WorkCV

UK job-search guide

The best UK job sites—compared by what they are actually useful for.

You came for places to find jobs, so this page starts with real job sites. Use the comparison to choose a small search stack, then follow the workflow to avoid duplicate listings, stale adverts and rushed applications.

The short answer

For most people, start with Indeed or another broad board, add LinkedIn for professional visibility, and use the official or specialist site for your sector. Save target employers separately. One relevant alert is worth more than hundreds of unfiltered results.

Researched and reviewed 23 September 2026. Links and services can change; verify the vacancy or process on the destination website.

Quick comparison

Seven broad UK job sites and when to use each.

These are not presented as a made-up league table. Each has a different role in a search; open the sites that match your situation and judge the live results for yourself.

Indeed UK (opens in a new tab)

Best for: Broad discovery

Why it can help: A wide mix of direct-employer and aggregated listings, useful filters, company information and alerts.

Watch for: The same role can appear more than once. Check who posted it and follow the stated application route.

LinkedIn Jobs (opens in a new tab)

Best for: Professional roles and networking

Why it can help: Useful when the recruiter, hiring team or employer activity adds context to a vacancy.

Watch for: Do not rely on Easy Apply alone. A complete, role-relevant profile and tailored application still matter.

Reed (opens in a new tab)

Best for: UK office, care, education and varied roles

Why it can help: Strong UK focus with salary, location, remote and sector filters, plus recruiter-posted roles.

Watch for: Check whether a recruitment agency or the employer owns the listing so you know who will contact you.

Totaljobs (opens in a new tab)

Best for: Broad UK search and alerts

Why it can help: Helpful for searching nearby roles, comparing titles and setting alerts across multiple sectors.

Watch for: Broad searches become noisy. Use title variants, a realistic radius and a minimum salary where appropriate.

CV-Library (opens in a new tab)

Best for: Recruiter visibility and UK vacancies

Why it can help: Lets job seekers search vacancies and make a CV discoverable to recruiters when they choose to.

Watch for: Review profile visibility and contact settings before uploading personal information.

Adzuna (opens in a new tab)

Best for: Aggregated market scan

Why it can help: Good for discovering vacancies gathered from different sources and comparing title or salary wording.

Watch for: Confirm the live advert, closing date and final application destination on the original source.

Glassdoor Jobs (opens in a new tab)

Best for: Employer research alongside vacancies

Why it can help: Combines job search with employee reviews and salary information that can inform your questions.

Watch for: Treat reviews as individual experiences, not proof of how every team or manager operates.

Which UK job sites should I use for entry-level or graduate roles?

Choose a small set that fits your target role instead of checking every board. For graduate roles, start with a graduate-focused service such as Prospects; for STEM roles, consider Gradcracker. Add one broad board and check the careers pages of employers you want to join. Compare actual requirements and application routes, not just the “entry-level” label.

Prospects graduate jobs

For: Graduate opportunities

Try: Search a target role or sector, then check eligibility and closing date.

Limit: Not every first job is a graduate scheme.

Open Prospects graduate jobs

Gradcracker

For: STEM students and graduates

Try: Choose your discipline and opportunity type; inspect the employer's requirements.

Limit: Focused on STEM, not general retail or admin roles.

Open Gradcracker

Indeed UK

For: Broad role discovery

Try: Try a real title such as junior administrator, a town and a recent-posting filter if available.

Limit: Entry level labels do not guarantee no experience is required.

Open Indeed UK

LinkedIn Jobs

For: Broad discovery and employer research

Try: Search role and location; inspect where Apply leads.

Limit: Listings may redirect and account requirements vary.

Open LinkedIn Jobs

Employer careers pages

For: Specific target employers

Try: Navigate from each employer's verified official website; match role, reference and location.

Limit: The GOV.UK link is a separate official search starting point, not a directory of every employer's careers page.

Use each employer's own official site. GOV.UK Find a job is another official route.

Illustrative search plan: A Leeds graduate seeking junior operations or admin work checks Prospects, one broad board and three target employers. They search “graduate operations”, “junior administrator” and “operations assistant”, set a realistic commute, read essential criteria and record the closing date, vacancy reference and actual application URL. These examples are search ideas, not claims that a matching vacancy is live today.

Once you have one suitable advert, map its requirements to your evidence before editing your CV.

Specialist and official sources

Go where your type of role is naturally advertised.

A specialist board usually has fewer results than a general board, but the filters and employers can be much closer to your target.

Choose your search stack

Use three channels, not ten nearly identical searches.

1. One broad board

Use it to learn which employers, role titles and salary ranges are active in your area. Create a narrow alert rather than searching from scratch every day.

2. One specialist source

Choose the official or sector board closest to your target. Search both the common title and nearby alternatives: “support worker”, “care assistant” and “healthcare assistant” may reveal different results.

3. Employer career pages

Keep a shortlist of 10–20 organisations. Their own pages can contain the full person specification, closing date and application process before aggregators update.

A 30-minute setup

Turn browsing into a repeatable job-search system.

Create searches that return usable vacancies

  • Write one target role, two close title variants and any must-have qualification.
  • Set a realistic commute or location; treat ‘remote’ as a filter to verify, not a promise.
  • Add salary only when it will not hide suitable entry-level or career-change roles.
  • Create daily alerts for urgent searches and weekly alerts for exploratory searches.
  • Save the exact advert or person specification before the closing date.

Track decisions, not just applications

  • Employer, exact role title, source link and closing date.
  • Why the role fits and the three requirements your CV must prove.
  • Date applied, version of CV sent and any named contact.
  • Expected response date, interview stage and one follow-up date.
  • Outcome and what you will change in the next application.

Before you apply

Check the vacancy is current, credible and worth your time.

Five-minute vacancy check

  • Find the employer’s real website and confirm the organisation and location exist.
  • Compare the board listing with the employer’s careers page where possible.
  • Check the closing date, contract, hours, salary wording and right-to-work requirements.
  • Look for a recognisable company email domain and a clear application process.
  • Search a distinctive sentence from the advert if the listing looks copied or duplicated.

Leave immediately if…

  • Someone asks you to pay to apply, interview, release wages or buy equipment from them.
  • The recruiter moves immediately to an encrypted chat and will not verify the employer.
  • The pay is implausible for vague duties, or the job title changes during contact.
  • You are asked for bank, passport or National Insurance details before a legitimate need is explained.
  • The vacancy cannot be confirmed and the sender pressures you to act now.

Is it better to apply through Indeed or LinkedIn, or on the employer's website?

Follow the vacancy's application instructions. A job board can help you discover a role, while the employer's careers page can help confirm that it is genuine and still open. If both routes lead to the same vacancy, choose the instructed route and avoid duplicate applications unless requested. There is no universal rule that one route gives you a better chance.

  1. From the board listing, record the employer, exact title, location, vacancy reference, deadline and application instructions.
  2. Independently open the employer's verified careers page and compare those details where a direct listing exists.
  3. Follow the stated application route. If the board redirects to the employer, complete that process; avoid submitting the same application twice unless instructed.
  4. Keep the advert, the CV version you sent and the date of submission for interview preparation.

Illustrative example: A board advert says “Operations Assistant, Leeds, reference OA-26”. Check the employer's official careers site for that reference and deadline before following its Apply instructions. If you cannot find it, verify through official employer contact details; absence alone does not prove the board advert is fraudulent.

Use the application pack to review the verified advert against your actual CV. No success-rate comparison between board and direct routes is claimed.

From advert to application

The board finds the vacancy. Your evidence earns the interview.

Extract the brief

Copy the essential criteria and repeated duties into a short checklist. Separate required evidence from nice-to-have wording.

Tailor truthfully

Move the most relevant achievements up, use accurate language from the advert and remove generic claims that do not help this role.

Submit and preserve

Follow the requested format, preview the PDF, save the submitted CV and keep the advert for interview preparation.

How this guide was built

Transparent selection, not affiliate rankings.

We included broad sites that help UK users discover roles and official or specialist services that solve a distinct search need. We compared purpose, filters, application route and common limitations. WorkCV receives no commission for these outbound links. We have not ranked boards by unverified vacancy counts, and availability can change.

Primary references include GOV.UK Find a job, NHS Jobs, Find an apprenticeship, National Careers Service and the live destination pages linked above.

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FAQ

Questions job seekers ask.

What is the best job site in the UK?+

There is no universal winner. Use one broad board for coverage, one specialist or official board for relevance, and target-employer career pages for direct applications. The right mix depends on your sector, level and location.

Are all jobs on job boards genuine?+

No platform can remove every risk. Check the employer, email domain, application destination and role details. Never pay a fee to apply, buy equipment through an unknown contact or send bank details before a legitimate hiring process requires them.

How many job boards should I use?+

Start with two or three: one broad site, one sector-specific source and selected employer career pages. Good alerts and a simple tracker are usually more useful than repeating the same search across ten boards.