Most jobs are listed, and have an application process, that is entirely online. So how do you find them? Read on to learn how to look for jobs online.
The first step in this process is to define the kind of job. The search process will be different for a nursing position than for a delivery position. Here are some of the questions to answer in this step:
- The type of job and possible job titles
- Location
- Days and hours available
- Must haves
Once this list is complete, the search begins.
Jobs Listing Sites
Some specialized types of jobs, such as teaching, are often focused at one or two specialized job listing sites. If you are looking for this type of job, go to one or more of the employers’ websites and see which site use to list their positions.
School Spring is a site for teaching positions that is very popular in the Northeast.
Dice – IT and technology focus
ZipRecruiter – allows smaller businesses to post positions inexpensively
Indeed is a general purpose and very popular job posting site
Monster is was the first big job posting site and remains very popular
Here are two articles about the differences between job posting sites.
USNews article – Best Job Search Sites
Robert Half review of job listing websites – 25 Best Job Search Websites
Directly to Company
The quickest place to find a listing is often on a company’s website. This of course requires that you know which companies have jobs available. Unless the job search is very focused, there will probably be many positions that an applicant misses if the only search is company by company.
Most companies list their open positions on their websites, or they will have a link to the service they use to post their jobs.
Calling or emailing a human relations director is a possibility, but should only be used if there is a specific reason that you know a position is available that you have not found listed.
LinkedIn is a website that is used to look for jobs online, but it also contains articles about job hunting, and networking opportunities among business people.
The best use of LinkedIn is to create an account and begin networking long before you are looking for a job. People who actively participate and purposefully grow their network have the most success. That work upfront will put an applicant in a strong position when they are doing a job search.
Other ideas
Another technique for successful job hunting is networking. This Monster.com article about building network explains how to get started. Many jobs are filled with people who know people, so it is good to formalize those relationships.
Glassdoor is not only a job posting site, but it also has information about the companies. Employees post reviews about their jobs and salary information. This information can give an applicant ideas for questions to ask and issues to be on the lookout for.
Facebook has many community pages that are a good source of local information. When people have job openings or they are looking for a job, the community is sometimes a great source of information.
Summary
There are many ways to look for jobs online. They key is to keep at it, and read each posting closely. If the jobs you are looking at vary quite a bit from each other, it might also be useful to have specialized copies of your resume. If you want help navigating the job search process, we can show you how to navigate some of the sites. Good luck!