Over the past few weeks Sportspeople has attended a number of industry events where, among other things, we've had the opportunity to speak to many people either working in or seeking work in the sport, fitness and aquatic sector.

One question we were asked relates to our Job Seeker database and the fact we do not provide an online CV bank or stored resume service for job seekers. Sportspeople launched its online Job Seeker registration service in 2006 and we’ve been building our candidate network as far back as 1996 when we first started recruiting. Our continuing priority is to ensure our registered Job Seekers are alerted to opportunities that match their circumstances, qualifications and experiences assisting them before they make the decision to apply for a job advertised at the Sportspeople Jobs Market.

Visit most of the mega-Job Boards and you'll see fast applications, pre-filled application forms and stored resumes as being the headline features of job seeker registration systems. Faster, simpler and all possible with a push of a button on your smart phone.

At Sportspeople we absolutely embrace technology and have been at the leading edge of all online developments since launching our Job Board in 1999 and our mobile Job Board in 2010. But we believe if you are serious about your career you need to do more than send a pre-filled application and non-tailored resume at a push of a button.

For jobs directly recruited by Sportspeople Recruitment we sometimes advertise or are asked by the employer to advertise on these mega-Job Boards. We are fortunate we can otherwise rely principally on our advertising at the Sportspeople Jobs Market where candidates can find comprehensive information regarding the position, the employer and how to apply. As a minimum we require candidates to submit the Sportspeople Recruitment Application Form, a cover letter and a resume specifically tailored for the role for which they are applying.

Sure, we receive applications from these mega-Job Board "sausage-factory job seeker registration systems", but the quality is simply absent. Often "location" appears to be the only component of the job a job seeker actually fulfils! The truth is the alignment of the candidate with the basic skill and experience requirements of the job is just not there and the gap is widening as these systems become more automated.

Online job boards do make the process of applying simpler and quicker, but they weren’t designed to remove the responsibility from the job seeker to think and plan their next career step or, for example, apply for every job just because it happens to be in a specific location.

While Sportspeople will continue to invest in its online activities, growing our employer and job seeker networks and services, we will continue to encourage our job seekers to take the time to prepare their applications, thoughtfully applying and demonstrating in a professional and articulate way why they should be considered for a job.

RM - Sportspeople
First Published 2013