Where to Find Jobs

Thousands of jobs are out there waiting for us – where can you find them?  Below are some of my personal recommendations for the best places to find the open jobs you are looking for.

Company Websites

A company’s website is one of the best places to find relevant jobs because it’s often the source of the job that many other job boards pull from.  I find it to be one of the most accurate ways to find job openings at a specific company, and the job listings are generally more up-to-date than other job boards that often list several closed or outdated job listings.  It’s also one of the most effective ways to find positions in your local area by scouring local business’ websites for jobs, especially since smaller or medium sized business’s jobs may not end up on other job boards.

Obviously one requirement of this method is knowing the company or companies you want to look at, but many of us already have certain companies in mind we are quite interested in working for, or know of companies in our local area that we could work for.  Even if you don’t know where to start, you can search businesses by zip codes using tools like Google Maps, or look online or in phonebooks for Local Business Directories.  You can also usually find job or career fairs in the area where you’ll be able to find more Local Businesses to add to your mental inventory of possible workplaces.

All that being said, if you’re not looking at a specific company or geographic region and are willing to work anywhere and anyplace, you’ll likely have more luck with my next recommendation, job boards, which are always a great tool to use in conjunction with all the recommendations on this page!

Job Boards

There are hundreds of job boards and job search engines on the Internet, some better and worse than others, but all for the sole purpose of helping employers find employees for their open positions.  Many of these job boards have also incorporated the ability to create a user profile and apply to many positions directly from the job board itself.  Here are my recommendations for some of my favorite job boards I’ve found valuable over the years.

The Big Job Boards

These job boards are some of the largest out there and have built a reputation amongst both employers and employees as a great place to post and search for jobs.  In addition to being a place where employers can directly post jobs, some of these are also Job Search Engines which means they pull job listing from various other websites all across the Internet (Likely the reason they often have so many job listings!).  I’ve personally had lots of luck using the following job boards.  Check them out!

1. SimplyHired – My preferred job board of the big players because of the ease of use, relevancy of search results, and ability to see key details about positions at a glance. I like SimplyHired because it shows me the most relevant positions with minimal effort and has a clean user interface.
   

2. Indeed – Often described as one of the largest and most comprehensive job boards on the Internet, Indeed is an excellent job board to use. My only complaint is that I find the interface a bit clunkier than SimplyHired and you get a lot more irrelevant search results due to sponsored job listings. Still very much worth using checking out however!
   

3. CareerBuilder – One of the things I found interesting about CareerBuilder was that is was one of the only job boards I’ve used where I’ve gotten requests to interview FROM employers. Nearly all job boards allow you to create your own profile and upload a resume that employers can search for, but CareerBuilder was one of the only websites for me where employers actually found my resume and wanted to talk more! That’s a big plus!

*Keep in mind my recommendations above are only a very small sample of the many large job boards out there on the Internet.  Search “Job Boards” and try them all – Hopefully you’ll find your favorite job boards too!

The “Part of the Main Website” Job Boards

While these job boards have generally less job postings than the biggest job boards on the Internet, they SHOULD NOT be mistaken to be any less effective.  In fact, I honestly recommend these SITES more than the larger job boards because of their more targeted approach and the ability to connect with key individuals who are actually making the hiring decisions.  With the larger job boards, you can often feel like your resume is going into a void never to be seen again, but applications on these websites certainly feel like they are actually getting through to a real person, and sometimes you can even contact that person directly!

1. LinkedIn – LinkedIn is most well known for being the place you create a professional footprint for yourself on the Internet and network with others. What many people may not know is that MANY employers post jobs directly to LinkedIn, and applying to these jobs through LinkedIn is generally very effective. Not only can you see how many applicants have applied to a job and how you compare to them based on skills and qualifications in the applicant’s profiles, you can often connect and communicate directly with the Hiring Managers, Recruiters, or HR Professionals who posted the job.  This direct line of communication can be extremely valuable to acquire more details about the job, time frames for hiring, or the status of your application.  I’ve personally have had LOTS of success using LinkedIn for finding jobs in the past!
   

2. Glassdoor – In addition to Glassdoor being a great website to find information and salary data about different companies and/or positions out there in the world, Glassdoor also has its own job board. Nothing too special stands out about Glassdoor’s job board to me, but it makes my recommendation list because the response rate I’ve had to my job applications on this site has been high. The majority of job posters are very engaged with their listings and actively looking to fill these spots.  There’s many job boards out there, but getting a good amount of responses to your applications is very important, and Glassdoor has done well for me regarding to this.

The Niche Job Boards

These job boards are more niche and specific to certain industries or types of jobs, but they are very valuable when looking for a job in one of these more specific areas. Check out some of my recommendations below, but there are only a few of the very many niche job boards out there.  Do you own search for specific areas and see what you can find too!

1. USAJobs – The premiere database of Government and Federal jobs, ran by the government itself. If you’re looking for a job in Government or with a Federal Organization, USAJobs is the place to look.
   

2. Idealist – A wonderful job board that focuses on Non-Profit Organizations. If you want to work for a non-profit company that is doing good for the world, Idealist is a great place to find those positions.
   

3. Internships.com – A niche job board that focuses on Internships, both paid and unpaid. I generally do not recommend unpaid work, but you’ll still find a great deal of paid internships on here, as well as part-time positions.
   

4. AngelList – Interested in forming or working at a startup? AngelList can help startup founders find investors, or job seekers find open positions at startup companies across the world. Free account sign-up is required to use the website, but it’s worth it if you’re looking for work in a startup!

The Local Job Boards

If you’re looking for jobs in your local area, don’t be afraid to put down your computer or look towards some more old-fashioned resources.  Below are some of my top picks.

1. Newspapers – Newspapers do indeed still exist, and the Classified section can be a very valuable resource for finding jobs. It may even be the only place you see job openings listed for smaller companies you may have not even known existed. Even if you don’t subscribe to the paper, you can pick one up at nearly any store for a mere dollar or two.  Go for the Sunday paper as it will have the most job ads!
   

2. Your State’s Unemployment Agency – Your state’s government unemployment agency does more than write people checks for unemployment, they actually provide vast resources for getting back into work, too. Depending on your state, you can often find everything from free job training and career advising meetings, to their own staffing team that will actively help you get back into work. At the very least, most states’ unemployment agencies maintain a job board you can check out!
   

3. Colleges & Universities – Even if you’re not a student of the local College or University, may of these schools often maintain their own public job board for companies they have partnered or affiliated with over the years. They are mostly used to help their students find work, but you’re certainly welcome to use them too!

4. Craigslist – Craigslist is a bit iffy of a resource, but I can’t help but put it on the list. You’ll find everything under the sun posted on Craigslist, and likely jobs you never even knew existed at all (For better or worse). You do need to be wary of potential scams on Craigslist, but there are actually quite a large number of legitimate companies posting REAL jobs on Craigslist.  It can also be a very useful website for finding niche jobs like Baby Sitting, Dog Walking, Grass Cutting, Errand Runner, or other jobs perfect for someone looking for something a bit different.

Local Events

1. Career & Job Fairs – It’s not uncommon for many areas to hold job fairs throughout the year. Dozens of employers all get together under one roof for the sole purpose of recruiting and finding employees for their open positions. Job fairs are an excellent way to find open positions and apply right on the spot, but even if there are not any positions of interest available at the time, you can professionally connect with Recruiters and Hiring Managers.  These connections can be a very strong tool for job searching in the future and throughout your entire career!
   

2. Networking Events & Seminars – Generally more useful for networking than job searching, it’s the value of building your network that makes this a great recommendation for finding jobs in the long run. The power of your personal and professional connections is not to be underestimated, as these individuals can often be the first way you may learn about open jobs, and they can help get you to the front line of the hiring process. See what professional events or seminars are in your area for the Jobs or Industries you’re interested in and go meet some new people.  Sometimes, you’ll even find Recruiters looking for job applicants on-site as well!
   

3. Walk-Ins – This is the way job searching often used to be done before the age of Technology and the power of the Internet, and it still never hurts to simply walk-in to local businesses and ask if they are hiring or have any open positions. Even if not hiring, you can ask if they have a place they often post their open jobs, or perhaps get a business card for the employee who handles hiring. Dress appropriately, bring plenty of copies of your resume, be professional, and you never know what opportunities may be waiting.

Staffing Agencies & Recruiters

Some folks have a bad opinion of Staffing Agencies and Recruiters, but I’ve personally found them very valuable.  If you’re a qualified individual, there are jobs waiting out there for you, and Staffing Agencies and Recruiters can help bring those jobs to you.  I’ve worked with several Staffing Agencies and Recruiters over the years and have found most of them to be highly motivated to find you work as quick as possible.  They don’t get paid if they don’t fill positions after all!  It was very refreshing having someone on my team throughout the typically arduous job hunt, and often they do all the tedious job application work for you.  No more painful online job applications, no more applying to hundreds of positions, or tons of slow back and forth with employers over phone or email.  It was often as simple as me showing up to the interview they would set up for me, and voila!

Staffing Agencies can also be very valuable for finding part-time or temporary work positions.  In fact, some Staffing Agencies even specialize in recruiting for temporary work and boy is there a LOT of it out there waiting.  Temporary or part-time work can be a great way to get relevant work experience or a foot in the door, and the demand for these positions is generally very high and the need immediate.  I’ve had temporary job offers where after a simple phone interview they wanted me to start the very next day.

I don’t have any specific recommendations for particular Recruiters or Staffing Agencies, but my best advice is to do a simple Internet search of your own to see what you can find.  Often times, the best Staffing Agencies and Recruiters are local to specific areas or regions, so check your area (or targeted areas), and see what you can find!

Freelancing Websites

Work in a career that offers the possibility to work for yourself and contract out your skills and talents?  These websites are some of my top picks for anyone looking to pursue the world of freelancing.  I think it’s also important to keep in mind that many more careers than people generally think of can actually be contracted out.  An Accountant can do contract Bookkeeping for small businesses, an Engineer can provide consulting on a variety of projects, or a Teacher can take on tutoring as a side job.  The possibilities are endless.  If you’re interested in Freelancing, think outside of the box and check out these freelance job sites for some inspiration or even your first gig!

1. Upwork – The merger of two mega popular freelance sites, ODesk and Elance, Upwork is an excellent platform to use for finding an immense variety of different freelancing opportunities. Clients generally post jobs they are looking to have done and Freelancers apply, but Freelancers can also maintain a profile on the website which allows Clients to make job proposals to them directly.
   

2. Fiverr – On Fiverr you’ll find Freelancers from around the world offering all types of services all starting at the low price of just $5.00. Not only is the low entry price interesting, but the variety of services offered even more. You’ll find services available that range from the most professional to the most silly or pointless.  Unlike Upwork where the Clients post the jobs they are looking to fill, Fiverr typically has the Freelancers post the jobs they can do and Clients then seek them out (Clients can still post specific jobs they are looking for however).  It’s a great platform to use for any Freelancer looking to offer their skills, talents, and services to the world.
   

3. Etsy – Not technically a freelancing website, but if you are capable of making some type of product that you want to sell, Etsy is a great place to set up store. Not as over-saturated as some other online Marketplaces like Amazon or Ebay, Etsy still has millions of users looking to buy tons of unique items made by individuals like you.

Friends, Family, & Your Network

Last but not least, never forget to reach out to the people you already know!  This includes everyone from family, friends, acquaintances, people in your professional network, or even your followers on social media websites.  Simply ask around if anyone has a job, they very well may!  If you’re openly job searching, use the power of social media, message boards, or email lists to let your network know you are available and looking.  You never know who may have a job waiting!  Just remember, don’t spam or act desperate for a job, but certainly reach out and ask!