Monster.com Doesn't Go Green!

Most people have heard of Monster.com, it is arguably the most widely used job search engine out there. But if you're an environmental job seeker, looking for jobs on Monster has become a lot more difficult. Earlier this year, Monster fixed something that wasn't broken, and restructured their job search categories. The result? Monster eliminated it's Environmental category altogether! Instead, it dispersed hundreds of environmental jobs, burying them into one or two functional areas that are too specific for your "average" environmental job seeker, leaving said job seekers frustrated while browsing for career opportunities. This has forced companies like Triumvirate to post in less-than-relevant categories that environmental job seekers would not intuitively search in. For example, we were advised by our sales representative to post in the "Engineering" section. While our firm does do some engineering, none of our open positions are in this area...and unless you're an environmental engineer, you would'nt even be looking in that area!

While the world looks for ways to get greener and more job seekers than ever are pursuing careers in these fields, Monster has taken a step in the opposite direction. So what's a job seeker to do? My best advice is to voice your concerns to Monster.com. We're working on joining with other environmental companies to do just that. Hopefully we'll see changes soon, meanwhile use sites like CareerBuilder, which does have an Environmental industry option, and Indeed to find the careers you're seeking.

Job Search Tip: Careful Applying for Positions That Don't Exist!

When you're applying for a position, your are often competing against lots of job seekers applying for the same job. You need to make sure that you put your best foot forward! One of the most frequent slip-ups in this process is applying for a position that doesn't exist at the company!

We get TONS of resumes and cover letters where the job seeker applies for a job title that doesn't even exist at the company! We get many responses for our Environmental Specialist position where the job seeker lists the position as an "Environmental Scientist". Or, if we're hiring a Marketing Specialist, some job seekers will list Marketing Assistant or Marketing Coordinator.

This can show one of two things....you are either a) not taking the time to personalize your response to the company and may be using the same cover letter you used to apply to XYZ Corporation...or b) you're not paying attention!

I'm not saying we won't look at the resumes, but if we have a lot of interest in a particular position, those who show that they've taken the time to get things right in their resume submission will stand out against those who didn't.