GOV.UK

Best job search sites in the UK — the ones people actually use

If you’re job hunting in the UK, don’t rely on just one site. The practical shortlist is: Indeed, LinkedIn, Reed, Totaljobs, CV-Library, plus one or two specialist sites for your sector. The National Careers Service also lists CV-Library, Indeed, Reed and Monster as popular job boards, and recommends LinkedIn-style networking sites as part of a job search. (nationalcareers.service.gov.uk)

Top general-purpose job sites

Best specialist UK job sites by sector

My recommended setup

For most UK jobseekers, I’d do this:

1. Set alerts on Indeed, LinkedIn, Reed and Totaljobs.
2. Upload your CV to CV-Library and Reed so recruiters can find you.
3. Use Glassdoor before interviews to check salary, reviews and interview questions.
4. Apply on the employer’s own careers page when possible — it can reduce duplicate applications and fake/expired listings.
5. Add one specialist board for your field: NHS Jobs, Civil Service Jobs, CharityJob, eFinancialCareers, Prospects, TES, CWJobs, etc.
6. Register with 2–3 relevant recruitment agencies in your sector; the National Careers Service notes agencies can help with roles that may not be advertised online. (nationalcareers.service.gov.uk)

Bottom line:
For a broad UK job search, start with Indeed + LinkedIn + Reed + Totaljobs + CV-Library. Then add NHS Jobs, Civil Service Jobs, CharityJob, Prospects, eFinancialCareers, CWJobs, TES or Caterer.com depending on your sector.

Here are the job search sites that people in the UK actually rely on most, based on current market data and usage:

The Big Players (Start Here)

Indeed is the clear market leader. A 2022 Intelligence Group study pegs its market share at 77.5% among active job seekers (nearly 8 in 10), with 63% usage per Standout CV data and 250 million monthly visitors globally. It's one of the most popular job search engines globally and holds a strong presence in the UK job market, known for its extensive database aggregating job listings from various sources, including company websites and other job boards.

LinkedIn is essential if you're in professional/corporate roles. LinkedIn is a professional networking platform that many employers use for posting job openings, sourcing candidates, and connecting with potential hires.

Reed is a genuine British institution. The top job boards for UK job seekers combine reach, usability, and specialization, with key platforms including Indeed, Monster, Reed, CV-Library, Totaljobs, and Find a Job for general roles.

Totaljobs has huge reach in the UK. Totaljobs is a household name in the UK, with a database of over 21 million registered candidates and over 280,000 live job adverts, making it one of the most powerful and popular platforms for both job seekers and employers.

Other Solid Options

CV-Library – a job site that focuses on connecting job seekers with employers and recruiters, featuring a variety of job listings and allowing you to upload your CV for potential employers to discover.

Monster UK – a pioneer in online recruitment that has maintained a strong foothold in the UK market, with a brand synonymous with job searching that continues to attract a large user base.

Glassdoor – best if you want to research employers before applying. If you're looking for a job in the UK and want more insight than most job sites, you should use Glassdoor – it offers an unparalleled view of a company's advantages and problems.

Niche/Specialist Picks

• Find a Job (GOV.UK) – the government's own free service, good for entry-level and local roles
• CWJobs – if you're interested in IT and technology roles, CWJobs is a specialized job site that caters to the tech industry
• Guardian Jobs – if you're looking for roles in a specific sector or those with a focus on social impact, especially media, charity, and public sector
• Adzuna – great if you want salary benchmarking alongside listings

My Practical Recommendation

For most people in the UK, the winning combo is:

1. Indeed – cast the widest net, set up daily alerts
2. LinkedIn – network + apply, especially for office/corporate/professional roles
3. Reed or Totaljobs – strong UK-specific listings and CV database exposure
4. Glassdoor – before accepting any offer, check company reviews and salary data

If you're in a specific sector (tech, healthcare, charity, etc.), layering in one niche site (CWJobs, Guardian Jobs, NHS Jobs, etc.) on top of the above usually gets the best results.

If you are looking for a new role in the United Kingdom, navigating the sheer volume of job boards can feel overwhelming. To save you time, here is an honest, up-to-date breakdown of the best job search sites that people in the UK actually use, categorised by how they are best utilised.

1. The "Big Two" (Essential for Everyone)

No matter what sector you work in, you will need to be on both of these platforms. They account for the vast majority of hires in the UK.

• Indeed UK (indeed.co.uk): The undisputed king of UK job hunting. Indeed functions as both a massive aggregator (pulling jobs from company websites) and a direct application platform. It is excellent for everything from entry-level hospitality and retail to mid-tier corporate positions. Its "Quick Apply" feature makes applying incredibly fast, though the sheer volume of applicants means competition can be fierce.
• LinkedIn: If you are looking for professional, corporate, office-based, tech, or creative roles, LinkedIn is essential. It is highly valued in the UK for direct networking and "headhunting" by internal company recruiters. Many of the best roles are never advertised on traditional job boards and are only found here.

2. The Traditional UK Job Board Giants

These are the heavyweights that have dominated the UK market for decades. They are particularly useful if you want to upload your CV to a database so that recruitment agencies (which handle a massive portion of UK hiring) can find you.

• Reed (reed.co.uk): Famous for its "Love Mondays" campaigns, Reed is one of the oldest and most trusted job sites in the UK. It has hundreds of thousands of active listings across almost every sector. It is also an excellent place to look for professional training courses and certifications if you are looking to upskill.
• Totaljobs (totaljobs.com): This is a massive job board with a very clean, user-friendly interface. Totaljobs is part of the StepStone Group, meaning jobs posted here are often cross-posted to sister sites like Jobsite and CWJobs (which specializes in IT/Tech). Their email alert system is highly regarded for sending relevant, timely recommendations.
• CV-Library (cv-library.co.uk): While you can apply for jobs directly here, the primary reason to use CV-Library is to upload your CV. It hosts one of the largest talent databases in the country. If you set your profile to "visible," expect your phone to start ringing with calls from recruitment consultants pitching roles to you.

3. The Government Portal

• GOV.UK "Find a Job" (gov.uk/find-a-job): This is the official government job portal (which replaced the old Universal Jobmatch). It is completely free for employers to post on, making it a hotspot for local businesses, warehouses, driving/logistics roles, administration, and care work. Note that there is a different portal specifically for Northern Ireland (JobApplyNI).

4. Niche & Sector-Specific Leaders

If you are looking for specific types of work, generic job boards can feel cluttered. These niche platforms are highly recommended:

• Welcome to the Jungle / formerly Otta (welcometothejungle.com): If you are in the tech, startup, or digital sector (especially in London, Manchester, or Bristol), this is the crowd favorite. It has a brilliant interface, showing you salary bands, remote work flexibility, and the company's funding status upfront.
• Guardian Jobs (jobs.theguardian.com): The absolute gold standard for roles in the public sector, charities/NGOs, education, universities, and creative/media industries.
• Gradcracker (gradcracker.com): If you are a university student or recent graduate looking for graduate schemes in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Maths), this is the definitive UK site.

⚠️ A Quick Note on Monster UK

If you are looking at older job-hunting guides, you will see Monster.co.uk listed as a top-tier site. However, following its parent company's bankruptcy and asset sales, Monster's European operations (including the UK site) went dark. Save your time and skip searching for it.

Top Tips for Job Hunting in the UK

1. The "Two-Page" CV Rule: Unlike in the US where a single-page resume is preferred, a standard UK CV should almost always be exactly two pages long.
2. No Photos or Personal Details: To comply with GDPR and prevent hiring bias, never include your photo, date of birth, gender, or marital status on your CV. Just your name, phone number, email, and location (city/postcode) are enough.
3. Register with Recruitment Agencies: In the UK, agencies (like Hays, Michael Page, Reed Recruitment, or Adecco) play a massive role in the job market. Don't just apply online; find a recruiter who specialises in your industry and send them your CV directly.

If you are job hunting in the United Kingdom, the most widely used and best-known sites are Indeed, Reed, CV-Library, LinkedIn Jobs, Totaljobs, Adzuna, and Glassdoor.

The strongest picks, based on how often they are recommended and the scale of listings, are:

• Indeed UK — best all-round starting point; it aggregates listings from company sites, agencies, and boards, and is repeatedly listed as a top UK job site.
• Reed.co.uk — one of the most popular UK-specific boards and described as the UK's #1 job site by Reed itself.
• CV-Library — a major UK-specific board with very large vacancy volume and broad sector coverage.
• LinkedIn Jobs — especially useful if networking, recruiter visibility, or professional branding matters.
• Totaljobs — a long-established mainstream UK job board with broad listings across sectors.
• Adzuna — a popular UK search engine for vacancies that pulls from many sources.
• Glassdoor UK — useful when you want job listings plus company reviews and salary data.

A practical shortlist by use case:

If you want the most useful “top brands” people actually use in the UK, I’d start with Indeed, Reed, CV-Library, and LinkedIn, then add Totaljobs, Adzuna, and Glassdoor as secondary searches.

If you tell me your field, I can narrow this to the best UK job sites for your sector, such as tech, healthcare, graduate roles, or remote work.

If you’re job-hunting in the UK, most people don’t use just one site — they use 2–3 big generalists plus one specialist for their sector.

The ones people actually use first (generalist)

• Indeed UK – the biggest aggregator. Huge volume, good for almost anything, but expect duplicate/agency ads. Always apply direct on the company site if you can.
• LinkedIn – essential for professional, office, tech and management roles. Recruiters live on it. Turn on “Open to Work” and connect with people at target companies.
• Reed.co.uk – major UK-owned job board. Strong filters, salary info, permanent/contract/temp roles. Very widely used.
• Totaljobs – big UK board. Good for office, retail, engineering, customer service and agency roles.
• CV-Library – similar to Totaljobs. Lots of agency listings and good email alerts.
• Glassdoor – not a job board first, but excellent for company reviews, salaries and interview questions before you apply.

Public sector / official

• GOV.UK Find a job – the DWP’s site. Good for local, entry-level and public-sector roles.
• NHS Jobs – the official site for NHS roles across the UK.
• Civil Service Jobs – for UK government departments and agencies.
• TES Jobs – teaching and education roles.
• Guardian Jobs – charity, media, public sector and graduate roles.

Tech / startups

• Otta (now part of Welcome to the Jungle) – very popular with UK tech and startup people. Good salary/equity filters.
• Welcome to the Jungle – tech/startup jobs and company culture info.
• LinkedIn + Indeed still matter here too.

Graduate / early career

• Prospects – graduate careers, schemes and advice.
• Milkround – graduate schemes and internships.
• Gradcracker – STEM graduates and placements.
• RateMyPlacement – placements and internships.

Sector-specific worth knowing

• CharityJob – charity sector.
• eFinancialCareers – finance and banking.
• Caterer.com – hospitality and catering.
• LawCareers.net – law.
• Drapers Jobs – fashion.
• MediaGuardian / Guardian Jobs – media.

Local / quick-turnaround

• Gumtree – local, immediate, trades, hospitality, retail.
• Facebook groups / local community pages – surprisingly common for hospitality, trades and local work.
• Recruitment agency sites – Hays, Michael Page, Robert Walters, Randstad, Adecco, Reed Recruitment.

Best combo: LinkedIn + Indeed + Reed + one specialist site for your industry. Set daily or weekly alerts, tailor your CV for each application, and apply direct where possible. You can usually skip Monster, Jobsite and Fish4 now — they’re not where most UK people start.

The top job search sites in the UK that people actually use are Indeed, Reed.co.uk, Totaljobs, CV-Library, and LinkedIn Jobs, with strong support from Glassdoor, Adzuna, and the government’s Find a Job service.

These stand out consistently across traffic data (e.g., Similarweb rankings), employer hiring results, candidate surveys, and expert comparisons from 2025–2026. Indeed dominates for sheer volume as the largest aggregator, while UK-focused boards like Reed and CV-Library excel for relevance and applications. No single site covers everything, so most successful jobseekers use 2–4 in combination and set up alerts.

Here’s a breakdown of the leading ones, based on popularity, traffic, application volume, and real-world use:

• Indeed — The biggest by far, with the highest UK traffic and market share among jobseekers (often cited around 50–77% usage or reach). It aggregates listings from employers, agencies, and other sites, making it ideal for maximum volume across all sectors, levels, and locations. Great for quick searches, alerts, and high application numbers (e.g., averaging the most apps per job in employer tests). Many start here.

• Reed.co.uk — A long-established UK favourite (one of the original major boards) with strong brand recognition and a large CV database. Excellent for professional, office, admin, finance, education, healthcare, and public-sector roles. Recruiters value it for proactive searching, and it often ranks highly for consistent results and ease of use.

• Totaljobs (and related sites like Jobsite) — High traffic (frequently #2 in UK jobs/career rankings) and reliable for broad UK coverage, including engineering, STEM, healthcare, customer service, and trades. Employers report strong application volumes and conversion to hires; it often bundles with other platforms.

• CV-Library — Highly regarded for active jobseekers, with strong performance in independent comparisons for interview potential and effectiveness. Good CV upload/tools, alerts, and reach (especially entry-level, apprenticeships, trades, logistics, and admin). It distributes widely via partner sites and ranks well for candidate-focused features.

• LinkedIn Jobs — Essential for professional, corporate, tech, senior/executive, and networking opportunities. Combines job listings with “Easy Apply,” company insights, and recruiter outreach. Over 30 million UK users make it a go-to for white-collar and passive candidate roles; many recruiters prioritise it.

Other strong options worth adding:

• Glassdoor — Best alongside the above for company reviews, culture insights, salaries, and interview questions (high traffic ranking).
• Adzuna — Solid aggregator with good search quality, relevance, salary data, and variety.
• gov.uk Find a Job (findajob.dwp.gov.uk) — The official free government service for broad reach, especially useful for volume roles or as a no-cost starting point.

Tips for using them effectively in the UK:

• Create profiles/CVs on the main ones and enable job alerts tailored to your location, sector, and keywords.
• Tailor your approach by sector (e.g., NHS Jobs or Reed for healthcare; LinkedIn + CWJobs for IT/tech; Guardian Jobs or CharityJob for public/charity roles).
• Cross-post or check overlaps, as many vacancies appear on multiple sites.
• Combine a high-volume aggregator (Indeed/Adzuna) with a UK specialist (Reed/CV-Library/Totaljobs) and LinkedIn for the best coverage.
• Check employer reviews on Glassdoor and verify listings directly where possible.

These are the brands and platforms with the highest real usage and results based on current data. Start with Indeed and Reed or Totaljobs/CV-Library, add LinkedIn, and expand from there depending on your field. Good luck with your search!