One specific area of interest which has always been near and dear to my heart is the subject of disability and employment. In the past, I have been an employee in a corporate, retail, and commissioned sales settings. More recently, I have been an employer, and as a result of this varied background, I feel I have a fairly good view of the work search landscape. My efforts to advocate for people who have disabilities have not only consisted of direct hiring, but also offering advice to individuals seeking gainful employment. One of my most recent attempts at outreach in this area has been to set up a job board page, which is attach to my web site.
The job board site is not unlike many you’ve probably seen. many webmasters have added job board sites as a way to monetize their site or blog, or to add another “sticky” feature to their site so as to encourage more site visits or page views. Whatever the reason, many of the site owners who use these job board services use one of several that offer a site owner a variation of a main site, which is part of a larger network of jobs in a massive database. This is done by making available search niches that can be narrowed by region, state, job type, or any number of subcategories. Once you choose an area of interest that you believe will be relevant to your site visitors or site content, you can then “carve out” your little piece of the jobs database and create a jobs board page that is customized for your audience.
The job board itself is not monetized, in that they feature no ads. At least, the one I use does not feature ads. typically, work search is free to job seekers, and the fields that are populated with jobs come from the massive database of jobs that are collected from all over the web. The owner of the job board site can solicit for relevant postings from employers who are offering opportunities in that particular niche. In other words, if you have a job board site offering work in the hospitality industry, you might invite potential employers who are hiring for concierge or housekeeping or reservation positions to advertise those opportunities on your page. you can then charge the employer to place the ad.
On my own jobs board site, AT Work, I post jobs related to technology that require skills in the areas of accessible web development, 508 compliance testing, orientation and mobility specialists, educators or trainers who specialize in accessibility or disability awareness. Not all of the opportunities on my jobs board have been posted to my site specifically, some have come from the jobs database at large. On my site, employers can post a job for $39 which is significantly less than what Linked In or other career site and work search classifies charge.
The AT Work accessibility jobs board [http://tinyurl.com/6f5btoz] represents my little portion of the database. Additionally, I use the @Accessible_Jobs Twitter account to post tweets about career management, resume writing, economic news, work search tips, and general encouragement to followers seeking work. The jobs board isn’t specifically for people who are blind or otherwise disabled to find employment, rather, it’s for individuals who work in the field of accessible web development, usability, and so on.
Recently, I received a tweet asking how one might go about pursuing one of these job tweets, and if they are “real” jobs. The question inspired the realization that I haven’t written about the job board since I installed it around two years ago, and I thought it was time to answer some of the most frequently asked questions.
1: Are the jobs “real” jobs?
Yes. Though not all of the opportunities are posted directly through my page, they are real job opportunities. Employers have to pay a fee to post a job. When they post a job opening with me directly, I frequently have an email exchange with them, so as to learn a bit more about the job being offered. For the employers who are actually paying the $39 to post on my site, I spend more time promoting that job. I might retweet it a number of times throughout the posting period, I’ll retweet it to my other Twitter accounts, or I’ll attempt to call your attention to it in some other way. I do all I can to assist the employer in finding the right person for the job, so as to ensure a win-win for all concerned.
2: How do I apply?
If you click on the link associated with the job tweet, you will be taken to a “more information” page, where you’ll see the job description and other relevant information. The company may be hiring for multiple positions, so you may be able to click a link that will take you further into the company Human Resources pages, where you can see a full list of all the jobs, whether or not in your area of expertise.
3: Do you tweet every job available on your site?
No. Since the job tweets are only served up to Twitter on a schedule that I specify, you’ll only see the newest job listings posted about every six hours. I did this so as to minimize cluttering up a follower’s Twitter stream. I’ve seen those Twitter feeds that spit out updates once every minute or two, and they drive me crazy. Typically, I unfollow them. I have no desire to irritate my followers.
4: How can I see a more complete list of available jobs?
Go directly to the At Work jobs board site. you can get to it by going to the Accessible Insights web site [http://www.accessibleinsights.info], which I recommend you do with your hand covering your eyes, as I have not updated the site in a long time, it has languished in a code graveyard, where it awaits a defibrillator or stem cell treatment. Click on the link that pertains to work search, and you’ll get there. Or, just go directly to the job board, bypassing the abomination that passes for my web site, which you will find by going to:
jobs.accessibleinsights.info/a/jbb/find-jobs
Incidentally, I’d like to hire someone to overhaul the site, so if you know someone…
5: I don’t see much that interests me there, how can I see more job listings?
At the bottom of the job listings page, there are a few search boxes that you can use to specify some particulars, such as full- or part-time jobs, jobs in related fields, or jobs in a specific geographical region. The AT Work jobs board only posts opportunities that are available in the U. S.
6: How does an employer post a job?
By clicking on the “post a job” link. The process is simple and straightforward. an employer can post detailed information, and the additional info can be accessed by job seekers who click on the “more info” link on the listings page.
7: Can you help me get a job?
I do not work in human resources, nor am I a work search consultant or headhunter. I am in no way associated with the Employment Services Department with the U. S. government, or any other employment agency. However, I’ll do all I can to assist you in your work search efforts, even if that means promoting your skills and expertise by featuring you as a “job seeker of the week.” You can read more about that here: [http://tinyurl.com/7o3ru8h].
I’m also happy to offer tips on work search, interviewing, and networking. As a long-time employer of workers in a variety of work environments, I can certainly assist with everything from skills assessment to resume writing. Or, if you just need someone to listen to your work-search misery and offer encouragement, I can do that, too.
For additional information or questions about any of the above, feel free to use the accessible contact form on the blog page. Always a pleasure to share my accessible insights with you.
LL