Endlessly scrolling through jobs listings when you’re seeking employment can be a tedious and time-consuming task, especially when 95% of what’s on offer isn’t right for you. Thankfully there is an answer. Specialist jobs boards focus on a specific industry and only post job vacancies relevant to that industry. Almost every sector is represented, from healthcare to construction.

Here are three big benefits of using a specialist jobs board:

1. RELEVANT JOBS, SHORTER SEARCHES

The main benefit of a specialist jobs board in comparison to generic boards like Monster or CareerBuilder is that they only list the jobs that you want to see. Larger, more generalised jobs boards list thousands of jobs, the vast majority of which won’t be relevant to you. If you’re hoping to find a particular job on a bigger site, you’ll have to be savvy about which keywords to use and vigilant when scrolling through listings. Specialist jobs boards can lessen the workload and increase your chances of finding a suitable position.

2. LESS COMPETITION, INCREASED EXPOSURE

Larger jobs boards also come with a larger candidate database to match. This means that you face greater competition when applying for a position, as many listings will receive hundreds of applications for each post. With so many candidates to choose from, there’s always a chance that you could be overlooked despite having the right qualifications, simply due to the numbers involved. Specialist jobs boards attract a smaller pool of candidates, meaning your CV is more likely to be read by a hiring manager.

3. NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

Many of the specialist job sites have active communities of professionals from that industry. Signing up to one of the specialist jobs boards means that you have access to this community, allowing you to connect and network with other members from your career field. These communities are built on platforms such as blogs, forums and social media. These groups can be an invaluable way of gaining insight into the job market for your profession.

There are many advantages to specialist jobs boards. They can make your job search more efficient and productive thanks to focused and relevant job listings, smaller applicant pools, viable employers and industry resources.

About the Author: Ron Stewart has worked in the recruitment industry for 30 years, having owned companies in the IT, construction and medical sectors. He runs the Jobs4Group, and is CEO of Jobs4Medical.

Photo credit: Matt Wyn