How to Reduce Your Spend On JobsJobsJobs

I have been married for nearly fourteen years now and one thing I understand is that communication is the corner stone to making a good partnership work.

Imagine my surprise when I called the number on the invitation to the JXT Consulting event on how to ‘reduce my spend on job boards’ and JobsJobsJobs (JJJ) answered.

For those members of the audience who are not following.  Clarification:  JXT is the byproduct of the Jobx/JobsJobsJobs merger, so why would a company owned by a job board tell you how to reduce your spend on job boards?

Prediction: This marriage has some rocky times ahead.

Please Support Our Spam

Question: when is spam not spam?

If you ask Recruiter Daily, they’ll tell you it’s when you’ve been notified by them that they will be sending it to you.

If you ask JobX, they’ll tell you it’s when you’ve signed up to receive their “newsletter” and therefore are obligated to receive it FOREVER, despite the fact that you’ve unsubscribed.

Both of these answers are incorrect. Let me extrapolate.

Last week, Recruiter Daily informed me that from now on, because I subscribe to their news, I will “occasionally” be receiving advertising from their advertisers. Well, thanks there, kind of you to tell me. But how does this sort of softening change matters in any way? Recruiter Daily; hear this. I subscribe to receive your updates, not advertising from your sponsors. Whatever the rationale for your decision to share your mailing list with your advertisers, and however politely you request that I read their propaganda, what you are doing surely falls under the description of spam:

It’s illegal to spam (Spam Act 2003). So don’t.

Next: JobX. And I won’t be prettying this up with humorous metaphors about stalking ex-lovers (JobX – I’m just not that into you). I’m gonna tell it straight. This is a point of online etiquette, as well as a principle of law. As my regular readers know, I have had a hard time trying to escape unwanted mail from JobX. Despite my attempts to dodge their steady flow of advertising into my inbox, and my having written about this already, yet another piece of garbage advertising from these persistent junk mailers crossed my desk late last week. Uuuuuuuuuurghhh (this is the sound of a grown man chucking a hissyfit).

I respect clever marketing. I respect building relationships with clients. I do not respect spammers. Spam is unimaginative, cheeky and illegal. It shows a disrespect for the intelligence of your client base – and it also demonstrates a very lean understanding of marketing on the net.

JobX – I’m Just Not That Into You.

Ever had to can a relationship? Pretty tough, huh? Personally, I’m never sure of what angle to take. I mean, who wants to tell someone you don’t want to see them anymore because you don’t like the noises they make when they eat, or you’re not a big fan of the size of their calves (butt, tits – you get the drift).

I’m sensitive enough to know that this is one of life’s trickier situations. And I also know what a pain in the cods it is when you tell that person that you’d no longer wish to be in their acquaintance, and they refuse to let you go. Some call this stalking. Well, the law does, anyway.

Seems JobX have got some, let’s call them…”emotional issues”.

I tried recently to unsubscribe to their newsletters. I’ve written before about how these consist of a form of propaganda sprouting directly from the Goebbels School of Singing Your Own Praises (Special Offer Or Spam). I wanted out. The relationship wasn’t working for me anymore. So I pressed “unsubscribe”. I was redirected to a message from JobX.com.au confirming this action. I shed a tear, “We’re done”, I whispered quietly to myself.

And just when I felt as though I was in a good place and I had finally moved on, JobX came knocking on my door in the quiet hours of the morning with, “JOBX – AAA – Free Career Assessment!” I clicked the unsubscribe button once more. But I’m sensing there’s no way out of this relationship. I feel like I do when I walk into Ikea and decide half-way through that I’m done but can’t find a shortcut to the exit.

Really, JobX. Don’t you think it’s time you found someone else? I’m just not that into you.

Spam Act 2003

Note: the maximum daily penalty is $1.1million.for companies, and $220,000 for individuals, and anybody knowingly concerned in a violation is liable.

Job Board Price War Shake Up?

I received this letter indirectly. A plea from Recruit Me Now.  I can’t call it a media release.  It’s a confusing piece of communication which flits from third-person to first-person (and I’ve offered in past blogs to write your bloody publicity for you – but continue to be witness to the circulation of shite).

Deep breath, Geoff (see, that’s first-person).

Back to the case in point.  Recruit Me Now has offered free job ads for recruiters (now I’m in third-person.  See the difference, Michael?).  This strategy has been used by several job boards (namely, MyCareer, CareerOne, NowHiring).  This is not a successful strategy as it devalues the service offered.

Now I’m going to offer an alternative.  Don’t you just hate it when folks whine all the time but fail to show how things can be improved?  Here it comes, Mike.  Hold on to your jocks.  What Recruit Me Now needs to do is this:  cut ties with JobX.  They’re doing a crap job anyway (also offering free jobs).  Get your shirt and tie on and have a chat with market leader Hughes Recruitment, which has more recruitment jobs than you do, and present yourself as an affiliate marketer that can send them quality apps.  Charge accordingly.  Next, spend your time marketing your site properly instead of begging for free ads.

Let me know how you go:)

Things Are Not Always What They Seem…

You might recall my article on the launch of RecruitMeNow.com.au back in April. Also, this article JOBX and Recruitment Academy Plugging Leaky Bucket.

RecruitMeNow claims to be “The first exclusive Recruitment Industry job and candidate board“.  I like that, a niche job board, a job board that knows what it’s about.  Straight to the point.  No nonsense.  This sort of self-knowledge gives me tingles.

I thought I’d do a little update on RecruitMeNow.  It’s been a while, and I’m always interested to see how new sites are progressing.  The site looks good (certainly a relief after my interlude with Groovy Jobs).  Just mucking around, I typed in a search for ‘Accounting’.  This is what I got.

Not one job in the recruitment industry…

I didn’t sleep well last night.  It was one of those hot nights, where the air is steamy.  Plus I went over my coffee quota during the day.  Point is, I’m a bit hazy-brained this morning.  But why would the site claim to be exclusively for jobs in the recruitment industry, but deliver a search result like this one.  Have things changed?

Doncha just get sick of things not being what they seem?

No News Is Bad News

Newsletter (def): a small publication (as a leaflet or newspaper) containing news of interest chiefly to a special group (taken from Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary).

This is worth talking about.  I don’t give out my details easily online.  As far as I’m concerned, nobody gets to know stuff about me for free.  It’s a quid pro quo arrangement.  I hand over data in return for a service.  Newsletters are an example of when I’m prepared to enter into this arrangement.  It goes like this: I give over my details, I then receive information about whatever the organisation is offering in the newsletter.  I don’t sign up to receive 100% advertising.  My Latin’s not ace, so perhaps someone out there can help me with this one.  All the same, when I get nothing in return for something, it makes me fume.

Case in point: JobX’s recent “newsletter”:

Read through it.  Please tell me where the “news of interest” is here.  You’ll have no trouble finding the advertising.  It’s manifestus.

Special Offer or Spam?

Whilst you may not agree with everything I write, betcha no one out there is gonna raise a holler about my bagging of spam. Hate it. It’s illegal. And in this world where time is a highly-valued commodity, a spammer’s almost up there with drug-pushers, politicians and parking inspectors as the lowest of the low.

Having said that, it’s interesting that Jobs (powered by JobX) has decided to walk the rocky boundary between legitimate communication with registered clients and plain old stinky spam.

I get a plethora of emails like this from Jobs (note that, rather ironically, one is entitled “how much is your time worth”.

A bit of research on my part has revealed that they have been sent by convicted spammer Wayne Mansfield.

Officially, these emails are not spam. But they smell the same.

Geoff – How Much Is Your Time Worth

SPECIAL OFFER to JOBS registered clients

As part of our continuing Value Added Offerings to our clients, we have negoatiated a special rate for Australia’s most popular Time Management seminar – Effective Time Management.

If you act quickly, you can secure your place at one of the seminars being presented across Australia from September 8th through 11th, 2008 at a 33% discount to the normal recommended retail price. So instead of $167 you pay ONLY $111.

Claim your discount by entering this code in the space usually provided for your web address on the online booking form: JOBSSEPT2008

Offers expires September 2nd, 2008 5pm Western Standard Time.
______________________________

__________________________

“Burnt out, stressed out, rundown and tired? Out of balance; out of control?
Frustrated with wheel spinning? Too much to do; not enough time to do it.”

What you need is a way to learn….

EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT

 

Blah, blah…

Business Seminars Australia
Excellence in Business Education
Perth Western Australia… as close as you get to Paradise on Earth
Email: wayne.mansfield@gmail.com visit us at wayne.mansfield@gmail.com visit us at www.au1865.com or
www.waynemansfield.com
Australia’s best seminar schedule is at www.stumpjump.net
Phone: (+61 9221 0922 Fax: (+61 9221 0933

http://www.linkedin.com/in/waynemansfield

Business Seminars Australia
Celebrating 21 years in Business Education
ABN: 45 119 694 558
Postal: P.O. Box 6Ø99, East Perth W.A. 6892
Phone: (Ø8) 9463 78Ø7 Fax: (Ø8) 9463 78Ø8

Business Seminars Australia Plus Offers Update
The Maverick Spirit

This is being sent to: ??????@gmail.com
This advice is being sent to people who have registered at a JOBS
website and therefore have supplied their contact information by
subscribing to one of JOBS or its asscoiated companies services.

This particular communication is a special offer to people who have
registered at a JOBS website.

 

 

 

 

JobXXX…

You might recall my article on Oral Jobs (see here). JobX have taken this concept of talking avatars and applied it to online dating. Yep, you read right – dating.

Nights can sometimes get lonely if you’re a controversial blogger like me – so i thought I’d try my luck.

Hope you like Barry Manilow…Geoff’s dating avatar

Recruitmenow Splashes In Seek’s Pond…

Recruitmenow, a new player in the job board wars, was recently launched by JobX and Recruitment Academy.

It was pretty cheeky of them to place this advertisement on Seek. The advertisement was not a call for staff, but a blatant attempt to poach Seek advertisers and job seekers.

It’s not logical to present yourself to the public as a valid alternative to the market leader, but then to use the service provided by that market leader to disseminate your message.

If this is your future marketing strategy Recruitmenow, then you better bring along your life jacket as Seek’s pond is very deep…

Recruitmenow.com.au Launched

There is no stopping the team at JobX. As promised they have let the recruitmenow beast out of the cage, meyow.

First impressions are it’s a pretty busy looking landing page. The goal should be to get first timers to register. However by the time you click on the distractions that blend in like they are content such as Rec Juice and watch a video of some guy picking his nose, then locate and click on the first candidate box which rewards you by sending you to PAGE NOT FOUND, I am confused. Why am I here again?? (and I don’t mean that in the esoteric sense)

As previously stated in my article, JOBX and Recruitment Academy Plugging Leaky Bucket. I still can’t see how it will gain the support of recruitment agencies, who won’t be too keen on their staff advertising themselves on the site. Needless to say it won’t help JobX with attracting the recruiters to advertise on their job board if they are losing consultants to this site.

However, its revenue model seems pretty simple. If you find a profile you like and offer employment then Recruit Me Now will then invoice you a placement fee of $2,500.00 excluding GST.

Buyer beware, – no guarantee period applies. You can also post a job ad for $69 on Recruit Me Now and wait for applicant to apply to you. No recruitment fee applies if the applicant applies to you.

Certainly not the cat’s meow…

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