You've heard of Indeed, Glassdoor ZipRecruiter, and of course, LinkedIn. These are the typical online job sites we all resort to when we're looking for a new role.
But what happens when you've been searching for months and these job boards are ineffective for your job search strategy? How can you secure an interview—and a job offer—when these sites are swarmed with thousands of candidates, all vying for the same role?
Luckily, other, not-so-popular online job sites have hundreds of employers on them, eager for their next candidate. These sites tend to be more niche, and as such, you'll have enhanced visibility to opportunities within your specific industry and sector. And since they are industry or sector-specific, employers may prefer to hire candidates there than on any other platform—meaning you have an advantage here if you find a good employer on these sites.
This is why you need to have an outside-the-box approach for your job search, because these sources may not automatically come to mind if you've found yourself laid off.
10 Types Of Online Job Sites
Generally speaking, there are 10 main categories of online sites in which you can find your next job—perhaps a little unconventionally.
1. Government Job Boards
Government job boards, such as USA Jobs, are where you will find a wide range of public sector opportunities listed.
2. Company Career Pages
The vast majority of employers post job adverts directly on their own websites via their careers section You may be able to find roles here that are not listed anywhere else.
3. Freelance, Gig, And Side Hustle Platforms
Remember a job does not necessarily need to be within the confines of a 9 to 5 or handed out by an employer for it to be called a job there are many opportunities In the gig economy While the freelance job market Which are Only by your imagination creativity and innovation. You can find gigs and promote yourself on platforms such as Fiverr or Upwork.
4. Industry Job Boards
Industry-specific websites can be useful resources for finding a multitude of listings within your field. For example, ArtJobs is an online job site dedicated to roles within theatre production arts culture, and education.
5. Remote Job Sites
If you're looking specifically for remote work or other flexible opportunities such as part-time and job shares, try remote job boards such as Remote.co, or FlexiJobs.
6. Professional Associations
Professional associations are another fantastic industry-specific resource because they are designed to cater to the individual professional development needs of their members and peers within the industry. For instance, the Club Management Association of America is a professional association for club managers across all disciplines.
In addition to offering their own certifications, they also provide their own job listings for senior management roles paying over $100,000, mid-level management, and entry-level and internship opportunities. This is available to members and non-members.
7. Salary Comparison Websites
Company transparency platforms, including salary comparison sites such as Salary.com, also post unique job listings, along with detailed compensation data for your industry.
8. Start-Up Directories
Crunchbase, for example, has a live list of hot start-ups and companies that have completed fresh funding rounds and are actively hiring. AngelList and Work In Startups are two other start-up job boards you might want to consider if you enjoy working in a buzzing environment where you are meaningfully contributing to growth.
9. Social Media (LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.)
Other than LinkedIn's own job board, you can use LinkedIn and other social media platforms such as Facebook to find roles through networking and engagement with key decision makers, who may be in your connections or friends list, and of course, through word-of-mouth referrals. You should also join industry-specific LinkedIn and Facebook groups.
10. Community Forums
Join industry-specific online forums such as GitHub or Stack Overflow. You may also find jobs through Reddit threads dedicated to your field.
When you initially started reading this article, you probably assumed it would list a plethora of traditional job boards. Hopefully, by now, the few minutes you've spent reading this have opened your eyes to discover that there are more opportunities available than you initially conceived. Not every job board needs to have "job board" in its name, or have obvious job search features at first glance. Through getting creative and innovative, you can secure numerous career development opportunities and stay ahead of the curve.