Job searching is much harder than it used to be. It’s a challenging market, to say the least, and it seems like almost everyone is trying to sell you something to help you land a role.
Save your money. You don’t need to pay to find your next job. There are a lot of free websites, tools, and apps you can use to get hired.
Here are some that can help:
Use CareerOneStop
CareerOneStop has a Skills Matcher & Interest Assessment to identify career paths, Occupation Profiles to check local salaries and job growth, mySkills myFuture to find industries where you can use transferable skills, and the Veterans Job Matcher to convert military codes into civilian roles. They also offer Local Training and Scholarship Finders, an interactive Practice Job Application tool, and a step-by-step Resume Guide to help you build a professional resume.
Get Help From Google
Learn about career options, take a course, earn a certificate, write your resume and cover letters, track your applications, find the latest job listings, and practice interviewing with Google’s career and job search tools.
Get a Free Resume Template
Thanks to Jan Tegze, you can get a free, simple ATS-friendly resume template. That’s all you need to get started. You can tweak it as needed when you apply.
Use AI (Carefully)
AI, when done wrong, can hurt your job search. When your resume and cover letter read just like everyone else’s who is applying for the job, it’s not going to help. It also makes stuff up, so you need to double-check that it’s accurate. Done right, AI tools can help you find jobs that are a match and create templates you can use to expedite your job hunt.
Grow Your Network
It’s impossible to overstate the value of networking in building your career. Many jobs are filled through referrals, and if you don’t have those connections, you could find yourself missing out on your dream job. It doesn’t cost anything to build a network (and you don’t need to pay LinkedIn to do it).
Check Out Career Services
If you’re a college student or graduate, check what resources your school offers. Many offer services, including career counseling, resume and cover letter assistance, internship and job search help, and a career network you can use to make connections to both students and alumni.
Go to the Library
Many local libraries offer job search assistance and workshops, free wifi, and free computer access. Some will even loan you a computer to take home to use. Also check your local Chamber of Commerce website; you’ll often find job listings and career fairs.
Find New LinkedIn Job Postings
This free LinkedIn job search tool from Jan Tegze lets you quickly find the latest job postings on LinkedIn, whether they were posted in the last hour, 3 hours, 6 hours, or 24 hours, so you can be one of the first to apply. That’s important because if your application is buried under hundreds of others, it may never get seen.
Get the Newest Job Listings
One of the quickest ways to find new job listings that were just posted is to search Google using the “Date Posted” feature. Search Google for the job title and location you’re interested in (or select Remote). Then click Date Posted and choose Yesterday, Last 3 Days, or Last Week. You’ll be able to get ahead of the competition and get your application in early.
Use the Job Search Database
When you’re looking for a job in a specific industry or career field, using job sites that focus on the types of jobs you’re interested in can be a time-saver. The Job Search Database includes links to over 1,000 niche career sites, organized by category.
Try Free Interview Practice Tools
It’s always a good idea to brush up your interview skills, even when you’ve done it more times than you can count. Use these free online interview prep tools to practice answering questions and get ready to ace the interview.
Do a Zoom Practice Meeting: Before you participate in a job interview, it’s always a good idea to test your computer settings and make sure your background is appropriate and your appearance is professional. Sign in to Zoom’s practice meeting for a trial run to ensure everything is set.
Sponsored by Remote Rocketship
Remote Rocketship scans the internet for remote job listings, and you’ll find over 100,000 remote roles, many of which aren’t listed on LinkedIn or job boards. You can search postings by job title, location, type of job, salary, company size, visa sponsorship, and more, and get daily emails when new remote jobs matching your criteria are posted. There’s also a link to the application page, company website, and LinkedIn page, which will help you avoid scams. The basic version is free. The premium version is $21 per month, with quarterly and annual discounts available.
Subscriber Discount: To access all the job listings, use promo code JOBHOPPER for a 20% discount.
Note: We may receive a small commission if you sign up using this link.
Earlier Posts From The Job Hopper
Why It’s So Hard to Get a Job Right Now, According to the Data
108 days. That’s the median amount of time job seekers can expect between the start of their job search and getting an offer, according to the latest data from Huntr, a 30% increase from Q4 2025. Here’s what the data says about the current (horrifying) state of the job market.
Skip the Job Boards: Smarter Ways to Find Your Next Job
What can you do to get hired in this challenging job market? One of the best workarounds is to use alternative ways to look for jobs. It can be a little more work, but the payoff (and the response rate from hiring companies) is better. Here are some options to try.
Should You Use AI to Apply to Jobs? Maybe!
The job hunt has devolved into bots talking to bots. Recruiters use AI to write job descriptions, which they post online, and then screen electronically. Job seekers use AI to write their resumes and cover letters and then apply to jobs, blissfully unaware that they sound just like every other candidate who’s using AI to apply. No one is really talking to a person, and no one is getting anywhere. So what now?
Kindness Isn’t Soft. It’s a Career Strategy.
Real kindness involves a sense of community and empathy that makes life better for everyone, regardless of employment status or job title. Cultivating kindness is also the best thing you can do for your career. Let us explain.
Are You Applying to Ghost Jobs?
If you go by the number of listings on job sites and data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job openings are seemingly plentiful. So why is everyone we know having an impossible time getting hired? The answer is ghost jobs.
How To Find Companies That Are Still Hiring
If your job search is stalled, take a break from looking for specific job openings. Instead, target companies that are staffing up. Here’s how.
SPECIAL EDITION: Resources for Unemployed Federal Workers
If you’re one of the thousands of federal workers who’ve recently lost their jobs — or if you’re concerned that you’re about to join them — you need and deserve support. We’ve assembled some helpful resources to get you through the next couple of weeks and months as you figure out what to do next.
There's a lot of advice in here that I agree with.
Networking matters.
Libraries and university career services are underused.
AI can be helpful when used carefully.
But there are a couple of points I'd challenge.
The first is the recommendation to use a "simple ATS-friendly resume template" because that's supposedly what candidates need. The ATS-friendly resume narrative has become so common that people rarely question it anymore.
In reality, most ATS platforms are databases. They store, organise, search, and track applicants. They are not sitting there rejecting candidates because they used the wrong template.
After 12 years recruiting across the US, UK, and Europe, I've never used an ATS that automatically rejected someone because their resume wasn't "ATS-friendly."
I've received resumes with tables, columns, graphics, logos, colours, and every formatting choice imaginable.
I've even had people accidentally upload tax returns and wedding invitations instead of resumes.
The system still accepted the document.
The recruiter could still review it.
The hiring decision was still made by a human.
A clean template is a good idea because it improves readability, not because it helps you beat an ATS.
I'd also push back slightly on the claim that applying early is important because otherwise your application may never get seen if it's buried under hundreds of others.
Being early can help.
But it's often overstated.
I've filled roles where candidates applied within hours and I've filled roles where candidates applied weeks later. What matters far more is relevance.
Recruiters don't usually review applications in strict chronological order. Many search, filter, sort, and revisit applications throughout the hiring process.
A highly relevant candidate applying on day 10 often beats a weak candidate who applied on day 1.
Overall, the strongest message in the article isn't about ATS templates or being first.
It's about using free resources, building relationships, improving your positioning, and making your search more strategic.
Those things genuinely move the needle.
ATS optimisation and application timing tend to get far more attention than they deserve.