Historic unemployment and dwindling savings are driving millions of Americans to update their resumes, revisit their contact lists, and get out on the job hunt. Many who haven't had to look for work in a while will be overwhelmed easily by the endless options for career sites and job boards. Read on to find out which sites are best for the right people.
For: Everyone
In 2017, Google launched a job search tool that promised to revolutionize the way people look for work online. As the new kid on the block, it's not as well-known as sites such as LinkedIn and Indeed, and it works differently from those and the other traditional job sites. Instead of crawling job postings and storing those postings independently, it's an aggregator powered by Google search, which means it can find and display open jobs wherever they might be posted. If things such as salary data aren't included, Google will grab it from sites such as Glassdoor. Just type "Google for Jobs" into a browser and a blue box will pop up that lets you filter, refine, search, and apply for open positions everywhere.
For: Networkers
LinkedIn is still the biggest, most widely used, and best-known career-based social platform in America — but it's not just a professional social media network. Using your profile as your resume, LinkedIn Jobs lets you filter and search for positions while also giving you the networking power that made LinkedIn famous. If you already have a LinkedIn presence, this is a good place to start a search.
For: Everyone
There's a reason Indeed ranks at or near the top of every best-of jobs board roundup. While not as thorough or aggregated as Google for Jobs or as populated or social as LinkedIn, Indeed is simply too big to ignore. It crawls thousands of job postings from company websites every day and, because of its stature in the industry, many companies send their postings directly to Indeed first.
For: Review Readers; Crowdsourcers
In the rare case where Indeed doesn't take the top spot in a best-of job board roundup, Glassdoor often does — because while the best job sites are not always easy to distinguish from one another, Glassdoor's slick interface includes a reliable and intuitive database of salaries and workplace reviews. It's what made it famous.
For: Go-Getters
User reviews suggest ZipRecruiter's search function leaves a little to be desired, but it's hard to ignore a site with more than 9 million job listings. It really stands out most for its recruiter-focused model — a great choice for more proactive job seekers, ZipRecruiter lets you message directly with employers better than most platforms.
For: Civil Servants; Government Types; Everyone Else
USAJOBS is the federal government's official employment site. From nursing and psychology to law enforcement and carpentry, if you're looking to land a job with Uncle Sam, this is the undisputed king of job boards for you.
Related: Military Skills That Can Help You Land a Civilian Job
For: Boomers; Returning Retirees; Other Seniors
Workforce50.com was designed for baby boomers and meant for the exclusive use of job hunters ages 50 and up. The interface is not as sleek or intuitive as the more mainstream sites, perhaps by design, but it offers a lot of information and resources for late-career professionals and those seeking to reenter the workforce from retirement. Its job postings are designed for that demographic.
For: First-Timers; Mailroom-Risers
On the other end of the spectrum is CollegeRecruiter.com, which was designed to serve college students or recent graduates. The jobs there are tailored to the entry-level, but there are also a lot of seasonal and part-time listings, as well as a good menu of internships.
Related: Can Employment Agencies Actually Help New Grads Land a Job?
For: Techies
Dice, too, is a specialty job board. It caters exclusively to those looking for, and looking to fill, positions in the tech industry. From entry-level to executive, it's designed for everyone in the field at any stage of their careers. For current or aspiring tech pros, Dice is hard to beat.
For: Number Crunchers
Like Dice, eFinancialCareers is a specialty site, but in this case, one designed for people looking for work in fields such as finance, banking, accounting, and related technologies. There are more than 15,000 jobs in categories such as credit, sales, information technology, and asset management.
For: Skilled Providers; Caregivers
HealthcareJobsite lists more than 500,000 openings at any given time. As the name implies, it's designed for people pursuing careers in the healthcare industry, but there are a huge variety of fields and careers beyond just nurses, doctors, and office staff. During the current crisis, it would be hard for recently laid off health care workers of all stripes to find a more targeted and comprehensive site designed just for them.
For: Media Elites
An oldie but goodie for job hunters in fields including journalism, advertising, publishing, design, TV, marketing, and content production, MediaBistro is still the top site for media professionals. You can filter across relevant industries, as well as by skills and career level, and for remote or on-site opportunities.
For: The Patient; The Scam Spotters
This one gets an honorable mention just because it's easy to forget. Craigslist has changed little since it revolutionized the way people bought, bartered, and sold things, searched for jobs, and looked for love. Compared with today's sleek, modern mobile-conscious sites, Craigslist's interface looks and feels clumsy and primitive — and its job boards are littered with sketchy, poorly worded ads that are obviously recruiter hype or multilevel marketing scams. It's still updated consistently, however, and there are real opportunities hidden in the rough — and it's still free and anonymous, with no signup or login required.
For: Gig Economy Side Hustlers
The gig economy was in full swing before the coronavirus crisis hit, but with tens of millions unemployed, more people will be looking for freelance and contract work than ever before as the economy begins to chug back to life. Among the top sites for contract, freelance, and gig-based work are Gigwalk, Moonlighting.com, Wonolo, and Thumbtack.
Related: 22 Tips for a Successful Side Hustle