When I had my first round of Vocational Rehab around 2013, I was paired with an expert coach from a specialty agency. We arranged a series of meetings at a coffeehouse; she was able to counsel me on the search, application and interview process, we honed my résumé, and she guided me through the whole process until I secured employment.<p>One thing that distressed me at the outset was that the front page of her handout packet was an exhaustive list of job aggregator boards. I was sort of intimidated, like she wanted me to sign up for accounts on all these, fill out profiles, upload résumé, and just sort of roll the dice? That was a lot of privacy invasion for diminishing returns. I had hoped that an expert job coach would be able to help me target desirable employers more accurately.<p>One thing I've learned about job aggregator boards: they should only be used as a guide. Once you find a job on there, you go back to the original employer's job board and you find the job listing in its pristine form. You can apply direct there without bothering the whole "job board" process. It's really effective, because nine times out of ten, you'll find that the position has been withdrawn or modified and the "job board" version of that listing is a zombie.<p>Also if you're looking for contract or short-term professional employment, it can be effective to go through an agency. There are reputable agencies and there are fly-by-nights. I found that the best ones had physical office presence near me, and I could go in and be seen by a real person. Some even had qualification testing right on-site. Some of them were really busy with pavement-pounders and some were sleepy little offices with an empty waiting room. The thing about agencies is, they won't be able to disclose stuff until you consent and move forward. You won't know who their client is, or the pay rates or the site location, until you really need to know and you're approved by all parties. So it can be difficult when they're holding all the cards. It takes a little faith and trust that your agency/recruiter knows your background well, and can reliably negotiate a really good match.<p>In fact I did land my current job in the midst of the pandemic lockdowns by way of LinkedIn "1-click applications". I am still not sure that I directly applied to this company, but I think they found my résumé/profile on LinkedIn, and cold-called me. So glad they did!<p>95% of your job hunt is about networking. If you have a connection and an introduction, don't bother slogging through job boards as another fish in the pond. Find someone who knows someone. Develop your personal brand and put yourself out there. Don't chase ghost jobs but get good at ATS forms, and use those direct-to-employer corporate "Careers" websites as stepping stones. You'll get noticed!