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By Nicolas Cesare
SEO Content Writer
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The job recruiting market is saturated with online job boards, and sometimes it's difficult to tell them apart. That's why we analyzed them and put together our list of the best job-finding apps.
Here, we review features, pricing and user experiences reported on social media. We also answer some frequently asked questions about using apps in your job search.
Quick Look: Best Job Finding Apps
Don't have time to read our full reviews? Here are our picks for the best job search apps:
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- Best Overall: Indeed
- Runner Up: ZipRecruiter
- Best for Networking: LinkedIn
- Best for Evaluating Employers: Glassdoor
- Best for Hourly Jobs: Snagajob
- Best for Casual Job Searching: Google
1. Indeed
Pros:
- Excellent user experience
- Exhaustive job database
- Popular among employers, so recruiters watch Indeed applications closely
Cons:
- Extremely competitive because of its large user base
- Potential scam postings
Pricing: Free
Best Overall
Available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store
Indeed is the biggest job board available. For job seekers, this means leaving no stone unturned in your search.
Job hunting is partly a numbers game. The best way to get lots of interviews is to submit lots of applications (as long as you're submitting to relevant positions you're qualified for). Indeed's extensive jobs database makes it easy to find virtually every company hiring for your role.
Indeed includes several features to make job searching easier:
- Employer profiles provide information about the company and list open roles all in one place.
- Skill assessments attached to job postings let you prove your capabilities to employers.
- Company reviews on Indeed are less extensive than on some other platforms, but they can help you get an idea about employers before you apply.
However, the platform's popularity can backfire in some cases. Some job hunters feel their responses get lost in a sea of applicants—sometimes hundreds for a single position. The rich user base also makes the platform an attractive hunting ground for scammers, although Indeed offers plenty of advice for identifying and reporting scams on its job boards.
Overall, Indeed offers the complete package: plenty of jobs to apply for and excellent features to smooth out the application process.
2. ZipRecruiter
Pros:
- App is rated highly
- Career advisor tool
- Detailed salary estimates
Cons:
- Desktop interface feels rough
- Some users report bugs with the app
Runner Up
Available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store
ZipRecruiter is another job search platform with a vast database and excellent tools to help your job search.
ZipRecruiter has these features:
- Phil, the AI career advisor tool, curates job postings based on your preferences, work experience and ideal working conditions.
- One-click application process that submits your resume on file to employers.
- Email alerts that let you know when employers are reviewing your resume.
ZipRecruiter doesn't have as many users as Indeed. It's also missing some of the features available there and on other job search sites, like employer profiles and skill assessments.
Overall, ZipRecruiter is still a powerful job-finding tool with plenty of job listings to help you find your next role.
3. LinkedIn
Pros:
- Easy to connect with recruiters
- Extensive job database
- Profile features help you show off your experience
Cons:
- Some features are locked behind premium membership
- Some postings and messages are scams
Pricing: Free to $39.99
Best for Networking
Available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store
LinkedIn is primarily a social networking app for career-minded folks. With its excellent job board, it can help you find your next employment opportunity.
LinkedIn users start by creating a profile where they list the roles they're looking for, past job experience and skills. After that, its job board is like other job search apps: Users can search and browse a vast database of positions.
Like other services, LinkedIn includes features that can improve your job search:
- Social media feed lets professionals exchange career advice and job-searching tips.
- Users can message recruiters directly (and vice versa), helping candidates connect with employers.
- Users can send each other detailed recommendations that appear on their profiles. This is great for demonstrating your value to browsing recruiters and hiring managers.
Unlike some other job search apps, LinkedIn offers a premium level for job seekers. Premium features include:
- InMail, a messaging system that lets you message outside your networks.
- Expanded ability to see who has viewed your profile.
- LinkedIn Learning courses that sharpen skills and demonstrate professional drive and expertise to employers.
LinkedIn's premium features can benefit your job search, but the free version is still extremely useful.
Overall, LinkedIn's networking platform sets it apart from other job search tools and makes it an excellent choice for users who want to talk directly with recruiters and highlight their skills and résumés.
4. Glassdoor
Pros:
- Insight into the workplace experience via employee reviews
- Salary research tools
- Database on par with other top job search apps
Cons:
- Job board doesn't get as much employer attention
- Employee reviews can be misleading
Pricing: Free
Best for Evaluating Employers
Available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store
Job searching is a two-way street. Employers put candidates under a microscope and examine every detail of their résumés. Glassdoor turns the microscope around and lets job hunters get detailed insights into the workplace experience at companies where they're applying.
Glassdoor is perfect for job seekers who want to find their dream employer. Many companies have at least a few dozen reviews, written by current and former employees describing what it's like to work there. Some larger employers have thousands of reviews—Google has over 47,000—so there's plenty of information to sift through.
Glassdoor also has a robust set of job-searching features:
- Users can describe the interview processes at companies, helping you prepare for that stage.
- Company ratings appear on job listings, so you can quickly get an idea of whether you'd like to work for a given employer.
- Many job listings include salary information, either directly from the employer or based on salary data Glassdoor has accumulated.
Company reviews on Glassdoor offer information that you won't find anywhere else, but they aren't the final word on the workplace experience at a company. Some bad reviews stem from a poor relationship with a supervisor or one individual's negative experience. They don't necessarily tell you about your potential experience at the company.
Some reviews are also years old and may describe times before a company changed leadership or let go of many of its employees. The bottom line is that the reviews can be helpful, but don't make your career decisions solely based on what you see on Glassdoor.
Overall, Glassdoor offers a satisfactory job-searching platform. Its vast library of employee reviews and salary data put it over the top compared with other job-finding apps.
...
5. Snagajob
Pros:
- Jobs database dedicated to hourly work
- Robust features on par with other top job boards
- Resources to help secure hourly work
Cons:
- Few full-time job postings
- Some users complain about scams
Pricing: Free
Best for Hourly Jobs
Available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store
Apps like Indeed or LinkedIn are great if you're applying for your next full-time role, but what if you're looking for a part-time gig?
Snagajob fills its database with hourly jobs you won't see anywhere else. Tire technician or dog groomer jobs aren't the main postings on other job databases, but they show up on the homepage here.
Snagajob also has features we love from other job boards, specific to hourly work:
- Job seekers can search for specific shifts based on their availability.
- Many jobs feature pay information, either directly from the employer or from Snagajob's estimates based on the job and location.
Some users on social media reported seeing scams on Snagajob. However, this isn't a problem unique to this platform, and users should approach all online job postings with care.
Overall, Snagajob is great if you're looking for work that doesn't require much experience. It's also useful if you have job experience in a trade that isn't well-represented on other job-finding apps.
6. Google
Pros:
- Pulls from job boards all over the web
- Job alerts are highly customizable and go straight to your Google account
Cons:
- Lots of outdated job postings
- Sometimes pulls jobs that aren't very relevant
Pricing: Free
Best for Casual Job Searching
Available through Google's search feature
If you're interested in new opportunities but you don't want to dedicate significant time and resources to your job search, the sheer number of job boards can be off-putting. Google gathers all that information in one place, drawing on multiple job boards to answer your queries.
Google users can set up job alerts, which send periodic updates straight to their Gmail account with the latest job postings.
This is great for professionals who want to keep an eye out for something specific, like "senior Java engineer jobs within 25 miles of Seattle." However, the information isn't curated like other job boards, so you will see lots of outdated jobs.
Google also lacks the quick-application features common in some of our top choices. Users must navigate to a different job board or the company's website to apply.
Overall, job alerts from Google are great if you want to stay on top of new opportunities in your field without spending time on sites like Indeed or LinkedIn every day. However, we don't recommend it if you're engaged in an active job search.
Niche Job Search Boards
In addition to major job boards that cover just about everything, there are many industry- or niche-specific job-finding apps. These apps are much smaller than popular sites like Indeed or LinkedIn, and they can offer better chances to connect if you match their area of focus.
- Wellfound, formerly AngelList, caters mostly to tech startups. Companies like Airbnb, SpaceX and GitHub get their talent here, as well as future big names that you haven't heard of yet. Wellfound posts all salary data up front, and it's a great choice if you want to get into the fast-paced startup environment.
- FlexJobs lists only remote and hybrid jobs. Job searchers pay a fee to see listings—between $9.95 a week and $59.95 a year. In return, they get job listings vetted by FlexJobs. This can help job seekers avoid scams.
- Upwork lists one-time gigs for freelancers. Users bid for projects and can take as much or as little work as they want, making it great for job searchers who like something flexible.
- Ladders bills itself as the "#1 job site for $100k+ jobs." It lists jobs in high-paying sectors like accounting, engineering and technology. It also maintains extensive job listings for upper management roles.
- Krop posts only creative jobs in fields like animation, copywriting and web design. It also lets you build a portfolio of your best creative work to show off to employers.
- USAJOBS is the federal government's official jobs database. It has a wide range of roles, from CIA officer to nuclear engineer.
- HigherEdJobs lists jobs at educational institutions all over the world. That includes faculty postings at universities in addition to administrative and executive positions in higher education.
- Idealist covers jobs at nonprofit organizations. It also lists volunteer opportunities, which is great if you're looking for social impact work to add to your résumé while you apply for jobs in the private sector.
- HealthcareJobsite delivers what its name suggests. It features jobs across the healthcare industry. That includes physicians and other clinical roles, plus administrative and technical jobs in health care.
- Nurse.com exclusively lists jobs for nurses. Unlike generalized job search apps, it lets users sort by a medical subfield. You can look for nursing jobs in subfields like cardiology, emergency care or material medicine.
- ConstructionJobs.com posts construction work openings all over the country. These jobs don't get much love on traditional job databases, but they're the focus here. Job seekers can sort by specializations like commercial, heavy civil or residential construction.
- Music Jobs has all sorts of jobs throughout the music industry. That includes artistic roles in performance and education in addition to administrative and technical positions at music organizations.
...
Job Search App FAQs
Job searching can sometimes feel like a full-time job on its own. We're here to answer some of the most common hang-ups people experience in their job hunts.
Which App Is Best for Finding a Job?
We recommend Indeed. It offers a massive job database and an excellent suite of features to make your job search easier.
If you have the time and energy, it's wise to use multiple job apps. Use LinkedIn for its profile features, study the companies you apply for on Glassdoor and build your application list from postings on Indeed.
How Do Job Search Apps Work?
Each app works differently, but recruiters and hiring managers typically post jobs to major apps like Indeed, LinkedIn and Glassdoor.
Job listings sometimes solicit applications directly on the app. Other times they forward applicants to the company website. If you're unsure about where to apply, use the company's website or application portal.
Recruiters watch as applications come in, read through résumés and select the most promising candidates to interview. After that, the application process typically leaves job search apps behind.
Even if the apps aren't directly involved at this stage, applicants may want to read company reviews on Indeed and Glassdoor, and recruiters may still reference applicants' LinkedIn profiles.
What Are the Best Alternatives to Indeed?
Indeed is widely considered one of the best but is oversaturated. If you want to try something else, ZipRecruiter, Monster and CareerBuilder are all job search apps similar to Indeed.
LinkedIn and Glassdoor also offer similar job search functions to Indeed, in addition to specialized features like worker profiles and company reviews.
Which App Is Best for Private Jobs?
Indeed offers a large selection of private sector jobs, and the app's features, like Easy Apply, skill assessments and company reviews, help with your job search.
What Are the Best Ways to Search for Jobs?
To find your next job, you should:
- Use a job search app to find and apply for jobs that match your experience and expectations.
- Reach out to contacts in your professional network. Ask if they can recommend you for any openings at their organizations.
- Visit job fairs and speak directly with employers. This is especially important if you're looking for a local job and you don't have much work experience.
What Should You Do Before Applying for a Job?
Before you apply for a job:
- Update your résumé. Make sure you've listed all relevant work experience. Use this time to perfect the writing and organize your résumé so it stands out from the crowd.
- Read the job posting carefully. Ensure the job aligns with your experience and expectations. If you reach the interview stage and it's clear that you don't really know what you've applied for, you'll probably be rejected.
- Make a copy of the job posting. The company may delete it by the time you reach the interview stage, but it's helpful to reference the job requirements and responsibilities while preparing.
- Write a compelling cover letter. In most cases, you should include a cover letter with your application. A good cover letter should call attention to your most relevant skills, fill résumé gaps and demonstrate your interest in the job.
- Build your professional network. Sometimes finding the best job is all about knowing the right person. Professional contacts can also offer glowing recommendations to help you secure your dream job.
Once you're ready, start browsing job apps and compare hiring companies against the best workplaces in America.
11/6/2023 5:00 p.m.: This article has been updated with new information.
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