By
Kevin Kearney Sr. Staff Writer
Updated

Job searching is exhausting, and everyone seems to be on LinkedIn. You compete against hundreds of people for every opening, tailoring each cover letter to sound genuine and enthusiastic without sounding desperate. The whole process is a draining cycle of hope and disappointment, and it never seems to get any easier.

The right apps can stop you from wasting time on the wrong opportunities. From searching through job boards, touching up your resume, or looking for freelance side gigs, there's an app to help you every step of the way. Don't drop the ball on the best new apps on the market with our monthly guide.

Here are the apps worth downloading for a successful job hunt.

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Best job search apps at a glance


App Available for Best for
ZipRecruiter iOS, Android Looking for and applying to any type of job
Glassdoor iOS, Android Company research and employee thoughts before accepting an offer
Canva iOS, Android Polishing your resume without hiring a designer
Bluecrew iOS, Android Searching for flexible in-person work with W-2 protections
Fiverr iOS, Android Freelancers looking to monetize a skill online

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Best apps for job searching

ZipRecruiter logo
4.5 out of 5 overall

ZipRecruiter Job Search

Let this app do the work in your job hunt

There are plenty of free job search engines out there, but many of them are cluttered with junk—outdated listings, unresponsive employers, and outright scams. Sifting through these databases can be demoralizing and, more importantly, a waste of your precious time. ZipRecruiter turns the equation around: You upload a resume, a desired salary, and preferences, and then the app gets to work linking you with hiring managers at relevant companies.

ZipRecruiter app showing nearby remote jobs
The ZipRecruiter Job Search app allows you to filter for remote jobs.
Image: Kevin Kearney

ZipRecruiter will notify you when they've found a good match and prompt you to upload your resume (you can also manually enter your work experience and scan certifications or awards). Just apply for the position with a few quick taps. Otherwise, you can also search for jobs yourself on the app, filtering by location, previous experience, and salary, as well as by in-person, hybrid, or remote positions. 

In testing out the app, I found it easy to navigate and far cleaner than competitors like Indeed or LinkedIn, which can be littered with off-topic listings and distracting social posts.

ZipRecruiter has also leaned heavily into AI in more recent updates. The app's built-in career advisor, Phil, uses conversational AI to learn what you're looking for, recommend matching roles, and even draft your resume descriptions for you. ZipRecruiter also launched a ChatGPT integration early this year, which lets you search for opportunities directly inside ChatGPT.

Glassdoor app logo
4.5 out of 5 overall

Glassdoor

Learn the truth about the job before you take it

Job listings always put the company in the best light, glorifying the position and the culture to attract the best candidates. If you're lucky, you know someone who works there who will tell you the truth about the pay, the boss, and the demands of the job. If you don't have an in, you can still use Glassdoor, which allows current and past employees to post their salaries and their satisfaction, giving applicants a glimpse into the reality of a job.

Glassdoor app showing ratings for UC San Diego
Glassdoor's job listings allow you to see how the company's employees rate their work experience.
Image: Kevin Kearney

Glassdoor allows you to search for jobs like any other job search app, though the details included in the listing provide those employee insights. You can see how workers rate their senior management and the CEO, their benefits, their work-life balance, and the company's overall culture. Glassdoor's best tool, though, is related to compensation: you can check the average salary for a position in your area to see if the job listing is up to snuff.

In a job market where layoffs have become more frequent and the balance of power has shifted back toward employers, Glassdoor's real-talk employee reviews are more useful than ever. It's the kind of insider information that used to require knowing the right person.

Looking to organize your job prospects?

As your interview requests start to arrive, you'll need to keep all your options organized. We've compiled a list of the 12 best apps to organize your life, breaking down the advantages of using apps like Calendly and Toggl Track.

If you're looking to relocate for your next position, we've also got you covered with a list of the most helpful apps for moving.

Canva app logo
4.5 out of 5 overall

Canva

Redesign your resume with easy-to-use templates

If you're going to apply to jobs on ZipRecruiter or Glassdoor, you'll need a good-looking, finely-tuned resume to land an interview. Writing an effective resume is one thing, but the part that always proves more frustrating is the formatting. It's important to have a resume or CV that stands out. Unless you're a graphic designer, making that happen is no easy task.

I tested several free apps dedicated to resume building, but the only one that worked well was Canva. In fact, I found all other options to be bogged down with ads and in-app purchases. One of them even placed a watermark on the resume unless you paid $7.99 to have it removed. That's nearly extortion!

Canva app resume templates
Canva provides thousands of free resume templates.
Image: Kevin Kearney

The truth is, I was overthinking. The answer was a lot simpler than I'd made it out to be: It turns out that Canva, the photo editor designed for the least tech-savvy among us, is also the best free resume-building app out there. Canva has thousands of free resume templates, which can be customized with your employment history, education, and skills.

Canva app Magic Write feature
Canva's Magic Write feature uses AI to enhance your writing.
Image: Kevin Kearney

Canva's AI-assisted Magic Write feature can help elevate your writing, too. Just select a section of text, then click the sparkly pencil icon. You'll be presented with options to refine your writing by making it more succinct, formal, or funnier, among other options. Canva also lets you create and edit designs using natural language prompts through Canva AI 2.0. The ability to strengthen your writing while also improving the document's overall design makes Canva the obvious pick for building out your resume.

What we think

"I've used Canva for years when it comes to making an eye-catching resume. It's easy to use, and makes simple documents look sophisticated."

Jessica Santero, Staff Writer

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Best apps for
part-time or odd jobs

Bluecrew logo
4.5 out of 5 overall

Bluecrew

Pick up shifts when you want

We know you might not be looking for a full-time job, so we also found some apps that allow you to work part-time or odd jobs when you're looking to earn extra cash. If you're looking for in-person work, we recommend Bluecrew, which offers temporary jobs and shifts near you. You can set your preferences for work (everything from bartending to customer support to dishwashing) and then begin searching and applying for gigs.

Bluecrew app showing a map of nearby temp jobs
Bluecrew allows you to find temp jobs near you.
Image: Kevin Kearney

Bluecrew is different from typical gig apps because when you work through Bluecrew, you're classified as a W-2 employee, not a contractor. That means you're covered for overtime, sick days, and workers' comp—protections that apps like TaskRabbit don't offer.

I tried out other similar apps but found they didn't deliver on their promises. Jobber positions itself as a competitor to Bluecrew, yet it mostly aggregates the full-time listings near me from more popular job websites like Indeed. TaskRabbit might be the go-to for laborers looking for some easy cash, though it doesn't seem sustainable for anything other than petty cash and, in some areas, requires a business license. 

Bluecrew might feature fewer listings, though we think that's a feature rather than a bug. There's less junk here, which means you can find actual opportunities and start earning some real money.

Not sure how to update your apps?

Keeping your apps up to date ensures you're always getting the latest features, bug fixes, and security improvements. Learn how to update the apps on your iPhone and your Android. It takes less time than you think.

Fiverr logo
4 out of 5 overall

Fiverr

Grow your online side hustle

Manual labor isn't the only way to earn a few honest bucks. Plenty of people need help in the digital realm, whether it's with graphic design, social media marketing, content writing, or a number of other online tasks. I researched a few different freelancing apps aimed at creatives, including Upwork and Thumbtack, but I found Fiverr to be the best, especially for people just starting their freelance careers.

List of available graphic design services on Fiverr app
Freelancers set rates on Fiverr and then accept (or decline) jobs from prospective customers.
Image: Kevin Kearney

Fiverr is straightforward, allowing you to build a seller profile in just a few minutes by marketing a specific skill or service (like creating images for a website or editing a blog post). From there, you'll effectively have an open shop where Fiverr users will find you when they search for the services you've advertised. You can set up a videoconference with a prospective customer or handle everything through in-app messaging. Your contracts, schedules, and payments are all organized within the app, which makes bookkeeping (and the eventual taxes you'll need to pay) a breeze.

There is a downside, though: Fiverr takes a 20% commission on every transaction, and buyers pay an additional 5.5% service fee on top of that—with an extra $3 flat fee on orders under $100. If your side hustle only consists of small, inexpensive tasks, you'll want to factor those cuts into your rates before you open up shop.

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How WhistleOut reviews apps

Our mobile experts scour the app stores every month, looking for the best new apps for Android and iPhone. Before recommending an app, we use the app for at least one full workday, testing its basic functionality and evaluating whether or not it delivers on its promises.

  • Easy to use
    Great apps simplify your phone. We selected the tools that don't require a complicated instructional manual.
  • Affordability
    The internet is filled with expensive price tags, but we're not buying what they're selling. We leaned into inexpensive, quality apps. Extra points if they're free!
  • Hands-on testing
    We played around with these before recommending them, ensuring they're worth your download.

From there, we weigh the app's pros and cons and then determine whether or not it's a worthwhile download for the wider population of cell phone users.

Job search apps: FAQ


What are the best apps for job finding?

LinkedIn is the obvious starting point, but our top picks include ZipRecruiter for variety, Fiverr for freelancers, and Bluecrew for part-time picks.

What is the 70/30 rule in hiring?

The 70/30 rule says you should spend 70% of your job search time networking and building relationships, and only 30% actually applying to posted jobs—because most hires come through referrals, not online applications.

What information does my CV need?

Your CV needs your contact info, a clear work history with measurable achievements (not just job duties), relevant skills, and education—but skip the headshot, birthdate, and personal social media handles unless you are applying for a public-facing role.

Kevin Kearney

Sr. Staff Writer

Kevin Kearney
Kevin is an experienced journalist and writer whose musings on tech, education, and culture have appeared in Stereogum, InsideHook, The Millions, and elsewhere. As a Senior Staff Writer for WhistleOut, he offers unique expertise on the inner workings of the mobile industry, and has a particular passion for emerging efficiencies within smartphone apps.

Read full bio


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