Most Popular Job Boards in the United States 2021
It will not come as a shock, outside of personal network recommendations, today’s executive job seekers discover employment opportunities by using primarily online sources. There are hundreds of job boards, both generic and niche, as well as aggregators, social media, executive search companies, and association websites to choose from. Just like any online source these in-demand sites are constantly changing and evolving. So which ones will get the job done for you in 2021?
The great news is they provide a plethora of listings. The less-than-great news is you can easily have your mind scrambled by the extensive options. Here, our trend-watchers at Core Executive Consultants offer 10 of what we consider the best job search websites as the post-covid job boom “roaring 2021” launches.
There are many (let’s put enough emphasis – soooo MANY) others, of course, but this list of the most popular job search websites (in our opinion and with special weight for high Alexa ranks) should give you a good starting point for your next job hunt:
1. INDEED
A mammoth aggregator of postings from across the web. Indeed is an American worldwide employment-related search engine for job listings launched in November 2004. It is a subsidiary of Japan’s Recruit Co. Indeed also compiles information from various company career pages and allows you to search locally or globally. Free resources for job seekers include a resume builder tool. Be aware that the pay structure on Indeed has limited the scope of listings. Unless a recruitment company is paying for the listing you aren’t going to find it here. They also require employers to pay to view your resume on their database. However, if you are looking for an aggregator site with critical mass this is it.
2. LINKEDIN
This top networking site enables you to find jobs through your extended network. Additionally, you can join groups, participate in conversations and follow companies you find interesting and relevant to your job search. What makes it a great launching off place? Each company site should link to its website or career page. Additionally, you can influence your odds of attracting the right kind of opportunities by making sure your profile is optimized.
3. GLASSDOOR
Job search website Glassdoor boasts a large database of company reviews — submitted anonymously by actual employees. Glassdoor promotes itself as giving job seekers insights into a company’s work conditions, interview processes, salaries, and benefits. There are links to the reviewed company’s job ads within Glassdoor.
4. ZIPRECRUITER
With ZipRecruiter, companies are looking for all possible ways to find you rather than just one board. They can post jobs and see them distributed across an additional 100+ job recruiting websites with one click – reducing the time searching for the niche boards that have become very fragmented. ZipRecruiter also scans its database of 16 million candidate profiles to find people with relevant job titles, skills, or experience who would be qualified for your open jobs, and proactively sends them notifications to apply. This means you will get approached by companies when your profile comes up on their “matched” list. Here’s more on ZipRecruiter.
5. MONSTER
Job search website Monster is a global online employment solution for people seeking jobs and employers who need great people. Currently filling the space where Workopolis once was, they have been doing this for more than 20 years, and have expanded from their roots as a “job board” to a global provider of a full array of job seeking, career management, recruitment, and talent management products and services.
6. GOOGLE FOR JOBS
Google for Jobs is one of the newest, and most impressive, entries into the job “aggregator” category. Google for jobs lists job listings from multiple search engines, including several of the ones listed in this post (Indeed is purposefully not included). Like Google itself, it’s easy to use: Candidates can use key phrases like “HR Management” to produce a list of available positions in their geographical area – it will focus on your location so make sure to input city if you are looking outside of your own geography. If something looks like a good opportunity, you can easily go directly to the source of the job listing and apply. For example, a button might read, “Apply Linkedin.” One big benefit of using Google for Jobs is that it gets rid of repetitious results and displays one listing for an open position. It also evens the playing field and includes broader results because it doesn’t currently charge advertisers to be included – meaning you’ll get a more complete picture of what jobs are available not just who is willing to pay for a job advertisement.
8. CAREERBUILDER
CareerBuilder is one of the biggest job boards in the United States, and its robust search function allows you to filter by several criteria, including location, degree required, and pay range. CareerBuilder partners with news media around the country and collects job listings from them. The site gets high marks for career advice and resources for candidates with articles giving advice on what skills to list on your resume.
9. DICE
One of the biggest and highest-ranking job boards for Tech is Dice. Search 70000+ job openings from tech’s hottest employers. Salary estimations, career path tips, and Insights to make your next career move the right one.
10. LADDERS
Ladders claims to be the #1 careers site for $100K+ experts. “If you’re aiming at quality job openings near you, with the highest pay and best compensation, you’re right on target”. Despite an impressive volume of jobs listed, It dropped to number 10 on our list as it requires a subscription to take advantage of premium features.
INSIDER TIP: GREAT ALTERNATIVES TO THE THE BIGGEST JOB BOARDS:
NICHE AND ASSOCIATION SITES
This is more of a “genre” than one single board. In the age of the huge job aggregator (the 10 listed above), it is also essential to do a bit of leg work to customize your search to meet specific career needs and goals. One way to do this is to spend a bit of time to find the niche and association sites that work specifically for you as a unique person and job seeker.
Another benefit to these sites is the specialization they offer. You will get a more detailed look at jobs that are open that are actually relevant to you – not just the ones showing up due to the SEO being purchased on the huge boards.
LOCAL RECRUITMENT SITES
On these websites, you can search thousands of job listings from the companies local to your area and career goals. Many of the opportunities we offer are exclusive to your region or specialty and can’t be found elsewhere, online or off. Job seekers can submit a resume, apply for temporary or full-time positions, and subscribe to job alerts to stay updated on brand-new opportunities. Our site, for example, also offers job search and career advice, a growing library of research into workplace trends. Do a Google search on executive search in your area. These are good sites because, if you chose to register with a local firm, your resume will not be found on a huge board and you will get to pick and choose who you want to work with.
Employers, our website also allows you to submit a hiring request for immediate follow-up.
A Professional Engineer may find jobs specifically for their specialty on the licensing authority in their area or on niche engineering career sites. Accounting Job seekers may find their accounting association offers jobs that are the best fit. Many employers still feel going directly to their desired professional audience, instead of a giant general job board, is the best value when seeking qualified applicants.
BOARDS FOR OTHER REGIONS
Job boards tend to be more of a hit in one country than another. If you are looking for roles in countries outside of the U.S. google the hottest job boards for that region. For example, Top Job Boards in Canada will have some overlap but vary slightly to include additional country-specific boards.