Top 9 Job Sites for Your Career Search

Approximately 84% of employees in North America plan to look for new jobs in 2011, according to a recent survey by global talent management firm Right Management. Put them alongside those who are unemployed, and you have a whole lot of people searching for work.

If you happen to be in either of those positions, it’s essential to get organized about your job search by understanding what information and resources are available to you on the major job sites.

Over the years, job boards have become more than just job search sites — many now offer additional resources and functionalities to job seekers. Here are nine of the top job sites, including a few of the basics, that boast valuable services beyond job postings.

1. TweetMyJobs

TweetMyJobs is a free service that connects job seekers with job openings. TweetMyJobs is affiliated with the National Career Development Association as well as the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches.

After signing up, you’ll have access to thousands of JobChannels that allow you to receive targeted information about the jobs that fit your profile. Job information can come to you via Twitter, e-mail or RSS.

In addition, TweetMyJobs offers resume writing services (prices vary depending upon your needs), including specialized services for students and veterans. Lastly, it has an interview coaching subscription to assist job seekers with every step in the interviewing process.

2. LinkUp

LinkUp is a job search engine that gives you the ability to search more than 20,000 company websites from a single location. A search under technology in a specific area code, for example, could be a good start for finding tech jobs in your area.

Under the LinkUp tools tab, you can set up job alerts and save your searches. LinkUp also allows you to bookmark jobs so you can see when they’ve been closed by the employer.


3. Indeed

Indeed is another job search engine that enables users to find jobs posted on thousands of company career sites and job boards. Indeed has been recognized by Time magazine, PC Magazine and PC World for its capabilities.

Indeed also offers some valuable position data like basic salary, job postings per capita and industry employment trends.


4. Simply Hired

Simply Hired is a job search engine that allows searches by title, category, company, location and so on. You can save your searches for future reference and set up e-mail alerts to notify you when new jobs are posted.

Both PCWorld and Macworld have partnered with Simply Hired to create a job channel. And under Simply Hired’s special searches feature, you can view lists of the top diversity-friendly companies, veteran-friendly companies and green jobs just to name a few.


5. CareerBuilder

CareerBuilder is a dedicated job site that allows you to search for job openings by location or job category (i.e. engineering, finance, information technology, etc.). Employers are able to search the site for candidates as well. So having a resume ready at a moment’s notice is important.

CareerBuilder provides a resume writing service (fees range from $75 for an update to $279 for an executive level). It also offers an enhanced profile service (for an additional fee) that allows your resume to show up higher in an employer’s resume search.


6. Monster

Monster is a premier provider of employment solutions. You can search for jobs as well as post your resume for employers to find. Monster has several online communities that offer support and information in targeted job categories such as InsideTech for the technology industry and ManagerLink for management and leadership development.

In addition, Monster also offers an array of services such as resume writing, career assessment and personal salary report (fees vary based upon service). It has a strong presence in social media with several targeted Twitter accounts, Facebook Pages and YouTube channel.


7. SmartBrief

SmartBrief, an organization specializing in industry and function-focused electronic newsletters, also offers the opportunity to post jobs and look for jobs. Jobs are organized in industry job boards that are further parsed . If you have a very targeted search, for example a position specifically in telecommunications, SmartBrief has job boards in that particular industry, in this example, CTAM and CTIA.


8. LinkedIn

LinkedIn gives you the ability to search for jobs, and, if you’re an employer, the opportunity to search for candidates. LinkedIn recently added a resume builder tool that allows you to import your profile into one of several template options and then customize it.

LinkedIn is also offering a special “job seeker package” (prices vary from $19.95 to $49.95 per month) that gives you access to features such as salary information, interview preparation and priority customer service.


9. Mashable Jobs

We’d be remiss if we also didn’t mention Mashable()’s own job board, which provides listings for the latest social media and web job opportunities. It’s easy to search, and it not only provides full-time positions but sometimes harder to find contract, temporary and internship opportunities. You can subscribe to job listings via RSS, as well

Conclusion

Searching for a job can be time consuming. The key is finding the opportunities that are a good match as soon as they become available. Bookmarking your favorite sites will help you stay organized and make the search process a bit easier.

What job sites have you found valuable? Let us know in the comments.