If you’re searching for a job, most people immediately think of job boards. They’re convenient, fast, and give the illusion of momentum. With just a few clicks, you can apply to dozens of roles in one afternoon. But the hard truth is job boards may not be the best place to focus most of your time.
While job boards serve a purpose, relying solely on them can lead to frustration, ghosting, and wasted effort. Instead, you should be focusing your time on networking.
Here are the pros and cons of using job boards vs. networking when searching for a new job and where to spend your time for maximum results.
First up, Job Boards:
The Pros:
- Easy Access to Listings: Sites like Indeed, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor aggregate thousands of opportunities in one place.
- Efficient Searching: You can filter by location, industry, salary, and more.
- No Awkward Conversations: If you’re introverted or new to job searching, applying online feels safer and more controlled from the comfort of your home, and with zero interaction with anyone.
The Cons:
- High Competition: Every job posting attracts dozens, if not hundreds, of applicants.
- Resume Black Hole: Many applications never make it past automated Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) so no one in the company may see your resume.
- Limited Visibility: Not all companies post jobs publicly, especially high-quality or senior roles. The positions that are posted usually are ones that companies expect a high number of candidates and doesn’t require a specific skillset or experience.
After weeks of searching for a new job on job boards, it can feel like throwing your resume into a digital void. It’s a passive approach that can get some people do get hired this way, but it does require consistent effort and applying to many job openings. This is why many companies are seeing an uptick in applicants for each of their job postings, but many of the applicants are not qualified for the position. When candidates are not hearing back from their applications, they begin to broaden their search and where they apply to more even if those job openings are not a match for them.
When companies get a high number of candidates who are not a match for their positions, that’s when getting back to everyone becomes harder and more companies are turning to AI to help with this process, leading to less human involvement in this process and resumes being filtered out before some from the company even sees it.
And the challenger, Networking:
You’ve heard the phrase, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”. While it’s a bit cliché, it’s also mostly true when it to comes to job searching. According to various studies, up to 70–80% of jobs are filled through networking, not online applications.
The Pros:
- Access to the Hidden Job Market: Many roles are filled internally or through referrals before they’re ever posted.
- Personal Endorsements Matter: A referral puts your resume at the top of the stack as companies believe in their employees, especially the top performers, when recommending an individual to join the team.
The Cons:
- Takes More Time: Building genuine relationships takes time and effort. You may not see results from each relationship you build, and it may be months and years in the making before anything happens.
- Feels Uncomfortable at First: If you’re not used to reaching out or asking for help, it may feel like you’re asking for handouts. You must get past that feeling and understand that building new connections can be beneficial to both parties. They may help you at one point, and you may return the favour later.
- Harder to Track: Unlike job boards, there’s no dashboard to “see” your progress. You must keep up with your connections and remember past conversations to engage in new ones.
Despite the time, effort and consistency that you must invest into networking, it often leads to faster, higher-quality, and better-matched job opportunities. Because relationships open doors that applications simply can’t. Even a brief conversation with someone inside a company can shift you from “just another applicant” to a known quantity.
Here are a few tips on how to get started with networking:
- Start with people you know. Old coworkers, classmates, mentors, even friends of friends.
- Use LinkedIn effectively. Send thoughtful messages, engage with posts, and don’t just connect, start conversations.
- Informational interviews are gold. Reach out for 15–20 minute chats to learn, not pitch.
- Give before you ask. Share helpful resources, offer introductions, or simply show genuine interest.
- Follow up and stay in touch. Don’t make networking transactional. Relationships are a two-way street.
Now that you know the pros and cons for Job Boards and Networking, both can be part of your strategy, but you shouldn’t just rely on one method. While job boards are the fast food of job searching “easy, available, but not always satisfying.” Networking, on the other hand, is more like home-cooked meals: slower, more personal, and ultimately more nourishing. If you want better opportunities, stronger relationships, and a faster path to your next job.
Below is a balanced approach that reflects where you’ll get the best return on time invested in searching for a new role:
- Networking (virtual + in-person) – 60%
- Targeted Applications (via job boards) – 30%
- Skill-building / Resume & Interview Preparation – 10%
Ultimately, there’s one more method that blends the best of both worlds and that’s working with specialized recruiters like Expand Reach who are actively building relationships with top employers and keeping an eye for new and exciting opportunities available in the market.
Contact us today to speak with one of our Recruitment Specialists and let us help you find new opportunities for the next step in your career!
Photo Credit: Image by Freepik