Build your own Superhero Headquarters

The way we apply for jobs has changed over the years. In the past, we relied mostly on the filling out of job applications online as the best method of job searching. However, this is no longer the case. The reason why you shouldn’t fill out job applications online is that LinkedIn has become the most effective means of getting the job you want. LinkedIn is the most reliable marketing tool you can use to connect with employers directly. This puts job searching back into your own hands, allowing you to market yourself properly.  

Let’s assume, businesses are in need of superheroes. The current job market is complex with its many fields, employers are always searching for job seekers to fill these positions. Also, job seekers must have a way to market themselves. It’s important that every superhero has a cool name, an awesome outfit, and their very own insignia that makes them stand out. With this in mind, LinkedIn is the best way you can showcase your “superpowers.” Using internet job boards, you may have a hard time being hired. Here are five reasons why you shouldn’t fill out job applications online.

Job applications online don’t provide character descriptions

What makes or breaks the success of comic books are the accurate portrayal of superheroes. Morals and ethics are what makes Superman a great superhero. For Superman comic books to be successful, these characteristics of Superman must be present. As with internet job boards, the lack of accurate portrayal of character remains a problem. Job applications online don’t reflect your skill sets. Therefore, you shouldn’t fill out job applications online because it will lack the character behind it. Think about it this way: Wolverine would simply be a grumpy dude in yellow and blue spandex if he couldn’t show off his cool adamantium claws.

Most internet job boards require nonessential information: past salaries, contact information of your references, and job history. When filling out job applications online, this information becomes unnecessary to companies. It would be like job applications focusing on what fabric your cape is made of, instead of what superpowers you have. So why does the employer ask for this information in the first place?

Job applications online aren’t Bat Signals

When Gotham is in trouble, Detective Gordon uses the Bat Signal to call Batman for help. So while the Bat Signal is important, without Detective Gordon, this method would be ineffective. In reality, internet job board platforms such as Indeed and Monster are similar to a broken Bat Signal. Fortunately, LinkedIn works and is built for the sole purpose of contacting Batman by also playing the role of Detective Gordon. This means that job seekers will find LinkedIn more reliable in the job search.

For this reason, LinkedIn is important in the hiring process. Most employers aren’t required to hire, let alone interview, anyone by law. Therefore, they have no reason to care about your resume. This means filling out job applications online is pointless. Becoming a broken distress signal, internet job boards have no way to call a superhero for help. Unfortunately, it’s possible an employer may not have read your job application and you’d never know it.

Job applications online aren’t Cerebro

Professor X is known for providing a home to the mutants at the X-Mansion. Using Cerebro, he is able to boost his mental abilities to easily locate these mutants. Similar to the professor, internet job boards use their job applications online as their version of Cerebro. Since most jobs require you to complete job applications, you lose the chance to speak with an employer. This is because it’s likely only a computer will read your application.

Most internet job boards are using keyword searching algorithms. Although these algorithms make the hiring process unique for companies, they’re problematic for job seekers. Your submission being accepted and read depends mainly on how well you use these keywords. Incorrectly using these keywords makes completing job applications online ineffective. Imagine spending hours filling out job applications online, just to have them go unread.

Job applications online aren’t the Green Lantern Ring

In the Green Lantern mythos, the ring chooses the wearer. However, having job applications online doesn’t have the same ability. Many companies assume that internet job boards make the hiring process easier for job seekers. This isn’t the case. The fact is that the hiring process by completing job applications online has remained stagnant. As companies struggle to incorporate internet job boards into their businesses, the hiring process will remain grueling and tedious. Most job boards are using outdated methods like personality tests and questionnaires. These tests hinder the hiring process by increasing the odds against your submission being unread upon negative results.

LinkedIn holds the same technological advances as J.A.R.V.I.S (Tony Stark’s home computing system) when it comes to job searching.
Filling out job applications online are becoming a way of the past. So much so, Captain America will find the most comfort in using internet job boards. Meanwhile, 21st-century heroes are using LinkedIn. As mentioned above, the completion of job applications online may require keyword algorithms. Therefore, you may feel forced to copy and paste text within your application so it can be accepted by the computer. If everybody is copying and pasting, it makes it harder for your submission to stand out to the employer.

Job applications online aren’t comic books

According to LinkedIn, job seekers should use professional social networks to find jobs. By using social media to craft your own comic book, you’re able to market yourself to companies directly. This way, you can portray yourself as the superhero an employer is looking for. Employers find these networks more reliable in the hiring process than filling out job applications online. Job seekers are most likely to accept a job offer if contacted by an employer directly. Which is why Nick Fury found success in bringing the Avengers together, by connecting with each member personally. Employers find more committed employees at a higher demand through these professional networks, instead of job seekers filling out job applications online.

While internet job boards are problematic, the employer can be a risk factor in the hiring process as well. To hire you for a position, the employer must see if you fit the requirements needed for the job. This is why Nick Fury had to learn about the powers of each member of the Avengers. Think of your job applications online as the comic book. Even if written correctly, an employer decides if your comic book will be placed on the shelf. So how you fill out job applications online are one way the employer will know if you’re suitable for the job. Simply put: if an employer wants a Marvel comic book story, then they cannot ask for a Justice League superhero.

Up, Up, and Away!

LinkedIn has played a big role in the current job market. While the internet allows us to connect through the web, we no longer feel the need for physical interactions. This is also the case for businesses. With the completion of job applications online simplifying the hiring process, employers have no need to connect with job searchers directly. Unfortunately, the hiring process isn’t a cakewalk for job seekers as they may struggle to be hired. Therefore, you shouldn’t fill out job applications online. So remember this when it comes to job searching. You no longer need to fill out job applications online as LinkedIn has made job seeking easier. With the help of LinkedIn, you’ll have the best chance at being hired at any job you desire. To find out more about how LinkedIn helps prevent you from filling out job applications online, check out this article by David Miller!