tools, see these posts:
Top 6 Successful Executive Job Search Strategies
How to Conduct a Stealth Job Search
Get Recruiters’ Attention with Your LinkedIn Profile
Structure Your Resume and Executive Job Search Strategy to Combat Ageism
Executive Job Search Using Job Search Engines
How to Identify and Connect with Hiring Managers
You will also find numerous posts on various aspects of executive job search, executive resume writing, and job market trends on my blog at: