Where the openings are
Job boards are only one of several doors. Learn which channel suits which goal, how applications get sorted, how to spot a fake job, and how to track your search so you can see what's working.
FIVE DOORS
The main channels
Job boards (national sites and LinkedIn, plus international boards if you're applying abroad). Company career pages, where some roles appear first or only. Your network, from the last lesson. Recruiters and agencies, who are paid by employers to fill roles. Communities and events: professional groups, meetups, alumni networks, online channels in your field.
In Iran, sites such as Jobinja and Jobvision and LinkedIn are common places to look. Abroad, LinkedIn and each country's main boards play the same role.
| Channel | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Job boards | Seeing what's in demand; many openings | Lots of competition per ad |
| Career pages | Companies you already want | Easy to forget to check |
| Your network | Roles before they're advertised | Takes weeks to build |
| Recruiters | Specialist or senior roles | They work for the employer, not you |
Check yourself
Mehdi wants to work at three particular product companies. None of them has posted a role on the job boards in the last month. What should he do?
- Apply to every developer ad on the boards, since the three companies clearly aren't hiring
- Wait for the three companies to post on the boards, and apply the same day they do
- Check their career pages regularly and find someone inside each one to talk to
- Email the same CV to all three HR addresses, saying he'll take any position
Show the answer
Check their career pages regularly and find someone inside each one to talk to
Yes. For a short list of chosen companies, go straight to them: their own pages and people who work there. Not being on the boards doesn't mean not hiring.
BEFORE A PERSON
How applications get sorted
Many larger employers collect applications in an applicant tracking system (ATS): software that stores CVs and lets recruiters filter and search them, often by keywords. How much gets filtered automatically varies a lot, so ignore scary figures you see online. The practical rules are simple: use the ad's own words where they honestly describe you, keep formatting plain, and answer every screening question.
If the ad says "customer onboarding" and you did exactly that, write "customer onboarding", not "helping new clients settle in". A recruiter searching for the phrase will find you.
Check yourself
Red flag or normal part of hiring?
- You must pay a registration fee before the interview
- You're asked to complete a short skills test
- They ask for your card number and the code just sent to your phone
- A recruiter asks what salary range you expect
- Very high pay for "simple typing from home", no interview needed
- A video interview with two people from the team
Show the answer
Red flag: You must pay a registration fee before the interview, They ask for your card number and the code just sent to your phone, Very high pay for "simple typing from home", no interview needed
Normal: You're asked to complete a short skills test, A recruiter asks what salary range you expect, A video interview with two people from the team
Set up a simple tracker
- One row per application
A spreadsheet or notes app. Columns: company, role, channel, date, contact person, status.
- Add the next step and its date
"Follow up on 12 May", "Send thank-you tonight". A search without dates quietly stalls.
- Review once a week
Count applications and replies by channel. Move your hours towards what gets answers.
Tara's first 4 weeks
Channel Applied Interviews
Job boards 30 1
Career pages 6 1
Through contacts 4 2
---------------------------------------
Interviews per application, by channelBoards 1 in 30 · Career pages 1 in 6 · Contacts 1 in 2Small numbers, so Tara doesn't treat them as proof. But they're a clear hint to spend more of next month on contacts and chosen companies.
Check yourself
Tara's four weeks prove that job boards don't work in her field, so she should stop using them completely.
Show the answer
False
False. One interview from 30 ads is weak, but four weeks and a few dozen applications can't prove a channel never works. The sensible move is to shift the balance, more contacts and career pages, while keeping a smaller, better-tailored stream of board applications.
Quality beats quantity
- Fewer, tailored applications usually beat many copies of the same CV.
- Set weekly targets for what you control, like 5 tailored applications and 3 conversations, not for offers you don't.
- Save searches with specific keywords on the boards so good ads come to you.
- Apply reasonably soon after an ad appears: some employers review applications as they arrive.
Check yourself
Match each goal to the channel that fits it best
Show the answer
- Get into a company you admire that has no ad up → Its career page and a contact inside
- See which roles and skills are in demand → Job boards with saved searches
- Find a senior role in a narrow specialism → A specialist recruiter
- Hear about roles before they're advertised → Your network
Check yourself
Zahra has about 10 hours a week for her job search. Which plan is most likely to get her interviews?
- All 10 hours on job boards, sending as many applications as possible with the same CV every time
- All 10 hours on networking, since referrals work better, and no applications at all until someone offers her a role
- Spend the first month only on perfecting her CV, and start applying once it's completely finished
- About 4 hours on tailored applications, 4 on conversations, 2 on her tracker and follow-ups
Show the answer
About 4 hours on tailored applications, 4 on conversations, 2 on her tracker and follow-ups
Yes. A mix covers more doors, tailoring lifts the reply rate, and the tracker tells her in a few weeks where to shift the hours.
Lesson recap
- Use several channels: boards, career pages, your network, recruiters and communities, each for what it does best.
- Many employers sort applications in software, so use the ad's own words honestly and keep formatting plain.
- Real employers never charge you to apply or ask for your card PIN or phone codes.
- Track every application by channel and move your hours towards what gets replies.