The Best Sites to Find Jobs

Looking for job openings online is not my preferred method of landing a job for numerous reasons* – networking is – but reviewing job postings is a great way to explore the “terrain,” helping you familiarize yourself with what’s out there, as well as the language employers are using to define their needs. Certain types of jobs (e.g. positions at startups or remote foreign development openings) may be difficult to identify through networking, so online postings/applications make more sense. And certainly a portion of your job search should include applications. Just not the bulk of it. With these caveats here are the best places to look (listed alphabetically):

  1. Career Builder – Job opportunities and valuable advice: www.Careerbuilder.com
  2. Dice – The #1 site for tech jobs: www.Dice.com
  3. FlexJobs – Specializing in remote, flexible job openings: www.flexjobs.com
  4. GlassDoor – An excellent site for intelligence on organizations (reviews, salary info) but also job postings: www.Glassdoor.com
  5. Idealist – The best place to find job openings in the non-for-profit world: www.Idealist.org
  6. Indeed – Generally ranked as #1, with the most job listings across a full range of careers: www.Indeed.com
  7. LinkedIn – My favorite place for networking also provides tailored job suggestions for you: www.Linkedin.com
  8. MediaBistro– Jobs in the communications and creative fields: journalism, PR, advertising, media: Mediabistro.com
  9. Military.com – A source of news of interest to veterans, as well as thousands of job postings
  10. Monster – The Daddy of job sites; still offers a wide range of openings: Monster.com
  11. Revelo – Primarily a source for hiring foreign tech experts, also lists remote tech opportunities for U.S. workers: Revelo.com
  12. The Ladders – A website with particular emphasis on jobs with salaries of $100K+: TheLadders.com –
  13. USA Jobs – THE place to go for open positions in the government: USAjobs.gov
  14. Wellfound (formerly AngelList) – A great place to find jobs at startups: https://angel.co
  15. Zip Recruiter – Probably easier to navigate than Indeed, but similar in its breadth of listings: ziprecruiter.com

*The Best Job Application Strategy

…Is to reduce your emphasis on submitting applications to posted positions and focus most of your time and effort on networking. You have a tiny l chance of landing even an interview, much less the job, unless you’re a pretty perfect, concretely demonstrable fit for a posted job, and check all of the boxes indicated as to required background, experience, skills, and personal characteristics (e.g. ‘excellent attention to detail’ or ‘thriving in a fast-paced environment’). Furthermore, any jobs that are posted are “false flag” postings either because an internal candidate has already been selected but, for HR or legal reasons a posting is necessary, or because authorization for a job has not yet been received or funded, and the employer is simply seeking to learn more about the cost and qualifications of prospective applicants. So, contrary to the advice you may often hear, sending out a stream of applications is invariably a big waste of time (particularly if those applications are not tailored, which they should always be, but whose tailoring takes time and effort). What’s more, the crickets you’re liable to hear after your applications are submitted undermine your confidence and deepen your pessimism about ever landing a better position.

The Metrics

As cited by Appolo Tehnical, a leading DMV area recruiter, “According to HubSpot, 85% of jobs are filled through networking. In fact, according to CNBC, 70% of jobs are never published publicly. These jobs are either posted internally or are created specifically for candidates that recruiters meet through networking. Though it’s possible to get a job by simply sending your resume aimlessly to job boards and postings, these statistics clearly show that networking is the best way to create a successful career.” There’s really no substitute for using your network to advance your career.

Learn the Principles of Effective Networking

There are numerous reservations people harbor about networking. Does it feel like you’re using people? Unsure about the kinds of people you need connect with? Don’t know what message to deliver as you reach out to people? Insecure about being rejected when you reach out? These are commonly held, but overcomable obstacles to successful networking. Learn the principles of effective networking: Superconnector or The Startup of You are two particularly good sources. Then partner with a professional career coach (me!) who can guide you to the best, and most effective, networking techniques.