(To see Part 1, click here.)

By now, you’ve probably taken some time to understand what your career field looks like and what exactly is expected of you in order to succeed in your job search. So I think it’s safe to say that we’re officially ready to start the searching part. In this post, we’re going to discuss how you can use search engines and online job boards, including LinkedIn, to help you find the job you’re looking for. Welcome to Part 2: Where do you start looking for jobs?

I can’t stress enough that looking for a job takes some serious planning and patience. I always like to tell people that looking for a job should be your job until you find one. And if you’re still employed during your job search, then treat the search like a part-time job.

Job searching is a skill.
I came across a very interesting article on Forbes titled 7 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Your Job Search. While everything mentioned in this article was of good use, there’s one point that stuck out to me.

Recognize that job search[ing] is a separate skill and process. “Whether or not you are great at your job has little bearing on your job search success rate,” says [Alan] Carniol, [founder of InterviewSuccessFormula.com]. “You will have to invest energy in learning this process and remember that any frustrations encountered in the job search don’t relate to how valuable you can be on the job.”

I love that quote because it reconfirmed that it takes more than a good resume to find a good job. And just because you don’t get the good jobs, it doesn’t mean you have a bad resume, either. If you’d like to learn more about how you can spruce up your resume, feel free to view my previous Workin’ Wednesday posts. Click here for 2015’s Part 1 and here for 2015’s Part 2. Look for the sections about resumes, and you’ll discover some neat tricks that will help boost your current resume.

Start with a simple Google search.
Or Yahoo. Or Bing. Or whatever you prefer. It sounds so easy, right? That’s because it is. Using a search engine is the best place to start if you’re searching for a job. Once you do an initial search for jobs in your area, you can always branch off and do more targeted searches later. We’ll discuss more about that later in this series.

 

Remember, SEO (or key search terms) are very important on these search engines. For example, if I were looking for public relations jobs in my area, I would search “public relations jobs houston texas”. Search engines don’t pick up filler words like “in”, “the” or “a”, so it’s not necessary to use them. Once your results pop up, you have one of two choices:

1. Create an Advanced Search where you can filter through the results for the most relevant ones by using settings such as exact words, location , region, language, website domain and more.
   
2. If you aren’t as knowledgeable about advanced searches or you prefer to see the biggest pool of results, take the time to go through the first 5-7 pages. Usually, you won’t find many more relevant results past the 7th page.

Once you have the results you’re looking for, it’s time to determine which online job boards are best for you.

Job boards are extremely helpful.
According to that Forbes article, about 80% of available jobs are never advertised. That’s a huge percentage! One that we will touch on later in this series. However, that doesn’t mean we should skip the 20% of jobs that ARE publicized. So let’s begin.

Below are common job boards that you’ll come across online. Each of them have their own advantages and disadvantages, and you’ll have to determine which jobs boards you like the most. While many of these boards list a lot of the same jobs, it’s still a good idea to check all of them at least once in a while to make sure you’re not missing out on a good job.

Indeed
Probably sitting at the world’s #1 job site, Indeed has more than 200 million visitors every month in more than 60 different countries. As a job seeker, you can create an account and set email alerts for future jobs that you’re interested in.

PROS: It’s safe to say that Indeed probably has the largest database out of all of these job boards. It’s also really good about giving you the most relevant jobs according to your search. You can even participate in “quick applies”, where your resume is sent straight to the company that posted the job.

CONS: Many jobs on this site are outdated.* And some of the jobs are confidential or partially confidential. You may want to be careful if you have personal contact information on your resume.

*Note: To avoid sending my resume to a closed job post, I usually go to the company website to see if the job is listed there. Most of the time, it is. So I’ll just send my resume through the company website instead.

Glassdoor
Glassdoor is an all-inclusive job search and recruiting website. The website includes company reviews, CEO approval ratings, salary reports, interview reviews, benefits reviews, office photos and more. All of this information is entirely shared by each company’s employees.

PROS: You can use all of this information to find out more about the company — work culture, revenue, complaints, company size, approval ratings and more.

CONS: While some parts of Glassdoor are free for the public to see, this website REQUIRES an account to see everything. I’m not sure if Glassdoor has any paid features (mostly because I have yet to create an account). I have too many open accounts that I can’t keep track of. But if you’re serious about your job search, feel free to make an account!

Simply Hired
Simply Hired is part of a larger job search network. Once an employer posts a job on this website, it will also show up on other job websites, including Indeed and others like Job.com, LiveCareer and GetHired.com.

PROS: My favorite part about Simply Hired is almost every job listing includes a salary range. And especially if salary is a big factor to consider for your next job, this would be the website for you.

CONS: The job database on Simply Hired is significantly smaller than a lot of these other job boards. And since Simply Hired is a part of a larger job network, there’s a big chance that most of the jobs listed here will be repeats from other job sites. I wouldn’t use this as your only resource. I prefer to use this site only for salary information.

Monster
For more than 20 years, Monster has provided job employment solutions for both job seekers and employers. Recently, Monster has expanded itself from just a job board to a global provider of job seeking, career management, recruitment and talent management products and services. Much like Indeed, you can create an account, set alerts and apply straight through the Monster website.

PROS: Monster is one of the “OGs”, as they call it. An original. This job board has been around for a while, and it has come a long way with the services that it offers. If you’re into using services that have a lot of history behind them, this is the place for you.

CONS: This site doesn’t always give you the most relevant jobs according to your search. You may have to do more advanced searches on this site.

ZipRecruiter
Another job board, called ZipRecruiter, markets itself as the #1 rated job search app on Android & iOS with more than 10,000 new company subscriptions every month. ZipRecruiter started as a tool to help small businesses advertise their job postings affordably. However, today, millions of people in both the U.S. and U.K. can find a better job for a better life.

PROS: With such a high approval rating as a mobile app, it’s easier to apply for jobs on the go, if necessary. Job searching from bed is a lot easier than sitting up at a desk. And like some of the job boards I mentioned, you can create an account, participate in quick applies and set up email alerts for future job posts.

CONS: Like Simply Hired, this website tends to have more repeats than anything. If you’ve already been searching on other job sites, then it’s best to only use this job board as a last resort. Either that or use the app for on-the-go applications.

As you can see, each job board can be used for a different purpose. It all depends on your preference. The best advice I can give you is that using all of these job boards (and more, if you’d like) to complete your job search will ensure that you’ll find at least some of the jobs you desire.

Don’t forget about professional associations.
Most industries have their own professional organizations. If you haven’t researched yet, try searching for the association that pertains to your career field. For example, public relations has the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), engineers have the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) and interior designers have the International Interior Design Association (IIDA). Furthermore, a lot of these organizations have local chapters, depending on how large your city’s market is. This is important because these organizations usually have their own job banks, as well. These can be an even better resource because these job boards will help you find jobs that are specific to the industry you’re looking through.

LinkedIn was made for this.
If you haven’t made a LinkedIn account yet, then now is the time to make one. LinkedIn’s sole purpose is to help people find/post jobs and network with other professionals while getting to learn about others’ professional backgrounds and job skills in a virtual space. According to Adweek, 87% of companies use LinkedIn for recruiting. What better place is there to look for jobs?

The thing that I like most about LinkedIn is that you not only get to find jobs, but you can get to know the company on a personal level — by viewing the profiles of some of its employees. Sometimes, networking with the right employees ahead of time can help you get the job, as well. To learn more about “LinkedIn stalking”, click here and here.

LinkedIn has changed a lot over the years, but one thing it continues to offer is a great way to search for jobs. Above and below are screenshots of what the job search tool looks like on LinkedIn. Once you select the parameters that pertain to you (such as job industry, job title, location, company size, etc.), then your job list will forever match those credentials until you change them.

LinkedIn is just like any other job board in that you can search for jobs with certain criteria in any industry at any time. Some of the job posts also offer quick applies, and you can even contact the job poster if you have any further questions. What makes LinkedIn so different, however, is that you can network with other professionals while you’re at it. Joining professional groups and joining in meaningful conversations on public posts are just more ways you can meet other professionals who reflect who you are or better — who you want to be. Have you ever applied and/or received a job through LinkedIn? Feel free to share your story in the comment section below.

---

In Part 2, I wanted to take the time to discuss how you make the online part of your job search more effective. Now that we have that out of the way, I’ll be able to share with you some offline techniques to help you with your job search, as well. Stay tuned for Part 3!

Do you have any thoughts about what I discussed in this post or about job searching in general? Leave them in the comment section below!

(To see Part 3, click here.)