How To Use the Best Job Search Websites

How To Use the Best Job Search Websites 50+ Best Websites for Job Search 2017 Looking for resources to help your job search? This lays out how and when to use some of the best job search websites to improve your job search results!   Youll want to refresh your knowledge on what it takes to land a job in 2017, especially if you havent looked for a job in a couple of years. Employee Referrals ranked as a Top Source of Quality Hires by 48% of hiring professionals (LinkedIn 2017) 3rd Party Website or Job Boards came in second (46%) Social Professional Networks came in third (40%) 40% of workforce could be contingent by 2020 (SHRM 2017) It takes approximately 2 months for a company to fill a job (CareerBuilder 2016) You should care about an employers reputation (Glassdoor 2016) Prepare for Job Search Before you begin polishing your resume, there are several steps you need to take first, as outlined in my process below.  You can learn more about this process by reading 6 Steps To Managing Your Job Search This list is a compilation of resources to help you with ALL phases of your job search. My criteria for selecting these sites is based on these three things: provide quality content the author(s)/publisher show an understanding of modern  job search trends and methodologies answer  popular job search questions And while all these resources are free, most do  offer workshops, books, courses or paid services. You can conduct a successful job search without paying  a lot of money, but savvy job seekers and careerists know when they need to invest in themselves. 50+ Best Websites for Job Search 2017 My 2017 list of Best Websites for job search IS NOT a list of job boards. It is a list of resources and information to help you job search better. Using the 6 step framework, Ill walk you through which tools/websites are best for each step of the process. SELF-ASSESSMENT Before you start combing the job boards, your first step is to assess your skills, interests and the type of work environment you want. The more you know about yourself, the easier it will be to identify your next role and write about yourself. If you are interested in changing careers, this step is extremely important in helping you identify new options. But even if you arent interested in changing careers, you still need to know about your most marketable assets (the skills, experiences, and traits that set you apart from other similar candidates). You also want to know what type of culture you work best in. My Next Move   My Next Move helps assess your interests, research careers and begin developing a list of skills and keywords to use in marketing yourself.  This is essentially a database sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment Training Administration, and developed by the National Center for O*NET Development. RESEARCH (Industry and Company) Your next step is to understand how yours skills, experiences and interests match with what companies are looking for. Using these tools below, see where you match and what gaps may exist. Research industries and companies you are interested in and learn everything you can about technology, industry knowledge and trends. GlassDoor Use Glassdoor to research what employees are anonymously saying about companies, get salary information and learn what questions theyve asked during interviews. Yes, they have job postings too! SmartBrief Industry News SmartBrief compiles the latest news by industry to help you keep on top of trends. Pick the industry you are interested in and subscribe to get daily news updates or use their app (iOS only) to view the top stories from trade publications and professional societies. Youll find summaries of news from education, finance, food and beverage, health are, marketing advertising, retail, tech, life sciences technology, telecom, infrastructure, energy chemicals, aviation aerospace, travel hospitality. Oh, and SmartBrief also has top stories to help you manage your career.  SmartBrief  On Your Career SALARY RESEARCH Research salary early in the process so when you complete online applications, you use an appropriate salary requirement. Use these salary calculators to help determine your value in the market place.   Glassdoor.com Indeed Salary  Search NACE Salary Calculator (for new graduates) PayScale Salary.com PRESENTING YOURSELF PERSONAL BRANDING Now that you have a better understanding of what the labor market looks like, you can begin crafting your marketing materials. This includes your pitch, your personal marketing plan, resume and LinkedIn profile and conducting informational meetings. LinkedIn LinkedIn is a category all in itself! Every working professional MUST BE using LinkedIn. It isnt just an online resume, it is a networking tool  and resource you’ll want to get familiar with. Use their iOS or Android apps for your smart phone too! Resume and LinkedIn Crafting Writing a resume is not easy. These sites write about how to craft resumes and LinkedIn profiles.     AvidCareerist Career Trend Chameleon Resumes Executive Career Brand Great Resumes Fast PERSONAL BRANDING/ONLINE VISIBILITY TOOLS Part of your personal marketing tool kit is also getting yourself online. Youll need to be find-able online. These tools make it very easy to develop a one page summary of your experience and improve search results for your name! About.me About.me makes it easy to create a single webpage highlighting you. List your other social media profiles, create lists, join a community of people who value  online visibility. BrandYourself BrandYourself walks you through the steps to improve how your name ranks in search results. SAMPLES EXAMPLES Looking for sample cover letters, resume samples, scripting on what to say? You’ll find it on these sites. The Balance Job Searching Alison Doyle is the Job Search Expert for The Balance and provides advice AND examples of resumes and cover letters. Live Career  Letter Examples Easily and quickly customize your cover letter or any job search correspondence with these examples. There are also resume templates and articles, assessments and more! Quintessential Careers Quint Careers has so much more than sample cover letters. You’ll find articles on networking, interviewing and other job search trends. This is a go-to source for sample anything (cover letters, emails and resumes!) Tools JobScan Do you know how well your resume matches the job posting? And will it make it through  the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)? Jobscan  will help you optimize your resume keywords  and get past resume screeners. All you have to do is copy and paste your resume and the job description, then Jobscan  compares the two to see how well you match the words used in the posting. JOB SEARCH ADVICE To successfully compete in your search for a job, you will want to use the most up-to-date strategies. Spraying and praying your resume on job boards isnt going to win you many jobs. These websites provide current information on job search. Whenever you have a question about your search, consult one of these websites for the best answer. The Muse Great articles and information youll want for all aspects of your professional life! It covers career advice, job search, career paths, management, and more! Bonus: every week you can see a list of featured companies with job openings. Human Workplace Liz Ryan is on  your side, not HRs. She provides honest,  straight forward advice and insight to help empower you. Youll easily recognize and remember her work because of the colorful artwork used in every article. Job-Hunt.org THE authoritative  site for anyone in job search! It has everything you need for job search, at any stage of your career! You will find tons of  great advice on all aspects of job search and career management. [Disclaimer: I am a job search navigation expert on this site] US News World Report’s On Careers More than just career advice, you find experts writing about job search and  trends, including articles Ive written. Work It Daily This site used to be called CAREEREALISM. It has a new name with more help. You will find relevant job search and career advice provided by “trusted career experts.” CareerOneStop Sponsored by the Department of Labor, this site has information on starting your search, finding a career match, information on re-training, and more. PROJECT MANAGEMENT (Job Search Strategies) Using the job boards is only one of the job search strategies you should be using. You will also want to network, get in touch with recruiters, and specifically target companies where you think you would like to work. TOP JOB BOARDS Searching the job boards is one of the least effective job search methods. But it makes you feel good. Job boards are a good resource of information. You can develop a list of keywords by reviewing job postings and understand what skills, words, and terms employers use to describe what they are looking for. Ill admit, not all employers are good at writing job postings, but they are getting better. These are the top job boards you should set alerts on: Indeed.com SimplyHired Monster.com CareerBuilder And dont forget about CraigsList Specialty Job Boards Using specialty or niche job boards  can be  a better alternative. Depending on your industry or occupation,  these may help you. Ask other people in your industry what niche job boards they use or recommend. Dice Dice is known as being a job board for technical candidates (IT, etc.) However, the  news and advice on the site applies to many more types of job seekers as well. Typically, the tech scene is leading the way in recruiting trends, especially as we head into a more competitive hiring market. And, I think you’ll begin to see Dice leading the way with other  forms of recruiting. FlexJobs Because finding flexible jobs is difficult, this site helps round up all levels of legitimate opportunities. If you are looking for a telecommuting, part-time, freelance, or flextime job- you need to know about this site. It has job search advice for people looking for these types of jobs too! HigherEd Jobs Search for jobs at colleges and universities with this niche job board. Idealist Idealist focuses on non-profit job postings, volunteer opportunities and internships. LinkUp LinkUp  aggregates its job listings from employer websites. This allows you to directly apply on the companys website. USA Jobs USA Jobs is the Federal Government’s official source for federal job listings  across hundreds of federal agencies and organizations. Internships.com Looking for an internship or entry level job out of college. This board is dedicated to recent college graduates. Freelancing/Gigs. With the gig economy on the rise, and job security diminishing- you may want to start  freelancing for income security. You can check out these boards for a variety of freelancing opportunities.               FlexJobs.com Guru.com UpWork.com TOOL TO MANAGE YOUR JOB SEARCH During your job search, you will juggle many activities (from networking to applying to jobs). Organize your  job search activities and stay on track. Sure you can use a spreadsheet or notebook, but is that the best solution? JibberJobber JibberJobber is a web-based tool to organize and manage your job search! It goes far beyond a standard spreadsheet. It helps keep track of and manage relationships, job postings, target companies and more! SOCIAL MEDIA JOB SEARCH If you havent fully embraced the idea of using social media for your job search, let me help. Read up on how to leverage social networks to land a job. Career Sherpa In case you didnt realize it, I write about ways to use social media to help you stay competitive in todays job search! OVER 50 JOB SEARCH If you are more seasoned (read older) job seeker, you need to understand the issues, biases and how you can spin your experience into a valuable asset! AARP Kerry Hannon is a AARPs job expert and covers issues that the older job seeker has to know in order to compete. Youll find all the issues you need to take into consideration while hunting down your next job as a more seasoned professional. Career Pivot Marc Millers focus is helping Boomers pivot into the next opportunity. NEW COLLEGE GRAD EARLY CAREER YouTern YouTern’s blog, Savvy Intern, isn’t just for interns. The articles come from a variety of bloggers  and apply to every job seeker! INTERVIEWING You cant just walk into an interview and land a job offer today. It takes a considerable amount of preparation. Learn everything you can about interviewing processes and best-practices to stand out! Ask The Headhunter Nick Corcodolis Nick provides interviewing and job search advice from a  recruiters perspective. He provides solid, straight-shooting advice. Nick answers job search questions most other recruiters won’t or don’t. Robin Ryan Robin is the author of my most favorite book about interviewing 60 Seconds And Your Hired. You can subscribe to her newsletter on her site. You can also read her job search tips here. OTHER JOB SEARCH RESOURCES There are lots more people writing great content about job search, but I have to stop somewhere. (See my  Summary Sunday posts for work by many other strong voices). Here are some people I know, like and trust. Please check these sites  out too! Absolutely Abby, HR Bartender,  Interview Success Formula,  Job Jenny, Keppie Careers,  Lea McLeod, Lindsey Pollack,  Pathfinder, TalentCulture,  The Voice of Job Seekers, Water Cooler Wisdom, The Searchologist So there you have it. The list of how and when to use these top websites for your job search in 2017! And if you are looking for a list of job search apps to help mobilize your job search, check this out Job Search Apps