21 Online Job Search Sites to Find Your Next Job

Looking for a job can be exhausting and frustrating. Especially if you're underemployed or jobless, sending out hundreds of resumes without anyone calling you back is tough.

Don't let the job search bring you down. Focus your energy on online job search sites that will help you find the right position for your skills.

How Do I Find a Job in My Area Online?

Looking for a job in your area requires being strategic. Do some research to find out where the big employers in your field post their job openings. Ask friends or colleagues if they know the best online job search sites for your career field.

You can also call up companies you'd like to work for and ask them where they post their jobs online. Don't sit back and hope someone hands you the dream position you've always wanted. Be proactive and take initiative when searching for a job.

Popular Online Job Search Sites

If you are looking to land a job, below are a few online job search sites you should take the time to visit. Bookmark a few of them and visit them regularly to stay on top of new job postings.

Many of them have the option to sign up for emails and have new job postings that meet your search criteria sent straight to your inbox.

Monster.com

Okay, so you've probably seen the commercials, but how many of you have actually created an account and logged in to see what was available?

Not only does Monster.com have thousands of job listings for every available job market in the country, but there are also relevant articles for writing your resume, how to look for jobs, job interview tips, how to plan for your future and much more.

Monster.com is one of the most comprehensive online job search sites out there for job seekers and should be on the top of the list for anyone who is actively looking for a job.

But, keep in mind that not every job posted on Monster.com is legit. It's sad to say, but fraudsters are everywhere in this day and age. Make sure you do your homework with every potential employer before you give out any personal information about yourself to prevent your identity from being stolen.

Indeed.com

As far as online job search sites go, Indeed.com has a lot to offer. In addition to the standard job search engine, you can look up company reviews and find the average salaries for popular job titles in your field.

The site also offers career advice, a hiring lab where you can read up on the job market, job search tools, and employer events near you. When doing a job search, you can look for specific job titles or for a subject (i.e., marketing) and narrow down the results by zip code.

Work-at-Home Job Boards

Believe it or not, making a good salary in the comfort of your own home is not only possible but, for the highly motivated person, highly probable. And no, you don't have to own your own business to accomplish this feat, though that is an option as well.

There are several really good online job search sites out there for folks who need to work from home. They offer different work-from-home job leads including home-based customer service jobs, freelance job opportunities, direct selling opportunities, and much more.

The key to finding legitimate work you can do at home is to understand that for every one legitimate company out there, there are fifty more scams. Look for well-respected work at home job boards. These boards tend to scour their listings more carefully than others in an effort to protect their reputations.

One such job board is Flexjobs.com where you can access hand-screened remote, part-time, freelance, and flexible jobs. While there's a membership fee involved, all of the jobs have been verified as legitimate. Part of the struggle with finding a remote position is slogging through the hundreds of crappy job leads to find one or two legitimate ones. Flexjobs has done all of the hard work for you so you can focus instead of finding a position that fits your requirements.

When reviewing job listings, stay away from companies that have paid to have their advertisements listed. And, last but not least, never, under any circumstances, pay a fee to become an employee or contractor for any business. Legitimate companies will pay you for your work, not charge you for the privilege of working for them.

Local Newspaper Online Classified

Odds are, your local newspaper has an online presence in addition to its print form. In many cases, these entities will offer employers the opportunity to post help wanted ads either online, in print or both, with a deep discount being offered for online advertising.

In order to make sure that you are reaping all of the benefits of utilizing local newspapers to assist you in your job search, make sure that you look at their online job search sites.

Niche Forums

A niche forum is an online chat room dedicated to a specific topic where people with similar interests can get together, ask questions and discuss a variety of interest-related topics. In some cases, employers will post jobs within these communities in an effort to draw quality talent to their organizations.

If you have a strong affiliation with a specific topic of interest, try joining a few forums. You'll be surprised at the number of work opportunities that turn up.

If you are looking for a job, here's a great list of online resources to find work. #jobs

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Alternative Online Job Search Sites

If you're looking for a job, you've no doubt tried the big name job search sites like Monster.com and Indeed.com.

Those are all great places to start your search. But there are some other, more unique, possibly more targeted job search sites that you might want to try.

Snagajob.com

You can apply for a job specifically aimed at teens at Snagajob.com. This site is really another top tier site, but they've done a good job of isolating jobs in the particular category. This is the perfect tool for any teen looking for work starting in the summer months.

FindFocusGroups.com

I featured FindFocusGroups.com in my podcast on finding focus groups jobs. The site is on the up and up and routinely updated with the best opportunities. Most opportunities are in larger cities though as most are in-person focus groups. This obviously isn't a place to find permanent jobs, but it could help you bring in an extra $50-$200 each month.

Military.com

If you're a veteran, check out the job search tool at Military.com. The site gives you the added benefit of searching by the branch of service, security clearance, and current military status. Their military skills translator is worth checking out as well.

Goodwill.org

Goodwill.org has a program called Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) aimed at helping people who are 55 or older get back into the workforce. The program has locations in six states: New Mexico, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Indiana, and Washington. However, they say they help people throughout the U.S.

Disability.gov

If you are living with a disability, you may want to check out Disability.gov. The U.S. Government's Department of Labor created the website to help connect people with disabilities to services that might provide job opportunities in their area. You are able to search through resources at both the state and federal level.

Idealist.org

The mission of Idealist.org states that their site "connects people, organizations, and resources to help build a world where all people can live free and dignified lives." Their areas of focus are education, health and medicine, youth, job and workplace, human services, arts, urban, religion and spirituality, victim support, as well as philanthropy. The site appears to have both volunteer and paid opportunities and has been around since the dawn of the Internet.

ProBlogger Jobs Board

If you're a blogger, writer, or content creating guru then you'll want to check out the ProBlogger Jobs Board. I know several of the freelancers in my niche that use this board regularly to search for gigs. There's always a solid list of opportunities here.

Upwork.com

If you're a freelancer or have a skill that could translate into a one-off project, consider the opportunities found at Upwork.com. They aren't just for writers or tech geeks. They have plenty of administrative type jobs that could work for a stay-at-home parent.

Related: 10 Best Paying Freelance Jobs

TheLadders.com

TheLadders.com recently opened its search engine up to jobs starting at $45K. Their purpose for doing so was to put the emphasis on the type of job (career-oriented) vs the actual salary. They have a free and paid option.

Craigslist.org

There's something for everyone at Craigslist.org. They have a massive list of job opportunities in your area. Some good, some bad, some downright ugly.

Check out Guy Kawasaki's post, How to Get a Job on Craigslist for some good insight into applying well. Next, read this post from J.D. at Get Rich Slowly which explains RSS feeds from Craigslist. Use these so you can be notified of jobs as soon as they become available.

Other tips: create a separate email address for your Craigslist posting and replying; if it looks to good to be true it probably is; never pay to get a job. Be careful out there.

Other Online Job Search Sites

If you'd like to expand your job search even farther, here are some more options for finding a new position.

The more approaches you try to land a new job, the more likely it is that you'll be successful.

Social Networking Sites

If you're not already on LinkedIn you should probably set that up as soon as you can. Outside of that though, you should also consider connecting with people in your career field using Facebook and Twitter.

The social media sites that you are active on would be a good place to get the word out initially about your need for a job. The people that care about you most are going to be the ones connected to you on Facebook and other sites. Put the feelers out in these places.

Obviously, you don't want to come right out and beg for a job in these circles. But there are ways to leverage the relationships you can form using this new media. Dan Schawbel at Mashable has an excellent article on the subject: Finding Your Next Job Using Social Media.

Sites Like Fiverr.com

At first glance, you might look at a site like Fiverr and scoff at the idea of working for $5. Most jobs can't be performed in $5 increments. But what many people do is use Fiverr as a lead generator.

In other words, do the $5 job for someone and then upsell them to a full-time gig or a more extensive freelance job. If you impress them with the $5 gig then they might take you up on your offer. This works better for some career fields than others, but it might work for you.

Check Out Company Websites

Many people forget that companies post jobs on their own websites. If there are a few larger employers that are on your wish list, check out the careers section of their site. Employers often post job openings there first before going to online job search sites such as Indeed and Monster. If there's an option to sign up for new job posting alerts for your target employers, don't forget to sign up.

Visit Industry Organization Career Pages

There are many career-specific industry organizations that cater to a specific audience. For example, if you're a petroleum engineer, check out the Society of Petroleum Engineers. If you're a marketing professional, check out the International Association of Business Communicators.

Professional organizations often have career pages where members post industry-specific job listings. In addition, visit local chapter meetings and network with fellow professionals who have similar career interests and may be able to connect you with the right person.

Don't Forget Your Alumni Association

Many people graduate college and just move on with life, forgetting the plethora of resources available to them as an alumnus. One of those resources is your alma mater's alumni association.

Check out the association's website or give them a call to find out if they offer any assistance for job searchers. Try to attend alumni events in your area and connect with other alumni who may be able to help you in your job search.

Check Out State Resources

Some state organizations or local chambers of commerce offer online job aggregators. Visit their sites for job leads or to find employers in your field. You can also use them to make a list of five or ten companies you can target in your job search efforts.

Final Thoughts

Never stop looking for a job. Finding a job takes commitment and perseverance so don't give up if you don't succeed initially. Every conversation you have should be a potential job interview. Every kind act or gesture should be leading you towards your next job.

Let everyone you come in contact with know that you are in need of employment. Try to help others and expand your skills and your network. Stay encouraged and keep at it. Soon enough, you'll find your next challenge.

What was the best way you've found a job? Share in the comments.

The post 21 Online Job Search Sites to Find Your Next Job appeared first on Part-Time Money.

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Corey C. Bennington