Searching for a new job can prove to be a stressful task for even the most confident of candidates. If you’re of a generation that is more accustomed to scanning the careers section of a newspaper, then the task may seem especially daunting to you in a time where printed publications are out of favor and performing a Google job search has become the norm.
As with every industry, recruitment is well represented online – perhaps a little too well – with hundreds of agencies vying for the chance to present their latest offerings in a crowded marketplace. As a result, it’s frustratingly difficult to know which are the best job sites and where you should focus your search.
To make your life a little easier, here are some of the best recruitment websites and a closer look at some of the features that set them apart from the rest.
ZipRecruiter
Started in 2010, ZipRecruiter has grown rapidly to become one of the most popular job sites around today.
Their popularity is, in part, thanks to the large number of positions that they advertise to their users, and the useful functionality of their website, which is also mirrored in a mobile application.
They work to serve the needs of both recruiters and job seekers in a number of ways:
For job seekers, you are able to manually search available positions by keywords, salary range, location, and other variables as well as upload your resume, and receive email alerts to keep you informed of the latest job posts. Some say that the quantity of email notifications can be a little overwhelming, but it’s better to have too many options rather than too few.
The service is completely free for candidates, and the platform also features a useful 1-click apply functionality that makes reaching out to potential employers extra simple.
Employers are able to post their jobs automatically to a number of other job boards as well as search through relevant resumes and get in touch with those best suited to their available positions.
FlexJobs
As the name suggests, FlexJobs is aimed at helping those looking for work from home and flexible job opportunities.
Their focus is on the job seeker rather than advertisers, and it is one of the best job boards for those who like to see tailor-made results that have been vetted by a human team and not just a computerized system.
There are a ton of add-ons that make this platform stand out from their competitors including a career coaching service which gives it a push in the direction of being a quality job board and not just a classifieds page.
They offer courses and webinars to help candidates improve their skills and their customer support team is on hand to help you get the most out of your experience. For all this though, there is a cost that is passed on to job seekers in the form of a subscription. There are various plans available, but it is possible to try it for a week for just $6.95 to help you decide if it’s the best recruitment website for you.
The LinkedIn platform has spent years creating the world’s largest professional network, and with 706 million members and 50 million + companies connected in one place, it’s easy to see how this site might have potential for today’s job seekers.
As a networking site for professionals from a range of industries, the hard work of finding companies looking to recruit and potential job seekers to view these opportunities has essentially been taken care of for them.
For employers, the LinkedIn job-posting system is gradually moving more in line with a PPC (pay-per-click) model, whereby job ads are presented to potential candidates and they are then charged each time their ad is viewed. Unfortunately, this could mean that those with the biggest budget will find who they’re looking for, but smaller companies may not be so widely noticeable to job seekers.
Once they have created a LinkedIn profile, candidates are able to look through the available positions that are filtered by various criteria and also set up alerts to hear about other roles that match those terms in the future. The site is all about connecting professionals and feels less like a traditional employment service, so if you prefer this approach, then LinkedIn could be one of the best job search engines available.
Monster
A global employment search tool that has been going since 1999. The setup is along the lines of a traditional employment portal and is considered by many to be one of the best websites for job searches. Results can be found for positions all over the world, so will definitely prove to be a useful tool if your search is far-reaching.
Candidates create a free profile and upload their resume that can then be viewed by potential employers. If a profile fits a recruiter’s needs, then they are able to contact them directly and ask for more info or invite them to interview for the position.
Advanced search filters allow job seekers an opportunity to be specific in their employment search as well as receive email alerts for any jobs that match their requirements.
It’s completely free for job hunters to apply for the positions advertised, but employers will need to pay a fairly hefty sum to make their postings visible. 1 job post will cost $279 / month.
Glassdoor
If you’re tired of scouring through google for jobs and then further researching company info to see how legitimate their positions may be, then Glassdoor offers an interesting proposition for you.
The site has a comprehensive review section from both current and former employees that gets down to the nitty-gritty and exposes any issues along with highlighting all the positives aspects of working for that company. There’s no hiding away from it on Glassdoor; you get to see what people really think.
Job seekers are able to use the job search function for free for 24hrs, and after that, they are required to leave an anonymous company review for a place where they have previously worked in order to extend their membership. Candidates are also kept up to date with regular email alerts.
One of the great aspects of Glassdoor is that salary information is completely transparent and not only are you able to see what a job pays, but you can also see what the industry standards are, and perhaps more importantly, what other people in that company earn.
The best job websites for you may not necessarily be those with the highest number of adverts. Get a feel for a site’s functions and capabilities to see which one you find the most useful and simple to navigate as it might just make the search for a new job a little less painful.