JG Design

Obviously, we are in the midst of a recession, which doesn’t bode well for those of us that are unemployed. However, my rant is specifically aimed at a problem with job search websites, and this problem pre-dated the current economic woes. Technically, this issue can be viewed as only concerning graphic designers, but if you give it a little further thought, then you’ll see it could apply to other professions across the board.

It seems like these search engines pour all their effort into making everything astetically appealing (which as an artist, I can appreciate) but in turn they don’t research what tools an individual needs to showcase their talent in his/her given profession. For example, as a graphic designer, I was taught skills with typography, color theory, and various other aspects and details that are overlooked by the naked eye when it views a truly beautiful ad, layout, poster, etc. Also I received almost six years of intense training on programs of the trade (Adobe Creative Suite, Quark, Flash, etc.) and these programs allow for a significant amount of control over the design task at hand. So, when I spend my time (as an eager and recent graduate) designing and perfecting my print & digital portfolio as well as my resume just to find out that these search engines won’t let me upload anything to my profile that’s not in Microsoft Word format, then to say the least, I’m more than a little peturbed. Not to bash Microsoft Word, but it limits what I can do vastly. It’s like training to be a fireman and then giving that fireman a cup of water to quench the blaze. It just makes no sense.

If I’m joining a site like Monster and I’m searching for graphic design jobs, then why not allow me to upload file types that are native to the profession. Hell, I’d settle for just being able to upload a PDF or JPEG. How about offering a mini gallery feature for my profile to add a digital portfolio which job posters can view. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the daily email I received listing jobs that best matched my profiles profession would consistantly repeat the same job every day or every other day. Also, on that list of the top three jobs the same job would be listed in all three available spots. *WARNING: heavy sarcasm ahead. It was reasuring to realize, upon research, that the business listed over and over again in these emails was under review for fraud and various other shady practices. How is it that I can do a moderate amount of research and dig up this information, but Monster can’t, and let’s a business like that not only associate with them, but also features them ahead of legitimate job postings.

I know my post title indicates I’m lumping all job search engines into the same boat, and that’s not the case. I do know of a few very good ones that merely lack the resources to take them to that “Monster” level. Also, for every bad experience like mine, I’m sure there are a bunch of instances where these sites have helped people in their time of need. Basically if your a lawyer, or in insurance or any profession where your skills can more directly translate to a text document like Word, then you’ll probably have no problem with the tools available to you. However, if your a graphic designer, then these sites usually fall far short of the mark. My advice is to call around and just get out to as many places as possible in person. Old fashioned? Maybe but it will show a sense of determination that can’t be easily conveyed through the keystrokes made on Monster.com and similar sites. It’s merely my opinion but, as far as I’m concerned, job search engines=Epic Fail!