4 Free Job Search Tools You Should Be Using

4 Free Job Search Tools You Should Be Using 4 Free Job Search Tools You Should Be Using PinIf you’re in the middle of a job search or career change, it can be hard to evaluate the thousands of services and products marketed to you. But there are a few free job search tools that are actually quite helpful and worth using. Let’s take a look at four free job search tools you should be using. Find the right keywords for your job applications with Jobscan. We’ve talked about it more than a few times on the blog. Because companies use ATS, applicant tracking systems, to filter job applications, the keywords in your resume and cover letter matter a LOT. But how can job seekers identify the right keywords to use? Jobscan is here to help. While it does have a paid level of use, there are a couple free levels you can choose from. Here’s how it describes its service: “Jobscan tool aims to better equip job seekers by analyzing job descriptions and helping applicants easily identify what skills and keywords are most important to a given employer. By ranking the most important and most frequently occurring keywords per job description, this tool can help give applicants a competitive edge in their job search efforts.” Research over 25,000 flexible companies with the Company Guide. If you want to pinpoint the companies in your industry or state that offer flexible work options, offers a free searchable guide to over 25,000 researched and screened companies that’ve offered flexible jobs in the past. The idea is that, if a company has offered telecommuting, flexible schedule, and freelance jobs in the past, its likely to do so in the future. The best news is that every company listed in the guide has been screened so they’re all legitimate, professional companies- no scams, no commission-only jobs, no bogus businesses. This completely free resource is extremely helpful in learning more about your options for flexible work. Put your tax dollars to use with CareerOneStop. CareerOneStop is a service of the U.S. Department of Labor. Completely free, its aim is to help job seekers explore careers, seek out education and training for their careers, learn about salaries and benefits, and find free services near them for further assistance. One of the really nice features of CareerOneStop is the variety of self-assessment tools it offers. Its especially good for career changers, moms returning to work, and anyone wondering what kinds of jobs they’d enjoy! Head back to your alma maters career office. Most college career offices provide some sort of lifetime services to their alumni. Even if you don’t live in the area, you can probably schedule an over-the-phone consultation and gain access to their jobs database, with job postings for current students AND alumni. The services you might find at your college’s career office include a one-on-one counseling session (usually the first is free, with follow up consultations sometimes requiring a fee), access to self-assessment tests, networking contacts through the alumni database, information on local alumni networking groups in your area, and access to their job listing database to search for jobs. Readers, do you know of any other free job search tools to recommend? Let us know by leaving a comment!