Whether you need to expand your team or find your next professional opportunity, using LinkedIn or CareerBuilder could help your search. If you’re unsure which solution is right for you, you’re in the right place. We’ll compare both options so you can make an informed decision.
This review will focus on comparing LinkedIn and CareerBuilder, however, if you are looking for other options, we would recommend ZipRecruiter. ZipRecruiter offers free job searching for jobseekers and a free trial for job seekers.
LinkedIn touts itself as the world’s largest professional network. While some people use the platform to stay in touch with colleagues or position themselves as an industry thought leader, others use it to find talent or land their next big opportunity. Here’s how.
LinkedIn for an Employer
When you need to find your next team member, you can search through the vast network of LinkedIn members, send messages to potential candidates, or post a job. With the platform’s job description templates, posting your job is easy, and you can create your listing for free.
Then, you set your recruiting budget and only pay when someone clicks on your job. If you want more people to see your post, you can pay extra to promote it. You can also purchase job slots to feature your open role at the top of search results and in emails sent to job seekers.
If you have minimal hiring needs, using a free account and posting the occasional job may work for you. But, if you recruit new talent regularly, you might want to consider signing up for the premium account, LinkedIn Recruiter. With this service, you’ll be able to:
- Search through all LinkedIn users (not just your existing connections)
- Send 150 InMail messages per month, contacting any potential candidate, regardless of their connection to you
- Manage candidates by putting them into lists, keeping notes on them, and setting reminders to reach out
If you need additional talent management support, LinkedIn offers recruitment marketing solutions, an applicant tracking system (Talent Hub), and more. For pricing and further information about these paid services, please contact the sales department.
Related: LinkedIn Job Posting Cost
LinkedIn for a Job Seeker
If you’re looking for a job, you can use LinkedIn to demonstrate your expertise, find new roles, and contact people in your network that may be able to help your search. To get started, you’ll need to create an account and build your profile.
Think of your LinkedIn profile as your online resume that highlights your experience, education, skills, career accolades, and more. You can also turn on a feature that shows you’re open to new opportunities and specifies what types of jobs you want. That way, your profile gets the attention of recruiters and hiring managers looking for someone like you.
Searching for a job is straightforward. You can sift through opportunities by title, keyword, industry, function, location, company, date posted, and other parameters. Then, depending on the role, you may be able to apply for the position directly through LinkedIn.
LinkedIn lets you save jobs of interest and also offers several resources to help your search, such as:
- Job alerts, so you get notified when a new role gets posted
- Skill assessments to earn digital badges that showcase your abilities
- A resume builder, so you can see if your resume is optimized for search engines and applicant tracking systems
- Interview prep, so you can review common interview questions and receive feedback on your responses
- Jobseeker guidance, so you can learn job search best practices
- Salary tools, so you can see what you should get paid at your position in your area
While you might be able to advance your career with a free account, you may want to consider purchasing premium access. With your upgraded account, you can:
- Send InMails to anyone — even if you’re not connected with them
- See who’s viewed your profile and how you stack up to other job applicants
- Apply to job listings as a featured applicant, which means your application will get seen faster
- Take LinkedIn Learning courses to acquire new skills
The Premium Career service costs $29.99 per month, and you can cancel at any time.
CareerBuilder
A popular choice among job seekers and hiring managers alike, CareerBuilder is an employment marketplace that connects the two parties. Here’s how:
CareerBuilder for an Employer
When you need to find talent for your company, you can sift through CareerBuilder’s 82 million-resume database or post your job opening to attract applicants. The website can also alert you to new potential matches when professionals with relevant skills and experience post their resumes to the platform. Plus, to help you organize your potential and active candidates, CareerBuilder lets you create custom lists.
Posting a position is fast and easy. Just follow the system’s prompts to get your role in front of prospective applicants in minutes. If you have a hard time coming up with a solid job description, an AI-powered writing assistant can do the heavy lifting for you. CareerBuilder also provides you with a dashboard where you can manage the recruiting process and interact with candidates.
Need a little more help in the recruiting department? CareerBuilder can host your company’s career website, run hiring events, and even source candidates for you. The platform also integrates with your existing HR software solutions to help you streamline your talent management tasks.
If you want to learn more about CareerBuilder, you can request a free system demo. Then, if you choose to use CareerBuilder in your recruiting strategy, you can get started for as little as $219 per month. If you have a one-time hiring need, you can pay $375 for one job listing and 30 days of resume database access. Need more support? The company can create a custom quote for you.
CareerBuilder for a Job Seeker
If you’re on the hunt for a new job, you can use the platform for free. CareerBuilder lets you post your resume and apply to open roles. But, before you search through the database of jobs, you need to create an account and upload or build your resume. The company offers a three-step resume builder if you need it.
You can use criteria like position title, military code, skills, location, job type, salary, and more to sift through the available opportunities. If you find an interesting job, you may be able to apply for it directly through CareerBuilder.
You can automate your search by creating job alerts. That way, you get notified whenever a new, relevant role gets posted. You can also manage your profile, review listed positions, and respond to employer messages from anywhere on the CareerBuilder mobile app (available for Apple and Android devices). Plus, you can learn about job search best practices and how to negotiate a higher salary by exploring the platform’s educational resources.
The Difference Between LinkedIn And CareerBuilder As An Employer
Both CareerBuilder and LinkedIn offer similar functionality when it comes to posting jobs and searching for candidates. However, boasting nearly 800 million users, LinkedIn’s talent network is far more extensive than CareerBuilder’s. But, CareerBuilder seems to be the winner if you’re looking for hands-on support running hiring events or sourcing candidates.
The Difference Between LinkedIn And CareerBuilder As A Job Seeker
When it comes to searching for a new position, CareerBuilder and LinkedIn share many similarities. However, LinkedIn better facilitates connections with others and offers a more robust suite of job search features — especially if you upgrade to a Premium Career account.
Bottom Line
LinkedIn and CareerBuilder are both viable recruiting and job search solutions. Each option offers unique perks to employers. If you’re a professional looking for your next big opportunity, consider getting on each platform because you may be able to get your desired results without spending any money.
If neither of these options are right for you, we recommend checking out ZipRecruiter.
