7 Websites and Apps to Aid Your Job Search

By Elena Novak on November 7, 2013

The wonderful world of the internet offers a plethora of options for the job-seeking person sitting frantic at the kitchen table sipping coffee in pajamas. Most of the many websites even offer smartphone apps to make your job search more portable.

Having too many options can be immobilizing, so where do you start? Here are a list of seven well-praised apps (all free) and websites based on student and jobholder input and a list put together by Career Rocketeer. I also downloaded the apps that I could to my Droid smartphone to provide a more hands-on review, keeping in mind that the appearance and availability of the apps may vary based on operating system.

Editor’s Note: You can also check out thousands of job listings on Uloop by clicking here.

1. CareerBuilder

CareerBuilder.com has a simple homepage for searching. You can search by keyword, location, or category, and the Advanced Search tool expands on these by allowing you to search by industry, to input your degree, to select employment type, and to choose a salary range.

The homepage also offers a list stream of jobs in your selected area, plus the opportunity to create an account so you may upload a resume and receive personalized job alerts. Other services include a salary calculator and a career quiz.

The CareerBuilder app for Android is effortless. Simply choose from Sign In, Search Jobs, Recommended, Saved Jobs, Applied Jobs, and Settings. Searching jobs is the only accessible feature for those without an account, however.

2. Monster

Monster.com has a search feature much like CareerBuilder’s, but the resources are more readily accessible from the homepage. Whereas CareerBuilder asks you to go to a separate tab, Advice and Resources, Monster has links to articles, job questions and answers from Yahoo! Answers, and resources to help with resumes and interview preparation.

The Monster app allows you to search for jobs but won’t show any other feature until you’ve signed in either through Monster or Facebook. The features once you sign in, which I did through Facebook, include Saved Jobs, Apply History, Resumes, Cover Letters, Scan QR Code, and Settings, offering just a bit more than the CareerBuilder app.

Photo by Kathryn Decker on Flickr

An anonymous professional from Cape Coral, Florida who is employed by GameStop used Monster during the job search.

“It matched me with a lot of jobs, but none of them worked out,” this person said, who wishes to remain anonymous. “Some jobs require additional skills or licenses that aren’t stated on Monster, and they spring them out on you at the last second.”

When asked if the tool and others like it are still worth using, the replay was yes, “if only to use it as a practice tool for understanding the requirements of the field you’re interested in.”

3. Indeed

Indeed.com‘s homepage is very minimalist, containing a front-and-center search tool on a plain white background. If you check out the links, you’ll see the option to post your resume at the top and links at the bottom to the best places to work, salaries, trends, forums, and the like.

Though it’s plain, Lexie Ramage, two years out of college and now working a temp job at Entertainment Weekly as a publicity coordinator, considers it her favorite.

“I feel that Indeed.com seems to find more job listings than other job search sites,” she said. “I also feel that their listings are more relevant to my searches. For example, if I’m searching for social media jobs, sometimes other websites will just use one of those terms so I end up getting a bunch of social worker listings instead of social media ones.”

Other than the listings, she also likes their customizable job alerts.

“You can save searches and the site will email you results based on those searches,” she said. “You can also decide the frequency of the emails. Since I’m actively looking for a job, I can choose to have daily alerts sent to me. This saves me from having to take the extra time to go to the site and perform the search. Most job hunting sites will have a job alert feature. I have job alerts from a variety of places and most of the time Indeed will have those hits.”

Ramage feels her experience is dependent on where she was in her job search.

“Different sites work for different fields or experience levels,” she said. “I’m looking for entry-level editorial and I feel Monster didn’t really help me because I wasn’t getting relevant listings and kept getting spam. My mom is in a technical field and head hunters will contact her through [Monster].”

Ramage doesn’t use the mobile app because she is satisfied with receiving only the e-mail alerts, but for those who love apps, the Indeed app is just as plain in aesthetics as its web counterpart. Like usual, it holds a search option, and you can also sign in, post your resume, or change your country. I signed in through Facebook and the only change was access to a My Jobs tab.

4. LinkUp

LinkUp.com’s homepage is plain as well, but sleek. There’s not much you can do besides search unless you log in. When I tried signing in through Facebook, I was still asked to create an account, which the other sites didn’t request, at least through their apps.

I downloaded the app, which was difficult to find because searching LinkUp didn’t work. The app is actually called Job Search Engine. According to Career Rocketeer, this daily updated search engine lists only jobs found on company and employer websites.

A cool feature of the app is a Job Search Tip of the Day box below the search engine. Today’s tip: “Follow-up your application with a phone call – attach a voice to your name.”

5. Simply Hired

The Simply Hired homepage currently boasts 9,880,230 jobs and counting. You can search by job title, skills, or company along with location. The jobs are compiled from company sites, job boards, and the web. You can also see a stream of trending jobs on the homepage, and find jobs by industry.

If you log in through Facebook, you can see where your friends are working. You can filter the list by company or by friends, or view “fun facts” which include the most popular companies, most popular locations, and recommended searches.

Through the app, the search options are identical to the site, but you can also search all U.S. jobs and see a full stream of content based on posting date.

6. SnagAJob

SnagAJob’s homepage can only be described as cute. The page has an image of four colorful buildings reminiscent of a downtown street with a washed out skyline in the background. You can, of course, search jobs, sign up for job alerts, view new jobs in your area, and browse featured employers.

The app offers a feed of local jobs, but you can also view your profile, applications, daily matches, saved jobs, and job tips. You can also sign in with an account, but not through social media.

Megan Johnson, a Naples, Florida resident and recent high school graduate, finds SnagAJob helpful.

“SnagAJob is quick and efficient; it is an easy way to get the information jobs need directly to them with less effort on our part,” she said.

7. LinkedIn

LinkedIn has an underutilized job searching feature. You can search via the search bar, or click the Jobs tab on the homepage. Through the tab, you can opt into e-mail alerts or change the privacy setting of your job search, allowing your connections to see what you’ve been browsing.

Featured jobs are listed, as well as a list of jobs in your network; the site recommends reaching out to your connections for a referral to their respective employers. With a paid Premium account, you can also see who has been viewing your profile and reach out to them for a job.

Lexie Ramage likes LinkedIn’s job search feature because it allows you to search for entry-level jobs.

“That’s something a lot of other job hunting sites don’t have,” she said. “LinkedIn can be helpful because sometimes you can see the profile of the recruiter who posted the job. Now your application is going to an actual person instead of random cyberspace. It’s also nice to see who in your network can put in a word for you at the company you’ve just applied to.”

The LinkedIn app is essentially a miniaturized version of the site. Because of that, though, it’s a bulky app, and may be somewhat difficult to navigate.

Word of Caution

With all that’s out there to create a job hunt that’s portable, something gets lost in transit. Jeremy Natal, who has been out on the job market for five years and held multiple positions, believes in a value of a face-to-face introduction.

“These sites though often convenient take the ‘personal’ point out of getting a job,” he said. “Sure you can upload your resume and apply for jobs, but there is something about just looking and going in face-to-face, meeting the store manager and introducing yourself.”

He also feels that online applications also rarely produce results.

“You look for a job, find it, but when time comes to get the call back – which I never got using these sites – the position is already taken. Maybe someone took more time to get dressed and apply in person,” he said. “Not saying we shouldn’t use these tools and I’m sure many have gotten jobs by way of these but every job I had was because I looked in person and used a personal experience versus a practical one.”

If you love these sites or apps and want to continue to use them, consider using them to find open positions and then reach out to the employer in person, or if that’s impossible, by phone or e-mail. If an employer requires an online application, find other ways to network – networking is your most valuable job-seeking tool.

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