Are job platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, or Monster helpful?

“The only thing worse than looking for work,” one of my best friends once told me, “is finding it.” He was, of course, gainfully employed at the time, and his cynicism seemed like an indulgence I couldn’t afford as the bills continued to pile up on my kitchen counter.

Technology is supposed to make finding a job easier–a million opportunities just a few clicks away on LinkedIn or Indeed, Dice, or Stack Overflow. And yet sometimes it feels like digital tools have only made the whole process more agonizing: You can see the job listings–you can read the description for that perfect job right there on your phone!–and you can even identify the relevant hiring manager. But good luck traversing the digital moat to connect directly with an actual human being.

Welcome to the contemporary job search hell.