Make a plan!

The difference between finding a job and finding the best job for you often takes a well-defined strategy. Identifying how your personal ambitions, goals and needs align with a particular job opportunity is no easy task. But outlining these factors is essential when searching for a job that’s the right fit for you. Below, you’ll find the most up-to-date information on Indeed’s features and guidance on how to find a job you’ll love.

How to find a job that’s right for you

Here are some tips to help you identify if a job is a good fit for you:

Decide what you want in a job

At the start of your job search, spend some time reflecting on what has prompted you to look. Are you interested in doing the same job for a different employer? Do you want to change career paths? Are you entering the job market for the first time? Are you returning from an employment gap?

Each of these circumstances presents a different way of narrowing in on the jobs you want.

Research job titles and descriptions

There are several resources on Indeed to help you explore your career options. You can review different job titles to get a better understanding of what a certain role entails and what skills may be required. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also provides up-to-date information on a comprehensive set of occupations.

Review salary trends

Salary trends is an Indeed tool that lets you see the trends in compensation for specific jobs in different locations. Enter a job title and you’ll see the salary range in various cities and with different employers.

Identify your must-haves

Another method of finding the jobs that are right for you is to identify your non-negotiables and areas where you may be more flexible. Each individual will have their own distinct list, but here are some examples that you might consider:

Examples of non-negotiable factors:

• The industry or discipline you want to work in
• A wage or salary you can’t go below
• Benefits such as health insurance or paid time off
• Location and commute time

Examples of negotiable factors:

• Job title (associate, specialist, or another designation)
• Added benefits, such as the ability to work from home
• Working at a small business versus a large company
• Amount of travel

Deciding which factors are must-haves and which are negotiable will help you move forward with confidence.

Experiment with different job searches

The best way to get a feel for the jobs that are available to you is to try out different search terms. As you search, you’ll get better at recognizing the jobs that feel right and those that don’t.

If you’re not sure where to begin, it’s a good practice to start with broad search terms and steadily narrow it down.

For example:

You begin a search with “Customer support” in Austin, Texas.
The result: There appear to be thousands of job posts

Next, search for “Customer support specialist” in Austin, Texas.
The result: Total job posts are in the hundreds

In the search results, certain titles may jump out at you. You can now conduct new searches for each of these. If you really like the results you’re getting with a particular search, you can set up a job alert. You’ll receive new matching jobs in your email on a daily or weekly basis, depending on your preference. You can create multiple job alerts and pause or delete them at any time.

You can also save the job postings that you like and come back to review them in more detail. They’ll be saved to your Indeed account.

Use advanced search tools to get specific

The next step is narrowing down the job search posts by using advanced search tools. Some of Indeed’s tools that you can use are:

Filters

Filters can narrow down the number of job postings by salary, company, location, posting date and more. With this advanced job search option, you can potentially turn a results page with thousands of jobs into a few dozen.

If you’re using Indeed on your phone, you’ll see the filter button on your search results page, just to the right of the search bar. On a desktop, these filters are on the left side of the page.

Apply with your Indeed Resume

Keep an eye out for jobs that have the “Apply with your Indeed Resume” option. These are job posts that enable you to upload your Indeed resume and submit your application in just a few clicks, giving you back valuable time in your job search.

Company reviews

Where you’ll work is just as important as the job you’ll do. Use Indeed’s Company reviews to see reviews from current and former employees, getting a real sense of what it’s like to work at different companies.

Related: The Complete Guide To Company Research

Determine if you meet the requirements

When you find a job posting that you think is a great fit for you, be sure to read the entire job description and follow directions.

Watch for notifications from employers

You’re putting in the effort to submit carefully prepared job applications—you certainly don’t want to miss any updates from employers when they respond. Be sure to regularly check your email inbox and your Indeed inbox to see if employers have contacted you. You’ll also want to check your email spam folders in case messages have landed there.

To stay on top of notifications, and if you’re using Chrome as your internet browser, you can install the Indeed for Chrome extension. This extension is free to use and with it, you’ll be notified within your browser when you get an employer response. You’ll also be able to save jobs from anywhere on the web and get alerts when new jobs matching your preferences are added.