If you’ve started the new year with the intention of finding a job, you may be wondering which of the many job sites available you should begin your search for employment with. To help you, we’ve pulled together eight of the best job search engines in the UK and a brief overview of what a job search website actually does.
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What is a Job Search Website?
A job search website does what it says on the tin: it’s a website where potential employees can search for jobs based on various factors, including job title, location, part-time or full-time. Job search websites can be simple boards with postings of job adverts pulled from multiple sources, more niche sites that cover specific industries such as finance, healthcare or IT, or they can be run by recruitment agencies. Different job search sites provide different features and interfaces, but the best will include career advice, information on companies and alerts, and (of course!) lists of jobs.
Finding the right site for your job hunt will depend on what type of role you are looking for and what qualities are important to you. For example, if you are trained in a specific area, such as finance, it’s worth researching which sites are most commonly used by candidates for finance roles. Or, if it’s important to you to read what other employees think of the company before you apply, you want to find a job search website that includes these types of reviews.
With so many sites to choose from, it can be hard to know where to start when you are beginning a job hunt. We’ve pulled together eight of the best UK job sites and provided details on how they work and what makes them a suitable place to start.
Indeed
One of the biggest job boards with a massive database of listings and an excellent filter, Indeed claims to be the number one job site in the world, matching more job seekers to roles than any other site. While it may not have the flashiest design, the site has several useful features, including employee reviews of companies, a free salary comparison tool and plenty of articles about job hunting and working life. It also has its own app, which makes it easier to apply for roles while out and about on your phone.
✅ Pros: A high volume of posts featuring diverse job opportunities across various industries for a job search website.
❌ Cons: Outdated and cumbersome user interface.
The original social network for professionals, LinkedIn boasts 44 million users and is crammed with job opportunities in all industries. By linking so many professionals together in one place, it provides a unique opportunity for job seekers to utilise their contacts and word-of-mouth recommendations as part of their job hunt. LinkedIn also allows you to send your LinkedIn profile as your CV to apply for roles instead of your CV, making the application process easy and quick. There are also paid subscription options, such as LinkedIn Premium Career, to maximise your search and, of course, an app.
✅ Pros: LinkedIn can also serve as a networking tool, connecting you to additional job opportunities, including those that may not be publicly posted.
❌ Cons: A large user base leads to intense competition when applying for jobs on the platform.
Monster
Another well-established job board, Monster is known for its extensive database of job listings shared on a site that people find easy to use. It also has an app and plenty of content on job-hunting tips. In some cases, the filter can feel basic, meaning that you have to scroll through many pages of jobs to find those which directly apply to you and that there’s limited company information included on the site. The information you can add to your profile can feel limited compared to other sites, but you can hide your profile from your employer and still contact potential employers simultaneously.
✅ Pros: An excellent starting point for your job hunt, as this website connects you to a wide range of open positions.
❌ Cons: The job search website offers limited customization and provides limited information about the companies offering job positions.
Glassdoor
Best known for being the first site to provide company reviews to give potential employees an insight into their corporate culture, Glassdoor also post jobs and acts as a jobs board. The site also supplies more detailed salary information than most other sites, making it the place to come if you want to dig deep into what it would be like to work for a specific employer. While their filter system seems to work better than other sites, some people find the site itself quite tricky to navigate. It can take some time to adapt to using Glassdoor, but it’s a worthwhile investment if you want as much information as possible on the companies you are applying to.
✅ Pros: Promotes salary transparency and provides reviews of first-hand experience at the company.
❌ Cons: Harder to navigate than most job sites causing an adjustment period.
Reed
Building on its roots in pioneering specialist recruitment in the UK, Reed took their jobs board online in 1995, and the company’s website (and now app) has gone from strength to strength since then. Their job site now has many UK-based jobs, with an excellent filter and an EasyApply function that makes applying for roles super fast. There is also the capacity to add detailed supporting documentation including personal statements. Reed’s site also offers many online education courses that can enhance your CV. It is also a career advice hub that provides insights on CVs, interview tips, and personal statements. You can even listen to ‘All About Business‘, a podcast hosted by James Reed.
✅ Pros: Localized to UK jobs and is easy to navigate.
❌ Cons: If you’re looking for international jobs or companies, this job search website would be too limited.
Adzuna
Adzuna was set up in 2011 by two colleagues who met working for Gumtree and decided to use a data-driven approach to improve the search results. The result is a site that often gives you better matches for what you are looking for. There is an advanced filter to help you narrow the search results and a salary estimate tool for when compensation is not listed with the advert. However, you can’t apply for jobs directly from Adzuna, and some people are put off by the number of adverts in the search results and the number of job alerts the site sends you once you have signed up.
✅ Pros: A large database of jobs with advance filters to connect you to your ideal job faster.
❌ Cons: Unlike other job sites, you cannot apply directly to the job posts through Adzuna.
Totaljobs
Billing itself as the UK’s largest hiring platform, Totaljobs says they have over 280,000 live jobs adverts and an impressive filter which allows you to quickly hone in on precisely what you are looking for. Plenty of content provides advice to help with your job search, including quizzes to reveal hidden skills and generate salary estimates for roles advertised online without this information included. The site also offers education courses, although there are not as many as Reed or LinkedIn.
✅ Pros: If you’re unsure of your next professional move or what kind of job you want, Totaljobs is a great job search website to gain new skills and figure what skills you have. It’s perfect to explore and learn more about different careers paths.
❌ Cons: Multiple users have experienced technical issues when using Totaljobs which could result in unwanted delays in your job hunt.
CV-Library
CV-Library is another large UK-specific job board with a vast range of roles available across different industries and locations nationwide. These roles are driven by the fact CV-Library owns many specialist and place-specific job boards. The straightforward design makes this site easy to use, and Trustpilot reviews indicate a positive customer experience for users. Like many other job boards, CV-Library has a salary tool, plenty of articles giving career advice and its own app. They have many online courses to supplement your skills and build your CV.
✅ Pros: Features an easy-to-use interface complemented by educational resources, such as LinkedIn and Reed, to enhance your professional skills.
❌ Cons: Recruiters may contact you frequently, which some users find intrusive or spam-like.
