Best Job Sites to Tap Into

So, you’re looking for a job. Maybe you want something part-time while you finish up school, or you need to find your first job to kickstart your career. Where do you start looking? TV has led you to believe that your local paper’s classifieds is the best place to look, but you haven’t turned up anything doing that. Where else can you look? Just like every other question in life, the internet holds the answer. There are plenty of job sites to tap into, and I’ve put together a list that I’ve personally used and found the most helpful.

Indeed

First off, there’s Indeed. Indeed is super simple and user-friendly, you can upload your resume, and there are a lot of jobs where you can just click “easy apply,” and it will send your resume in as a full application just like that. Plus, it’s really easy to search for jobs by industry with certain keywords and limit by location. 

Many employers will go to Indeed first for their job postings, and Indeed doesn’t share your email address with them directly in the initial application. You can also set up job alerts so if something new posts you might be interested in, you’ll get an email and be one of the first applicants. If you only take away one thing from this blog, it would be that Indeed and LinkedIn are the best job sites to tap into.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is another significant job site that you definitely want to be on. Even if you apply for a job on another website, the odds are very high that any employer seriously considering you as a candidate will want to check out your LinkedIn profile. 

Similar to Indeed, you can easily search for jobs in specific industries and set up alerts with keywords or limit searches to certain locations. LinkedIn also offers the same quick apply feature and will even sometimes tell you how many people have applied so far. 

LinkedIn is essentially a professional social media profile; you can connect with people you know and keep tabs on their jobs and where they’re working. (This feature makes it pretty easy to ask someone who works somewhere impressive for a letter of recommendation if you ever need one!) 

If you need some help crafting the best profile, TopResume.com has a really helpful article. I actually landed my first job out of college from a LinkedIn post, so I can’t recommend it enough.

Monster

I haven’t used Monster as much as some of the other job sites on this list, but it’s still a good resource to have at your disposal. Like the other sites, you can set up alerts for new job postings and limit your searches by location. If you would rather avoid having to commute to certain areas, this feature is super helpful. 

The thing that sets Monster apart from the other job sites is that the notifications are almost aggressive with how often they email and text you with postings that might interest you. Even if you don’t actively look at and apply to every single job Monster shoves in front of you, it helps keep you focused.

WorkSource/ Local State Unemployment Website

In the Pacific Northwest, the state unemployment job board is called Worksource. Not every state uses this specific website, but you will have an equivalent to it. Using your local state’s unemployment website is helpful because a lot of jobs are posted there first. 

Even if you’re on LinkedIn, Monster, Indeed, and every other job site you can find, there will still be some jobs that wind up on the state unemployment site first. The tricky part is you might not have access to this website unless you’re on unemployment. Your state unemployment website might also not be as comprehensive as some of the other job sites. You may be able to create a profile, but a lot of the time, you’ll be directed to the company’s website to apply, so you lose the quick apply feature other job sites like Indeed and LinkedIn have.

Glassdoor

Honestly, I haven’t used Glassdoor too much for its job postings, but it is a great website to keep in your rotation when checking out prospective companies. Glassdoor has a feature where employees can rate their companies anonymously, so you know what you’re getting into. You can also compare average salaries for certain positions to know whether the position you want is paid fairly or not. 

Glassdoor is an invaluable tool to help prepare yourself for the company culture you might be signing up for. Employees can also rate benefits and other perks of working at their companies too. All these features give you a great and (usually) unbiased picture of what companies are like from the inside.

Even if you’re looking for a retail or warehouse job, I still highly recommend these websites. They make job searches a lot easier by compiling job openings in one place and sending helpful reminders to keep you motivated. Searching for a job is challenging, and rejection is pretty much inevitable. Try to keep your chin up and keep looking; you’ll find something eventually.

If you’re looking for a job, you might find our blog on resumes helpful!

Resume Writing