Even if you’re gainfully employed right now, you’re probably keeping an eye on job listings. It’s just good sense these days. But you need to be looking at the right job listings, reading relevant industry news and keeping your career-building skills honed.
The right job listings can be hard to find. There are thousands of sites offering job listings online, from Craigslist to Monster, but most of them wind up listing very similar (if not identical) opportunities. Here are some that might be worth spending some time on:
- LinkedIn
LinkedIn isn’t an old-fashioned job board. Instead, LinkedIn’s value lies in how easy it is to connect with other people working in your industry as well as professionals in general. Many job opening aren’t listed: recruiters would much rather build a network where they can search for the right hire.
- USAJobs
The entire U.S. federal government directs all of its job postings to USAJobs, many of which never make it to other job listing sites. The U.S. government is usually hiring for tens of thousands of jobs at a time — in just about every career field.
- LinkUp
Many employers skip placing job listings on external boards, keeping their job opportunities a little closer to home. LinkUp uses automatic tools to find jobs listed only on company websites.
- Idealist
More and more job hunters are placing an emphasis on finding a job that offers some opportunity to give back. Idealist lists jobs from non-profits and idealist organizations.
- RealMatch
RealMatch relies on a set of tests to match you with job opportunities that you’ve displayed a certain level of compatibility with -- as well as sending your information to employers looking for someone who meets your profile.
- JobSerf
While most job sites these days are free, JobSerf charges $98 per week. For that fee, you get 20 hours of personalized job searching: one of JobSerf’s professionals searches for jobs that meet your criteria and apply to those positions that meet your needs.
- SimplyHired
SimplyHired searches a long list of job listing sites, as well as specific companies’ hiring pages, to provide you with a fairly complete picture of your options with just one search.
- SoloGig
SoloGig provides listings of consulting, temporary, contract and freelance opportunities in a broad list of categories. Some of the short-term projects listed on SoloGig are expected to last a year or more.
- Women for Hire
The jobs available through Women for Hire are available to men as well as women, but the site provides a special level of support for women who are hunting for jobs. It offers up specialized advice on issues like finding positions that offer help with child care.
- Job-Hunt
Just because a job is available doesn’t mean that you’re ready to pick up and move for it. Job-Hunt has a long list of links to job hunting resources by state, giving you a head start on local job leads.