Technology has changed the way job seekers search for jobs and employers find qualified employees. While employers still advertise job openings through traditional advertising mediums, such as local newspapers and magazines, today employers and job seekers turn to online job portals to find employment matches. Job seekers can advertise their skills and search for available positions, and employers can announce employment openings through job portals such as Monster, Career Builders and USA Jobs, for federal government positions.

Job Seekers

The majority of job portals allow job seekers to sign up for a free account, which allows them to search job openings posted by employers and post their resumes for employers to review. Portals offer resume posting services, allowing job seekers to copy and paste resume information from a word processing document or build a new resume with online tools. Job portals often offer the option of submitting a completed resume, created from a word processing program such as Microsoft Word. Job seekers can browse through job openings posted by employers and apply for positions through the job portal.

Employers

Job portals provide a centralized location for employers to post information about job openings. The majority of employment portals require a fee for employers to post job openings and respond to resumes, with varying terms depending on the job portal. Employers can browse through job seekers' resumes to find potential matches for job openings. Job portals offer worldwide access for job seekers to view advertisements, providing employers with a wider variety of applicants and a broader candidate pool. Employers can utilize job portal matching technology, allowing the system to find potential matches for employment openings. Sites can also feature partnerships with daily and weekly newspapers, providing print and online job advertising for employers. Individual job portals often maintain partnerships with other, industry-specific employment websites, offering advertising throughout a network of partners.

Tools

Job portals often include tools and articles to help job seekers with their search. Job seekers can use salary calculators to see where their income ranks within their industry and career mapping technology to develop a long-term plan for career growth. Resources for job seekers include information about effective cover letter writing, job search strategies, industry-specific resume styles and salary negotiation techniques.

Networking

Employment portals offer community bulletin boards and forums designed to assist job seekers in their employment search. Users can connect with other seekers or potential employers by participating in forum conversations about sales, technology, the health care industry, government jobs, restaurant employment and issues affecting recent college graduates.

Training

Employment portals offer online training and educational resources to help prepare job seekers for the marketplace. Job seekers can find courses to improve marketing or typing skills and state-specific programs to help prepare for insurance licensing exams. To advance their education, job seekers can use employment portals to enroll in online certificate and degree programs through accredited institutions, such as The Art Institutes, University of Phoenix, Argosy University and the International Academy of Design & Technology.