A fulfilling, rewarding job is a valuable thing, but it can be difficult to track down. There are lots of ways to go job hunting, including a plethora of apps and services on the web designed to help discover the perfect way to make a living.
Your smartphone can definitely help, too. Below, a selection of our favorite mobile apps and tips for landing the job of your dreams.
A few general tips for job hunting on your smartphone
Your phone is your direct line to recruiters and managers, and we’d recommend keeping it on (and unmuted) for as much of the day and night as you can manage. Put your cell number on your résumé as well, so interested employers can contact you at a moment’s notice—it’s quicker than email, but of course being able to check your email on your mobile can help too, if an urgent interview request should drop into your inbox. Having said that, you need to strike the right balance: Being available and responsive is good for your job prospects, but so is being prepared for questions that you might have to field and sounding professional on the phone, so use your discretion about when and where to pick up.
Call up old friends, browse through your Facebook friends list, or just the list of contacts on your phone, because you never know who might have a job going or know someone who does. If someone hands you a business card, take a photo of it for safekeeping.
Put all of your interviews, application deadlines, and follow-up dates into your phone’s calendar so you don’t forget them (set notification alerts if you need to), and of course use Google Maps or Apple Maps to work out how long it’s going to take you to get to interviews so you can arrive in plenty of time.
Job apps and sites
The bulk of your mobile-based job search is going to be through dedicated apps and websites, and all of the big job markets cater to mobile users. These are some of the best options out there right now.
Glassdoor (Android, iOS, web): Glassdoor provides a ton of useful data besides job listings, including starting salaries and company reviews—just so you know what you’re letting yourself in for when you head to an interview. Advertised jobs can be quickly whittled down by everything from salary range to commuting time, and you can easily get push alerts for vacancies of interest.
Google Jobs (web): Google only just launched its job search website in the U.S., and you can access it just as easily from the browser on your cell as the browser on your desktop. It’s still early days, so you won’t find opportunities in all industries or in all locations just yet, but Google’s usual eye for clean layouts and speedy searches means the product is lovely to use.
Indeed (Android, iOS): A one-stop shop for all your job hunting needs, Indeed lets you browse through hundreds of thousands of jobs from your smartphone, based on location, title, salary, and more. Its interface is not the best-looking, but its powerful and free to use. You can also upload your résumé straight to the Indeed site and apply for jobs directly through the mobile apps.
JobIsJob (Android, iOS): Install JobIsJob on your phone and you get access to a huge list of open vacancies, the ability to save the job listings you’re most interested in, simple location searches, and more besides. It aggregates job advertisements from a bunch of different boards, with more than 4 million open roles listed at the time of writing. There are email alerts, too, if you want.
LinkedIn (Android, iOS, web): Like Facebook for jobs and careers, LinkedIn lets you connect with other people in your field, browse through job listings, and generally keep on top of news in your chosen industry (or maybe a completely new one). The basics of connecting and searching are free, but you can pay extra for more options, like the ability to send direct messages to people you don’t know.
Rake iOS): Rake is something a little bit different, and unfortunately only available on iOS for the time being. It acts as a place to save all the jobs you’re interested in across multiple boards, so you can track open roles and see at a glance which ones you’ve applied to and which ones you’re waiting to hear back from. The app is able to connect up to other services, including the likes of LinkedIn and Indeed.
Upwork (Android, iOS, web): More and more workers are going freelance, and if you think a a series of remote working gigs might work better for you than a standard full-time job then give Upwork a try. Finding opportunities in all kinds of categories (from coding to designing) is quick and easy, and the Upwork app can handle every part of the freelancing process—from making the initial contact with a client to sorting out invoices and payment.