If you’ve been doing nothing but hitting “Apply Now” but still not hearing back from employers, you’re not alone. Job hunting is exhausting and only recently things have changed drastically in the application landscape. These platforms have evolved and so has applying for jobs online. Gone are the days where putting in a few applications a day will get you a job within a few weeks. Some are even putting in hundreds or thousands over the course of their unemployment or new job search and still not finding results! Let’s break down the top 6 job search websites for people struggling to find work, along with their standout features most people aren’t using.
- ZipRecruiter
Best for: High volume industries like manufacturing, customer service, and hospitality.
ZipRecruiter does a lot of the heavy lifting for you. It’s actually more of a job matching site than any traditional job board. Once you upload your resume it immediately becomes eligible to be auto-invited to new job postings that match your skill set. That means you’re being seen without even applying directly to every posting, allowing you to do less work to get more applications out there.
What you’re missing: Their “AI Matching Technology”. While the process is automated for you, it doesn’t mean you don’t have to put in any work. You need to refine your resume with key words for the jobs that you’re interested in. That way when a new one is posted your resume is served to them as a “Great Match” and higher on the list.
Bonus Tip: Make sure to respond quickly when employers reach out. ZipRecruiter tracks your response rate and uses that in your visibility score. This could mean using their app on your phone with notifications turned on so you never miss a message.
- Google Jobs
Best for: Anyone who wants to skip the middleman and avoid searching on ten, or more, different job boards.
Google Jobs collects postings from all the other job boards. Think Indeed, CareerBuilder, LinkedIn, and even company career pages. This lets you hit all the potential spots companies are posting to from one main source! You simply Google the type of work you’re looking for and Google Jobs will automatically come up.
What you’re missing: The “Follow” feature. After completing a search you can click “Follow” to get alerts anytime something new is posted. This means if a company posts a job you might be interested in on almost any job board, you’ll be notified from a single source!
Bonus Tip: What you type in for your search is your filter. This means you can customize things way more than any normal job board. This is what my search might look like: “Recruiter Senior Level Hybrid In the last 7 days Pays more than $80k”.
- Glassdoor
Best for: Candidates who care deeply about company culture, transparency, and salary expectations.
Glassdoor is the Yelp of job searching. You’re not just applying for jobs, you’re investigating. Reviews from current and former employees can give you great insight into what you’re signing up for. They also offer things like interview questions to help with your prep!
What you’re missing: The “Know Your Worth” tool. It tracks market salary trends for your position in your area and lets you see if what you’re currently making matches up. You can also follow companies to get alerts about new jobs and reviews.
Bonus Tip: Don’t rely on individual reviews. Instead look for patterns that come up. If you see one bad review about a manager it could be isolated but if you see a lot of talk about micromanagement it’s likely a red flag.
- Dice
Best for: Tech professionals including software engineers, cybersecurity specialists, data analysts, and IT consultants.
Dice is one of the most established platforms specifically built for technology job seekers. Recruiters use this platform as a supplement to LinkedIn for more active recruitment measures. If you’re in the tech industry and don’t have your resume on here you’re definitely missing out on opportunities.
What you’re missing: Add tags to your profile! Dice lets you add tags related to your resume. Recruiters will use these tags when searching for potential candidates and Dice may also recommend people with specific tags if it matches up to a search.
Bonus Tip: Dice is especially good for contract and consulting roles. Many companies get their staff from transitioning contractors to direct hires. A lot of people filter out contracting roles but on Dice they can often lead to the stability you’re looking for.
Best for: White-collar professionals in industries like recruitment, finance, marketing, and HR.
LinkedIn is where most recruiters are searching, so that’s where you need to be! It can be a more competitive platform but don’t let that or the social media features prevent you from using it as a resource. As long as you have an accurate and updated profile you’ll be seen, but make sure you are sending out connections because recruiters will only be able to see your profile if you’re 3 or less connections away from someone they are connected to. Strive for that 500+ and you’ll never have to send another connection again!
What you’re missing: The “Open to Work” setting. Recruiters can filter candidates on LinkedIn by “Open to Work”. They often have metrics they need to keep up on including the number of responses to their inquiries. When they select “Open to Work” they are more likely to reach people who are actively looking.
Bonus Tip: Make a habit of responding to every inquiry you get from recruiters! Even if you’re not interested or it’s a huge lowball, LinkedIn has another search filter for recruiters that includes how likely that candidate is to respond. Keeping up with your Inmails will help you be included in more searches!
- Indeed
Best for: Local or non-remote job seekers in high volume industries.
Indeed has the broadest reach and likely the highest volume of listings. Recently, it’s been notorious for “ghost jobs” and mass applications with no results. That doesn’t mean you need to exclude it from your list but it does mean you have to rethink your approach.
What you’re missing: The “Saved Searches” feature. You can run a highly specific query and save it. Indeed will then email you new matches as soon as they’re posted. You can do this for as many searches as you want. This can help prevent the doom-scrolling of Indeed.
Bonus Tip: You can have multiple resumes saved and easily select which one you’d like to apply with. Create one for remote jobs, one for in-person roles, and one for different titles you’re considering.
It’s frustrating, but common. Many applicants mass apply using the same resume, without optimizing it for each role or platform. Most job boards use AI to filter candidates before a human even sees your application. Try some of the tips I’ve included in the article to fix this problem.
Yes. Each platform serves a different niche! Learn which ones work best for you and keep using them. You can think of your job search like fishing. More lines in the water mean more chances to catch something!
Ignoring the hidden features. Most people just upload a resume and start applying, but platforms reward those who engage deeper.
Final Thoughts
The job market has shifted and you can’t just apply to a few postings on Indeed and expect a new job in a few weeks. You need a combination of applying to a lot of jobs, utilizing multiple platforms, and tailoring your profile to get the most out of each of those platforms.
Job seekers are facing a crowded market yet most people are still just mass applying without utilizing the tools these platforms give them. Use these tools, know the niche each site works best in, and take the time to actually engage with the platforms to get your resume viewed.
These six job boards offer more than you might have originally thought. If you can learn to work with them rather than just through them, you’ll start to see a difference in responses, interviews, and hopefully, job offers. You’ve got this!
See Also
How to Beat Applicant Tracking Systems
