6 Great Online Tools for Your Job Search

The way we search for jobs has taken a huge shift from the days of combing through classifieds and mailing in resumés. With a myriad of sites promising hiring results, below are what we at Jobscan consider to be the five best online tools to help with your job search, with a picture from each before the description. (Modesty prevents me from including our own site, which helps job seekers compare their resumes against job postings for keywords and match rates.)

Just keep in mind: Finding a job is like a sales process. You are trying to connect with companies to sell them on hiring you and using the right tools can help.

We recommend using CareerHMO to get yourself in the best condition to start searching for a job by giving yourself some extra attention. CareerHMO looks at training for your job search in the way you might look at a physical training bootcamp. Through the tools on its site, such as coaching and a system of community motivations, you can find your strengths and then highlight them to increase your chances at getting the job you want.

Cost: $9 a month for an all-access pass; additional benefits for $45 a month.

Find That Lead, or FTL, is an easy-to-use Chrome Plugin to help find essential email addresses within LinkedIn or other social media profiles. (You can also use the dashboard, which allows for full searches and management of the emails you have found.) FTL is useful if you want to email a company where you’d like to apply. It can be helpful to send these emails to someone in Human Resources, but it may also be beneficial to contact someone in the department you would best fit. From there, try setting up an informational interview at the company.

Cost: Downloading FTL is free, and users have access to 10 free daily searches.

Streak is a Google application to help you sort your inbox by where you are in the job-application process. Another great feature: its tracking tool. Streak lets you see when someone has read your email which is great to determine your standing with a hiring manager or when you’re trying to time your follow-ups.

Cost: From free to $89 a month, depending on the features you want

Think of Rebump as persistence made easy. It’s a great application to streamline your job search follow-ups since this tool tracks your sent emails. If your email doesn’t garner a reply, Rebump will automatically send follow-ups at the frequency you designate, until you get your answer. Whether it’s ensuring your resumé has been received or thanking a hiring manager for an interview, this part of the process can make all the difference between moving forward on your job hunt and never hearing back.

Cost: After a 30-day free trial, you can choose the Basic $5-a month service or the $12-a-month Plus version with up to 10 bumps per message (rather than the standard four) and “personalized bumps.” Both come with unlimited emails.

Big Interview helps bolster your interview skills by letting you do virtual interviews and then providing feedback from industry experts on how you did so you can build your skills. The “Interview Roulette” feature trains you to be prepared for key questions that might come your way. By practicing answering a wide assortment of questions and receiving constructive criticism, you’ll be more ready and confident when it comes times for the real thing.

Cost: Big Interview has a free version, but to access the full range of tools, membership runs $25 a month.

Grammarly is a free Chrome Plugin that checks your writing as you go, using advanced technology to catch more errors than Microsoft Word. What’s more, Grammarly can help polish your writing by showing you why alternative words and phrases may be more suitable. Use grammarly to sharpen up your resumé, cover letter and even your emails.

Cost: Free as an extension for Chrome and Safari; the Premium version with extra features costs $29.95 a month, $59.95 a quarter or $139.95 a year.