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The Tools for Your Job Search
Many sources of information exist to help you with your job search, from the giant job boards which have job postings for every kind of job and employer to more specialized "niche" job boards which focus on a specific industry or profession.
Job Search Technology, Google, Internet Resumes, Job Boards, Privacy Protection, Scam Avoidance, and More
From the directories below, check out the employers to find the ones which would be best for you. We link to each employer's career/jobs page so you can see the jobs they have open and explore their websites to discover more about them.
Targeting specific employers is a smart way to job hunt. You can learn a lot about the employer so your applications will be more effective. Your job search networking will be more effective, too, when you know who you want to work for.
Directory of State Employment Offices
If you live in the USA and have lost your job, go to your local state employment office to register for unemployment compensation. Even if your former employer said that you don't qualify, check in with the employment office because your employer does not get to decide if you are eligible to receive unemployment compensation. See Job-Hunt's Directory of State Employment Offices to find the one for you.
Directories of Job Boards by Industry or Profession:
These are "niche" job boards for specific focused on specific professions or industries.
- Academia and Education Job Boards
Links to job boards for colleges and universities ("academia") plus job boards for school district and private school jobs. Note that not all of the posted jobs are teaching jobs - colleges, universities, and schools also need many support functions as well. - Computers and Technology Job Boards
Links to job boards with jobs in the fields of computers and other technology. - Engineering Job Boards
Links to job boards covering the various engineering professions. - Entry Level, Internships, and Seasonal Job Boards
Several different kinds of job boards for people starting new careers (entry level), internships (new grads, typically, but may also be open to other career-changers and new careerists), plus job boards for seasonal work, like summer or year-end-holiday jobs. - Finance, Accounting, and Banking Job Boards
Links to job boards for these three professions/industries. Again, bear in mind that investment, accounting, and banking employers also need the supporting jobs like marketing, sales, etc. - Freelancing, Consulting, Contracting, and Temping Job Boards
For people who prefer to work for themselves to manage their time or to limit their commitment to an employer. These can also be excellent jobs to determine if you want a more permanent position with one of these employers, although "temp-to-perm" may not be available in many situations. - Government Job Boards
Find links to the job boards for hundreds of U.S. Federal Government agencies and departments. In addition, find links to sites the specialize in specific kinds of government jobs (e.g., jobs requiring clearances). - Law and Law Enforcement Job Boards
Links to job boards for both attorneys and law enforcement professionals as well as positions that support those professionals, too. - Marketing and Sales Job Boards
Links to job boards for marketing and sales professionals. - Medicine, Biotechnology, and Pharmaceutical Job Boards
Links to job boards for medical, healthcare, biotech, pharmaceutical, and related fields. - Science Job Boards
Job boards for scientists and science-related professionals.
Last, but not least, the biggest sites: Employment Super Sites
These are
the really big job boards. They are good places to post your resume (carefully!) for larger employers to find, and also good to see who is hiring for what kind of jobs in your field.
Online Job Search Guides:
These online job search guides collect vast amounts of information for these two specific groups (so far).
- Veterans Search Guide
This Job Search Guide includes resources specifically developed for veterans, professional associations, and Job Search for Veterans articles. - Green Industry Job Search Guide
This Job Search Guide includes job boards for green jobs, professional associations, industry employers, plus Green Jobs Job Search articles.
Other Job Boards and Career Resources:
These sites provid more useful information for your job search.- Job Fairs
Job fairs can be very helpful, providing you with the opportunity to meet briefly with employers, learn about employers from the material they make available, and network with other job seekers. Often speakers provide useful information, too. - Classified Ads
Online classified ads can be very helpful if used carefully. - Recruiting Agencies
Links to recruiting agencies or directories of recruiting agencies. Understand that recruiters work for the employer not the job seeker, but making sure they have a copy of your most recent resume can be very helpful if they have a client who needs someone like you. - Other Employment Link Lists
Links to other resources for job seekers. - Reference Information
Links to background information that may be helpful for your job search. - Pick Your Employer
Lists, links, strategies, and advice for picking your target employers. - General Job Resources
These resources provide good information or services that don't fit into any other category.
Employer Directories
From the directories below, check out the employers to find the ones which would be best for you. We link to each employer's career/jobs page so you can see the jobs they have open and explore their websites to discover more about them.
- Directory of Employers by State
Pick your state, and find links to the recruiting pages of over 8,000 of the top employers in each state, plus the local job boards for each state.Included are state and local government employers, education (school districts, private schools, and colleges and universities), hospitals and health centers, banks and insurance companies, non-profit organizations, and many more.
- Directory of Government Employers
Find links to the recruiting sections of thousands of governments, from the US Federal Government to state and local governments in the USA, plus international governments as well.In addition, links to associations of government employees and links to both national and local resources for military veterans are also included.
- 2012 FORTUNE 500 Companies by State
Again, pick your state, and find links to each of the 2012 Fortune 500 companies in that state (based on where the company is headquartered).The information provided for each employer includes links to their home pages, their job postings, their internship postings (if any), and the FORTUNE magazine profile for each which provides additional useful information, like financial performance and competitors.
- 2012 FORTUNE 500 Companies by Rank
This is the same information as the state links but organized in descending order by FORTUNE 500 rank.
These directories should provide you with more than enough employers to choose from.