Find Your Dream Career on The 10 Best Job Search Sites

You can look at finding your next career in one of two ways: exhilarating or daunting. Ideally, you want to start off in a good frame of mind and hit the proverbial ground running. All you need is a solid battle plan that you can skillfully execute with diligence and hard work.

So, what are the best job sites to find your next career? And, in a sea of fish, how do you know which ones to hone in on? Buckle up – we have the ten best sites to position you for greatness.

1. Indeed

Indeed is a heavy-hitter in the industry – and for good reason. When a business needs to post a listing, they think of LinkedIn, Indeed, or Glassdoor first. They’re popular platforms and it takes no time at all for the applications to start pouring in.

This is definitely one of the best job boards to keep an eye on when you’re ready for a change. There will be ample options and, if you’re diligent about checking the site every day, there could be instances where your application is one of the first ones to come through.

Indeed also carefully vets their listings. They don’t just let any Joe Schmoe post to their site. So, you’re also dealing with quality listings where you won’t have to worry as much about being taken for a ride. If Indeed senses any suspicious activity on behalf of the company, they will flag the posting and take it down.

So, it’s a comfort to know you’ll not only find a multitude of listings, but it’s likely the quality of each posting will be high, as well.

2. Glassdoor

When you take an interest in a company, it’s always wise to head over to Glassdoor to see what the former and current employees have to say about it. Granted, like every other review site, you have to take things with a grain of salt. But, by and large, you can get a good sense of what the business stands for.

With that level of assurance, it’s smart to keep an eye on their job listings, as well. They, too, are likely to be well-vetted by the platform and offer a variety of options.

It’s best to enter a few different search terms and sign up for daily or weekly email alerts according to those job titles. This, again, sets you up to be at the forefront of the crowd and get those early applications submitted the moment a new job posting goes live.

3. LinkedIn

Like Glassdoor, LinkedIn is an industry standard – for any sector – and opens the door to an array of opportunities. As with any other platform, you can put in your general search terms and sign up for daily or weekly alerts.

Yet, there’s one important way to level up your game on LinkedIn. Often, companies will post their listing and then offer an “Easy Apply” button. This is a reasonable option. But, it does nothing to help you stand out amongst the crowd.

You’re better off going to the company’s website and finding the same listing. Then, apply manually through their site so you can incorporate a unique cover letter and resumé.

When companies pull through those “Easy Apply” applications, they all look the same; they’re quite lacking in any sort of ingenuity or unique qualities.

4. CareerBuilder

CareerBuilder and Monster are two of the best job boards. They’re also likely to post quality listings (in lieu of any sort of scammy or suspicious opportunities). Often, you can use CareerBuilder to do a decent amount of research on the company then and there.

Use this platform to sign up for job alerts, as well, and apply as soon as you see something that catches your eye so you can increase your likelihood of being first in line for the recruiter on the other end of the screen.

5. ZipRecruiter

ZipRecruiter stands by its name. It’s a one-click wonder that allows you to apply to a multitude of listings in a few zippy clicks. And, while this is nice because the world of job apps is a numbers game – the more you apply to, the more likely you are to get a bit – you always want to be cognizant of what the recruiter sees on the other side of the screen.

On sites like ZipRecruiter, they’re likely to see a basic and simple application come through with very little panache. So, feel free to use ZipRecruiter on the days when you just want to push a few applications out the door.

But, you’re better off using the platform to find unique listings and then go to the company’s website directly to submit a more thorough application.

6. Snagajob

Is this starting to sound like dating sites? You have the more thorough and expensive sites like eHarmony and Match that guarantee quality. Then, you have more “run of the mill” sites like Tinder and Bumble. But, really, you can use all of them to your advantage to get ahead.

Snagajob can be likened to ZipRecruiter. It’s for fast applications on the days you just want to get your numbers up and submit a few more applications before shutting the laptop for the day.

Their application process is quick and straightforward. And you can certainly apply right through the platform. But, again, the best way to use this site is to sign up for their alerts, find something you like, and then head to the company’s careers page so you can make a more thorough application, including a cover letter and snazzy resumé.

7. SimplyHired

SimplyHired is also one of the best career websites to help you get your numbers up. By the time you’ve signed up for most of these sites’ daily alerts, you’re going to start to see some overlap because most companies use HR Systems like Breezy or Bamboo HR to post their jobs to multiple sites.

Still, use this information to your advantage. It’s a competitive world out there, so you want to use competitive means to get ahead and stand tall above the crowd. Take all this data and intel and go straight to the company website. Then, apply directly through their portal.

8. Handshake

Handshake is the best employment website for recent and soon-to-be college grads. Company’s post to this site when they’re looking for high-energy, entry-level candidates with great go-getter attitudes.

If you’re looking to break into a certain industry for the first time, Handshake is a wonderful option because it sort of levels the playing field.

You’ll be up against like-minded college grads. But, it will cull out some of the more seasoned professionals who might edge you out of the position because, again, the main premise of Handshake is to offer recent college grads a nice opportunity to kickstart their careers.

9. WeWorkRemotely

Let’s close things out with the type of work that most of the world is clamoring for – remote work. The trouble with securing remote work is that there’s often the fear of scammers. How do you know if all those remote listings out there are legitimate?

Well, that’s a fair point but WeWorkRemotely and FlexJobs have a sort of built-in security layer: it’s not cheap for companies to post to these sites. In fact, some job postings can cost the employer upward of $300/post.

While that doesn’t immediately rule out all of the scammers of the world, it does level the playing field in your favor. You can invest the time in a nice cover letter, resumé, and job application without the fear of having wasted your time on a scam because, by and large, the opportunities on these sites are likely to be legit.

10. FlexJobs

Flexjobs, too, will bring a nice array of fully remote opportunities to your door. Sign up for their alerts, as well, to see what kind of listings go live every day. (And they do post hundreds by the day.)

The slight difficulty with remote work is that your competition compounds exponentially. You’re no longer competing with others in your local community. Now, you’re competing with other professionals all across the globe.

So don’t be discouraged if remote work takes a little bit longer to come together. Just trust the process and know that you will find something in time – you just need to display a little more patience and fortitude.

Tips to Stand Out

Certainly, the process of applying for a new job can be daunting. But, don’t lose heart. Your next career is out there somewhere. All it takes is one more “Submit Application” button to land your dream role.

Although you can (and should) use all of these platforms to your advantage, don’t fall for the trap of just hitting “Apply” left and right without putting any additional thought into the process.

Take the extra five minutes to pull up the company website. See what they’re about; read their mission statement; look at the About Us or Services page for the department you’re interested in working for. Here are a few more tips to help you stand out. Use Keywords

Do your best to pull out keywords. That is, read the company website and job description for keywords like “detail-oriented” or “analytical skills.” Then, try to weave them into your cover letter and resumé.

Include a Cover Letter

You don’t need 100 different cover letters for 100 different job listings. You can have one standard letter that you tweak for each role.

The main elements of a cover letter are:

Greeting Introduction (a bit about your skills) Why they should hire you (why you’re a great fit for the role) Some sort of company connection (maybe you use their products) Closing (summary of why you’re the best fit) Signature

With that standard outline, you can tweak your cover letter a little bit each time, particularly in the company connection portion.

Sometimes, people think cover letters are dead in the water, but they’re not. They’re one of the best opportunities to stand tall above the crowd.

Spice Up Your Resumé

The days are gone when a standard white MS Word resumé will suffice. Canva is a free website that allows you to easily design something colorful, unique, and eye-catching.

Spend an afternoon transcribing everything in your plain white MS Word document into one of the thousands of templates on Canva and then use that in all of your applications. The moment the recruiter opens it up, those eye-catching details are likely to make them pause and take notice of your application.

The Best Job Sites to Secure Your Success

When you’re ready to explore the job market, don’t just use one or two of these sites. Leverage all of them to your advantage. They truly are the best job sites to set you up for success.

Sign up for the job alerts. You can unsubscribe from them when you’ve landed your dream role. Avoid any of those “Easy Apply” options with a mind to find a way to stand out amongst the hundreds of other applications.

With a little bit of legwork, your next role will present itself. Keep your chin up, play the game right, and the world will soon be your oyster.