How to Maximize Your Job Search through Job Boards

Career Jumpstart

Feb 19

Job boards are websites that display open roles posted by companies and their recruiters. Recruiters use them to more efficiently scan through applicants and find the ones most fitting for the role. Job applicants can use these job boards to find open roles that match their career aspirations. You can simply upload your resume onto these websites and apply for any open role!

There are many benefits of Job Boards, here are some of the ones we felt are most important:

Automated job notification: Once you’ve created your profile and specified what type of role you’re interested in, most job boards allow you to turn on job notifications. Every time a new role is posted that matches your interest, you will get an email or text alert so you never miss out on that perfect role!
The opportunity to be headhunted: After creating an account, not only can you search for jobs, but employers can come to you! Many recruitment agencies use these job boards to scan through resumes/cover letters, if they think your experiences are a good fit for one of their vacancies, then they might reach out to you directly.
Refined search: Most job boards today have very advanced search capabilities, allowing you to search based on a specific role, location, experience level, job type, and much more. This means you’ll no longer be spending 20 minutes applying to a job that seems to be everything you’re looking for, just to realize that it requires a Ph.D. which you don’t have.
Expert career advice/tips: Many job boards will have posts written by career experts on how to perfect your resume, widen your search, and nail your interviews. The advice you get from these career experts can be a helpful guide for your job search.

These days, there are countless job boards, some offer a wide range of positions, while others are more specialized. For most of them, you can sign up by simply entering your name, email, and uploading a copy of your resume. Some don’t require an account at all. So which one should you use? And how do you leverage them to maximize your chance of getting a job?

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General job boards

General job boards have millions of postings for many different industries and experience levels. Below is a list of the best ones.

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform. It allows users to search for jobs, but at the same time connect with others on the platform and make their own posts. LinkedIn has a paid premium option, which allows you to gain access to more resources and advanced tools.

Learn how to make the best LinkedIn Profile Here

Indeed is one of the biggest job boards in the world, with over 200 million monthly users. It’s 100% free and offers a wide range of jobs that are either internships, part-time, full time, or freelance. Job seekers can search for jobs based on job title, location, salary range, experience level, and date posted.

Monster is one of the first job search sites and offers a vast amount of opportunities. On top of job opening, Monster also offers a wide range of services including resume review, company review, salary check, and career advice.

ZipRecruiter has over 9 million active job postings each day. Its advanced search engine allows job seekers to identify more niche job titles. ZipRecruiter also has a separate salary search tool, which allows you to see the estimated salary for a role in a specific region.

Glassdoor is not only a job searching site, it also allows people to leave reviews for companies they’ve worked for, share insights on interviews they’ve had and post salary/benefits info.

CareerBuilder has been around for over 20 years, and provides job openings from many industries. You can filter through jobs easily and see how your application compares to others who have applied to the same job.

Niche Job Boards:

Aside from the general job boards, there are also niche job boards where you can look if you know exactly what kind of role you’d like to do. These niche job boards will have roles that are not always on the general job boards, therefore giving you a better chance of finding the job that best fits your interest or experience level.

RippleMatch - matches early career candidates with specific roles.
Scounted - a great place for students looking to land an internship or first job out of college.
Angel.co - the go-to site for people looking for start-up jobs.
Idealist.org - connects people to nonprofit organizations and nonprofit work.
StackOverflow - offers unmatched opportunities for engineers and developers.
RecruitMilitary - has great opportunities for military veterans looking to join the civilian workforce.
LawJobs - the go-to site for law professionals
eFinancial Careers - if you’re looking for a career in finance, banking, or accounting, this is the place to go.
Dribbble - the to-go place for designers and creative talent.

Each job board has its own advantages, and choosing which one to use can be confusing. However, since most of them can be used for free, I would definitely recommend using a couple simultaneously so you get access to more open roles. That being said, do not overwhelm yourself by signing up for 15 sites at once!

Follow these tips below, and soon you’ll become the master of job applications.

Use the job board that best suits your needs. For example, if you’re a recent grad looking for an entry-level role, Handshake and Ripple are perfect since their platforms are targeted towards college students and early career candidates. If you’re looking to join a startup, then Angel.co is an awesome place to discover startup jobs.
Signing up for too many sites can lead to an unnecessary amount of spam mail. You don’t want to miss a notification for your dream role because it’s buried under all the spam. So choose your job boards wisely.
Do not blindly apply to every job you see listed on there. Be sure to carefully read the job description and requirements and make sure you are eligible for the role.
Tailor your resume to each role you’re applying for, and do not overly rely on the one-click apply options that some sites offer. The more your resume reflects the requirements of the role, the higher chance you’ll have to land an interview. To learn how to make the best resume, check out our resume blog!
Once you’ve signed up for these job boards, it’ll be important to make sure your profile is complete and up to date so recruiters will see your most recent experiences.

Whether this is your first time using job boards, or you’ve been using them for years, I hope this blog can make the job searching process a little easier for you. Besides applying to jobs, these websites are also a great place to learn about careers in different fields. We are so lucky to have these resources at our fingertips, so start signing up and making the most out of them!