Your resume is coming together and you are feeling confident that you’ve developed quality stories to share with a hiring manager. Your resume may not be perfect yet, but it’s time to find job postings. Why jump ahead? Your resume should always be tailored to specific job applications. Before you can put the finishing touches on your fabulous interview-landing document, you need to find job listings.

#1:   LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com
I’m currently geeking-out on LinkedIn, mostly because my clients are seeing incredible results from using it. LinkedIn is NOT facebook for professionals. It IS a powerful tool for job search, networking, and driving business. 97% of recruiters and over 75% of hiring managers use LinkedIn to find and vet potential employees.

There is no doubt that you can be found on LinkedIn. But if you don’t feel like waiting for a call, take control of your future using the fastest growing job board.

LinkedIn suggests jobs you might be interested in based on keywords in your profile. It also looks at companies represented in your network (those your connections are employed by) and the companies you “follow,” and then suggests job openings with those companies. The beauty of LinkedIn is that it finds jobs that match your profile.

You can actively search for positions using the “Jobs” page. Save search criteria or specific job postings, and review applications you completed through LinkedIn. That’s right! Companies may opt to allow application for an open position through LinkedIn versus being directed offsite to apply. While this feature is not mandatory—some job listings redirect you to a company website—there are neat benefits when applying through LinkedIn.

First, a ticker tells you how many other people have already applied for the position. Second, when applying for a job with LinkedIn, your profile is automatically submitted and you have the option of uploading a traditional resume and cover letter to supplement your profile.

When viewing a job listing, the name and profile link for the person who posted the opening is displayed. This can be advantageous for addressing cover letters or for networking. LinkedIn also shows how you are connected to the company (through 1st, 2nd or 3rd degree connections), along with a listing of similar positions.

Not convinced it’s worth the effort to build a LinkedIn profile? One client started receiving messages from recruiters the day after her LinkedIn profile was revamped. So, get on LinkedIn, take the time and effort to complete your profile, and start finding job listings that fit your goals and experience. Applying for a job that “fits” has an exponentially greater chance of landing an interview.

Why it’s #1: Because LinkedIn is more than just a job board. It’s the single best place to network while communicating your all-inclusive professional story. Networking is still the most successful way to land a job. In addition to the useful job search functionality of LinkedIn, no other site provides the same level of professional networking that connects job seekers to opportunities.

#2: Indeed
www.indeed.com
Indeed covers more than 50 countries and in 26 languages. With over 100 million visitors per month, Indeed ranks #1 for job search. How did Indeed prance past heavy-hitters like CareerBuilder and Monster.com? By employing a Google-esque search approach to collecting job listings.

Indeed scours more than 1500 job sites, job boards, company career pages, and newspapers to compile arguably the most complete listing of jobs available. Save time. Instead of searching every job board, newspaper, and company individually, find nearly everything in one spot with Indeed.

Ease of use is another reason Indeed ranks high on my list. The pages are clean and it searches based on keywords, location, and salary.
Indeed allows you to set job listing alerts. Define your criteria (keywords, job title, location, etc.) and set it to alert you daily or weekly of newly posted positions matching your criteria. You can also post your resume on Indeed, making it easier to recruiters and hiring managers to find you.

#3: SimplyHired
www.simplyhired.com
SimplyHired employs a similar search mechanism to aggregate job listings as Indeed. With fewer than half as many monthly visitors, SimplyHired makes up for this weakness with something Indeed doesn’t have: connection to LinkedIn. When you allow the connection to LinkedIn, each job listing displays your LinkedIn connections to the job or company. Instantly know who to network with. You need to allow access to your LinkedIn profile, and then upload your resume using the LinkedIn version to gain access to this tool.
Also unique: once your resume is uploaded, you can search “MyResume” plus location and get a list of jobs based on keywords found in your resume. This is great if you are searching for something in line with your previous experience.
Interestingly, companies are not allowed to post jobs through the site. Displayed job listings are strictly collected from other sites. Like Indeed, register for alerts and load your resume on SimplyHired.
SimplyHired is a blend of my top two job search sites, minus a little of the visitor power.

Honorable Mentions

Idealist.org: The largest nonprofit job board, Idealist.org is a great place for all the bleeding hearts to find a new home. Plus, volunteer opportunities and helpful resources (like a list of graduate fairs) reside on this site.

GlassDoor: This job board provides extra information compared to others, giving details about the company, reviews by employees, and even salary graphs. Get job-specific interview resources based on your keywords or job title.

USAjobs.com: A listing of all government jobs, if you want the security that these jobs are known for, look here. Plan on a painfully long application process.

Internships.com: We live in a college town. I must include something for my MSU followers! Internships.com is the largest collection of opportunities for you. How does nearly 40,000 companies listing more than 82,000 internships sound? Exciting? Yes! Oh, and you have 6,700 cities to choose from. Where will you go?

So, get busy. Hit these sites. Create a login to access extra features. Get started finding job listings that are exciting. Next month, we’ll discuss how to break apart the job listings and find the vital information so you can tailor your finely-tuned resume and land an interview.
 
She may no longer work from a barn, but Liz Williams is still taking the struggle out of job search and the pain out of promotion with professionally-written resumes. If you have questions about resumes, cover letters, or maximizing your LinkedIn profile, learn more at www.writerla.com and follow Liz at facebook.com/occupationinnovation to get more tips on resume writing, LinkedIn, and job search.