It’s a great time to be job hunting! That may seem like an odd statement, but it makes perfect sense when you look at statistics for the American job market going into 2018. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports record high numbers of job openings throughout the country since June 2017. At the end of October, there were approximately six million positions open throughout the country.
The best way to find a job in this buzzing environment is to tap into the best online job boards. These are the best options to find the new job you’ve always wanted.
CareerBuilder
This is one of the most well-respected job boards available today, and it’s always free to job seekers. You can search job listings by state or industry, and they cover every field from accounting and engineering to truck driving, retail, food services and construction. You can find thousands of positions listed at any given time, and new jobs are added daily.
This is a good general job board that you can use beyond simply looking for open positions in your field or your local area. Use it to identify skills that are in-demand for your field and to determine what jobs are most abundant in your area. This is valuable information for high school and college students picking fields of study as well as job hunters willing to learn new skills. CareerBuilder includes a detailed career catalog that will help you research fields, and they include a list of industries that are on the rise nationwide.
Other special features include customized job suggestions based on the resume that you upload to the site and a resource library loaded with valuable job hunting tips. Once your resume is uploaded to the site, there’s a chance that employers will find you, so make sure to include some keywords that employers in your field may use to search for job candidates.
Indeed
If you want to see the power of Indeed, go to their ‘Got a Job’ section to read more than 10 million first-person accounts of jobs secured through the site. Much like CareerBuilder, this is a generalized job hunting board that covers any industry actively seeking employees today. You can search for jobs based on location and any combination of keywords you choose, and there’s a chance that the employers will come to you once your resume is uploaded to the site.
Unlike many other online job boards, Indeed gives employers the option to post job listings for free. As a result, you’re likely to find more positions listed for small companies, startups, flexible work arrangements, and entry-level positions. This makes this board invaluable for those without advanced degrees, years of industry experience or an interest in the typical full-time position with a large corporation. Of course, there are still many positions listed for highly skilled workers as well.
This site also allows employees to review employers, and those reviews are easily found on each job listing. This is an important detail that may help you decide which companies you want to entertain. If you read the reviews carefully, you may also pick up on company-specific details that will help you craft a resume, cover letter, and interview responses that cater to the needs and expectations of that employer.
LinkedIn is a social media platform specifically for your professional life. You start by building a profile that represents your skills, work history, and future ambitions. Leave the selfies and personal information for another platform. You don’t want to include anything here that you wouldn’t willingly present to an employer at a job interview.
This is the profile that many job recruiters, hiring managers, small business owners, and executives check when deciding which applicants to consider seriously, so make sure that you use a professional picture and tell the complete truth about your background and future goals. Also take the time to build a network that represents previous colleagues and employers as well as employers and representatives of other companies in your field.
Active participation in industry groups can help you grow your network. Those connections are what often lead to job offers. As you find past employers, colleagues and clients, ask them to leave recommendations and endorsements for services listed on your profile. This gives you more creditability that may help you land a new job.
LinkedIn allows you to market yourself in ways that standard job boards just cannot compete. Try blogging through the platform or uploaded articles and reports to show your industry expertise and personality. While a basic LinkedIn account is free, you can pay for a premium account that unlocks additional features. Even if you can’t afford to go premium, networking on LinkedIn is critical to a job search today.
Monster
This is one of the oldest job boards online, and it works much like CareerBuilder and Indeed. Uploading your resume will make it easier to apply for jobs directly from the site and will allow companies to find you easily. You can search for jobs in virtually any field, and it’s always free to access the listings. Jobs are added routinely, so this is another one to visit daily.
Monster is also a valuable resource for research. Whether you’re trying to determine the best field for a career change or you’re a high school student looking for a great field of study, the Career Resources section is loaded with statistics and detailed information about different fields. You can also find general advice and tips for job hunters in this area of the site.
For reviews of specific companies written by your peers, Monster offers the Company Profiles section. Read about the experiences of other workers before deciding to apply for work with a company. Also look for insider tips that may help you land your next big job.
Glassdoor
Glassdoor is another generalized job search platform that allows you to search for jobs in a wide variety of fields. You can search by zip code to browse all local jobs or add keywords to filter results for specific industries, job titles or skills. You can always search the site and see the job opportunities for free, but you’ll get the most benefit from the site if you sign up for an account and upload your resume. This is one of the most popular job sites today, so you can expect to find thousands of jobs ranging from entry-level positions that require no experience to jobs for executives.
The free user account allows you full use of the site for up to 10 days. At that point, you may need to contribute one company review or other information on an anonymous basis. This information will give you access for up to 12 months before they may ask you to submit more information to help other job seekers. Students can always sign up for a free account using their student email address with the .edu extension.
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