Career Advice

21 Best Tools That Will Actually Get You Hired

Learn more about the best tools to help when searching for your dream job, broken into sections like best tools for creating a CV.

By Jess Wriggle

07 Jan 2023 · 16 min read

So, you're searching for a new career.

You need the best tools to get hired, but you need to know where to start.

Don't worry…

We've got your back here at Barehacks.

We've compiled a list of the best tools available to help you land your dream job.

From CV Builders and online courses to ai powered grammar software and much more. These are the best tools that will help you get hired right NOW.

Here’s a quick snapshot of the 21 Best tools to get hired:

First, when it comes to getting hired, you can do a few things to improve your chances of success.

Number one, get prepared…

It will be evident to any recruiter if you don't prepare, they'll move straight to the next candidate, and you'll be running around like a headless chicken.

Also, you will need to create a great CV and cover letter, improve your LinkedIn profile and, you can even think further down the line and get a job offer acceptance letter ready.

Researching the company and role before you go in for an interview is one of the best ways to show that you're invested in the opportunity.

Secondly, dress for success.

Making a good impression on the recruiter with your attire will never hurt, so dress to impress and ensure you look professional, either in person or for a video interview… no joggers!

Finally, be confident.

Showing that you're capable and confident can go a long way.

Even if you don't get the job, they'll remember you as someone passionate and sure of themselves, so don't be afraid to speak your mind during the interview. Don't have any regrets. Come out knowing you've nailed it.

If you follow these three steps, you'll be well on your way to getting hired.

Now… let's check out the definitive list of the best tools to get hired.

Best tools for creating a CV

Why do you need a good, professional-looking CV?

Really…?

You're trying to land your dream job. You must stand out from hundreds of candidates and wow your future employers.

Only 2% of CVs make it past the first round of an application.

WHAT?

A well-formatted and beautiful-looking CV allows potential employers to quickly and easily assess your relevant experience, skills, qualifications, and accomplishments in one document, making you stand out from 100's of other applicants.

In fact, check out these 5 simple steps will help you create your CV.

The information you provide in your CV gives employers an insight into how you can contribute to their company and how well you would fit the team, so you must include all the key elements in your CV.

CV Builders are an essential starting point on your journey to land your dream job.

💥 Tip: Keep it simple. You're not recreating the Mona Lisa; you'll put recruiters off with wacky design. Strip it back and show off what's important.

1. Resume.io

This CV builder has everything you need to craft an eye-catching CV that will help you land your dream job.

In fact, Resume.io is so good it made it into our best 3 CV builders list.

With Resume.io, you can:

Create a beautiful, industry-recognised, professional-looking CV
Save your CV to customise for each job application
Add pre-written phrases
Choose from 100's of free CV templates
Automatically check your grammar

We’ve talked about how easy it is to create a CV on Resume.io before.

Also, because there are hundreds of free CV templates to choose from, you don't need to spend hours preparing your CV.

Win-win.

Check out Resume.io to learn more.

2. Canva

Canva is an online design platform that provides users with the tools to create outstanding visuals for any purpose.

But why would you use it for creating a CV?

You have to create an excellent first impression. If your CV doesn't stand out, it will get filed in the trash.

Brutal, but the unfortunate reality of job applications.

Canva has a variety of templates, images, fonts and illustrations to make beautiful designs quickly and easily. With Drag & Drop functionality and simple but powerful editing tools, you can create a brilliant CV in minutes.

No, you don't need to be a designer. Canva has you covered.

In fact, this guide explains how easy it is to create a CV on Canva.

Like Resume.io, with Canva, there are 100s of CV templates to choose from.

Learn more about creating a CV on Canva.

3. VisualCV

500+ Professional CV examples. Now we're talking.

Where do I sign up?

With VisualCV you can get a CV sample written by industry experts and employers.

For example, this Animator CV sample is hugely professional and sets the right tone before you’ve even applied for the job.

It is definitely worth paying to have your CV professionally written.

Did you know:

A professional CV boosts your earning potential by 7%
43% of CVs get trashed because they are written in the third person
76% of CVs get ignored if your email is unprofessional
Half of all CVs more than two pages long get discarded

I'm going to stress this again: getting your CV done RIGHT will be one of the best investments you ever make.

And, it's actually really quick to create a CV on VisualCV.

Either spend time updating it yourself, share it with colleagues and family members, or use a platform like VisualCV to help you.

VisualCV is FREE to get started.

Take a look at how easy it is to create a CV on VisualCV.

Best tools for creating an online portfolio

No, CVs are not dead.

Don't listen to anyone who says they've transformed CVs blah blah blah, boring…

All employers want is a simple document to understand your suitability for the role.

If an employer wants to see it in a particular format, they'll use hiring software that parses your CV and adds the data to their interface in a different format.

You should use online portfolios in unison with your CV and cover letter, an additional document if you like to verify your references, add testimonials from clients, and so on.

4. LinkedIn

A LinkedIn profile will boost your chances of getting the first interview and ultimately being hired.

It's a status symbol in the B2B world.

If you don't have a huge social following on LinkedIn, that's ok.

If you don't have a LinkedIn profile, that's NOT ok.

It gives recruiters a chance to check you're real. They can check your references. They can see you work for who you say you work for too.

In this example…

We can see where this person is based, how active they are, their connections, their employers, and a blurb about them. We can even see where they went to university.

It gives companies validation and the transparency they want.

Having a winning LinkedIn profile is absolutely an extension of your CV and job application. It allows you to add more skills and details about your background and achievements.

It's completely free to create a LinkedIn profile.

5. Wix

Website builders like Wix make it easy for you to create a personal site quickly.

You can choose from 100s of pre-made website templates.

You can buy a domain like yourname.com and hook it up to your new site, all in one place.

There are a few reasons you should create a website:

Show off your work
List any testimonials
List your references from employers
List your skills

Whether you’re a creative or non-creative, building a website will be hugely beneficial for your career opportunities.

You don’t just have to be a creative, for example, if you are a developer, show some of the projects you have worked on, or if you are a marketer, create a blog and get traffic to your site to show what you can do.

In fact, creating a website as a marketer and building some traffic will be a great side project to work on, regardless.

Or, if you work in teaching, you can add testimonials from your students and peers.

We can't list every job here, but you get the picture. Think about what you could show off on a website and get building.

Then, when you're applying for a new job, you have more information to show employers, and it shows how proactive you are.

Learn more about Wix.

6. Squarespace

Similar to Wix, you can also spin up a website quickly with Squarespace.

You can choose from hundreds of different templates, depending on what type of website you want to create.

There are thousands to scroll through…

Also, you can get a bunch of help marketing the site; you probably wouldn't need to do that in most cases if it's just a portfolio site and you have a full-time employer.

However, if you work as a freelancer, the marketing tools they have on most website builders will be a huge help.

Both are excellent options. It comes down to personal preference.

Ultimately, the question is if you want to go that extra mile and show off your achievements.

If you're planning on advancing your career and moving up the ladder through different companies over the next few years, if you put the time in now, you can build your portfolio over the coming months to help increase your earnings and career opportunities.

Check out Squarespace to learn more.

Best tools for researching employers

Why is researching important?

Researching potential employers is VITAL.

You'll be ready to show off what you know about the company in your interview.

And it'll help you understand whether it's a company you want to pursue.

There is no point wasting time going through 3 interview rounds and then deciding you don't want to work for the company.

So, understanding who the company is, its culture, reward schemes, etc, is a good starting point when trying to land your dream job.

It will save you time in the long run.

7. Google sheets

By now, you will likely have in mind the different companies you want to work at.

If not, you should be clear at least about the TYPE of company.

Your next step is creating a simple spreadsheet to organise your job search.

In your spreadsheet, add some headings, such as:

Company
Website
Industry
Additional skills required
Applied
Response
Interview
Contact first name
Contact last name
Contact email
Contact title

Adding checkboxes in the spreadsheet is helpful, so you can see which jobs you need to follow up with.

To add a checkbox go to data > data validation.

Then, in criteria, select Checkbox.

Now, your job tracking spreadsheet is good to go.

Find out more about Google Sheets.

8. LinkedIn

830,000,000.

That's how many business people there are on LinkedIn.

134.5 million people are active on LinkedIn every day.

58 million companies have a profile on LinkedIn.

It's a treasure trove of data you can take advantage of.

You can use LinkedIn to search companies by location in your local area, type, size, and so much more.

When you find the companies you want to work for, you can dive deep into the people you need to contact, such as hiring managers and founders.

Learn more about LinkedIn.

9. Glassdoor

Ever wanted to know what a company's current employees think of working there?

With Glassdoor reviews, you can dive deep into culture and values, work-life balance, diversity, and others.

For example, Webuyanycar has 287 reviews with a 3-star rating among current employees:

47% would recommend working there to a friend
50% approve of the current CEO

Not great reviews, sorry, Webuyanycar, but get your S*!T together.

It's an INSANE level of transparency you get before applying for the job.

So, use Glassdoor to check employee reviews first.

Better still, do you have friends that work there?

Ask, ask, ask their opinion.

Learn more about Glassdoor here.

10. Hunter

When you've done your initial research and know who you want to contact, Hunter is a GREAT tool for finding the contact details you need.

Add the name and company domain, like John Doe and apple.com.

You can also go to ANY website and find your contact email.

Hunter then spews out the email address you need.

Amazing, right?

When you combine your research with communication tools (below), outreach to potential employers becomes easy.

In fact, Hunter even has some awesome FREE templates to help you outreach to recruiters.

Head over to Hunter and see how it can help you.

Best tools for communicating with employers

The way you come across to potential employers can make or break your chances of landing your dream job.

Communicating in a relaxed but professional way will help make the right first impression and improve your chances of getting hired.

Did you know 59% of recruiters reject candidates due to poor grammar?

First impressions are critical.

Also, finding ways to save yourself time whilst remaining professional and personable in those early stages of applications will be a big help.

But, there are some tools you can use to help set the right tone and save time communicating with companies.

11. Grammarly

Right…

Grammar.

I will get right into it; Grammarly is like having your own personalised ghostwriter.

You can rephrase entire sentences:

Get instant feedback:

Ghostwrite the hell out of your cover letter:

And hit the tone that will get you hired:

Investing a small amount in a tool like Grammarly will pay off for you in the long run.

Having a cover letter that's perfectly fluent with no spelling or grammar errors will wow potential employers and start you off on the right foot.

Your CV and cover letter will not end up in the bin if it reads well and is well presented.

You can even use Grammarly in all your email communications with recruiters to present yourself better than any other candidate.

Grammarly can also load right in your email, so you can quickly update any errors.

There's both a free and premium version of Grammarly. The free version will absolutely help. However, investing in the premium version during your job search will be a good idea.

Check out Grammarly to find out more.

12. Streak

Monitoring your progress through your job search is really useful.

For example, so far, you've:

Created your CV
Created your cover letter
Created an online portfolio (if relevant)
Designed a google sheet to track the jobs you apply for
Used LinkedIn, and Glassdoor to research companies
Used Hunter to find contact details of hiring managers
Used Grammarly to perfect all of your content

Now, you need to start contacting people.

Sure, you could send your emails from Gmail, but how will you know if your emails get opened?

Streak works within your Gmail account.

You can set up pipelines to automate sending your outreach emails to hiring managers. Then, if a recipient opens the email, you can follow up quickly.

You can get notified every time someone opens your email too.

It's a hyper-organised way of starting your communication with potential employers.

You get full ownership of those conversations with employers and are entirely in the loop whenever a recipient takes action.

Streak is a straightforward tool you can use to streamline your job outreach.

Automate your job search outreach with Streak.

Best tools for boosting skills

It's always possible to expand your skills.

Even the most highly skilled are continuing to learn and adopt new techniques.

Being open to learning new things will widen your scope when looking for a job.

For example, you're looking for a software engineer role and know Python and JavaScript programming languages. Still, the software engineer role at the company you desperately want to work for has listed NodeJS as a required skill.

Depending on your dedication, learning the basics could take you hours/days.

So, list it on your CV, then get learning fast.

13. Udemy

Udemy is the ultimate place to learn online.

There are courses for everything you can think of and anything you need to learn.

From learning to create a spreadsheet in excel to gaining a certificate in server management.

It's CRAZY how many courses you can find and how affordable they are, considering you keep them for life when you purchase.

Udemy does offer a subscription too.

It's super simple to get started, type in what you want to learn, for example, google ads course…

There are over 10,000 results.

Then, start looking for the course you want.

By default, it will sort by most relevant, don't sort by highest rated because that will show you all courses that have five stars at the top, even if they only have 1 rating. Not what you want. The course creator may well have added that rating.

Look for any with 500+ reviews…

For example, those marked in the image above have a 4.6 rating, 1 has more than 1,700 ratings, and the other only has 128.

So, research the course ratings before you commit to any.

You can also see a course preview first and get a 30-day money-back guarantee if the video is not what you need.

💥 Tip: Udemy always has a sale available. Never pay full price; if there's a course you like, save it for later and wait for the next sale. Do not pay more than £20 for a course.

Start to boost your skills on Udemy.

14. Coursera

Coursera is very similar to Udemy.

In terms of users, Udemy rules.

But that shouldn't concern you; Coursera is more niche than Udemy and offers even more specialised courses.

Coursera has, in its lifetime since 2012, had more than 107 million students, compared to 740 million that have learnt on Udemy; Udemy is two years older.

Even better, on Coursera, you can get job-ready professional certificates offered by employers.

For example, Google offer certificates for project management or UX design in preparation for a role at Google.

It means you can get yourself ready to land that dream job at some of the biggest companies in the world, pass their certificates with flying colours, and they will start to take you seriously.

You can even earn a degree on Coursera.

Learn more about Coursera.

15. Skillshare

Skillshare is another excellent tool for learning new skills.

It is built more for creatives, illustrators, designers and so on.

There are 1000s of classes from industry experts you can take.

Want to learn about Adobe Photoshop or UI design? Skillshare is the platform for you.

Skillshare is for more than just creatives; you can learn more tech-heavy subjects like Programming or Data Science.

It depends on your industry and whether you want to learn on Skillshare; if you're a creative, it's the platform you need. Otherwise, a platform like Udemy might work better for you.

Search through more than 34,000 courses on Skillshare.

Best tools for job searching

Next, it's time to start searching for a job.

We compiled a list of 100+ best job boards for candidates to land their dream job.

Where and how you search depends on how specific you are with the companies you want to work at.

Job boards are the best place to start if you just want to find jobs in a particular industry.

However, if you have specific companies in mind, their careers page is the best place to start.

Job searching can seem like a laborious process, like you are getting no where and just searching and searching...

However, it should be manageable if you've done all the groundwork above.

Also, before you start searching and applying for jobs, you must ensure your CV is optimised for ATSs.

16. Indeed

Indeed has grown to become the biggest job site in the world.

They have over 500 million visitors to their jobs every month.

On Indeed, it's quick and easy to search and find 100's of job adverts within your niche:

Job boards are all very similar; none of them is particularly unique.

You land on their site, hit the job title or company in the search box, and start filtering through the results.

Every job board or job indexing site is the same. Some make the application process easier than others. Some have a nicer design than others. But, yeah, all the same.

Start searching for jobs on Indeed.

Tip: A known issue in the job world is scam jobs. These are jobs posted by scammers, typically impersonating actual companies, with salaries usually well above average for the role and region. Be wary! If a job has an abnormally high salary, proceed with caution. Check these 10 telltale signs that a job might be a scam.

17. LinkedIn

3rd Entry for LinkedIn on the list…

Ok, we see a trend.

LinkedIn is a really useful tool for landing your dream job.

You can research companies, people and industries.

You can create a profile to show yourself off on the world's biggest network of business people.

And you can search for jobs.

Searching for jobs on LinkedIn is very similar to Indeed, technically speaking. Add the company, job title, etc., to the search box and start filtering through the jobs you're interested in.

The difference between LinkedIn and all other job boards? You get so much more than job search...

If you find a job, you can actually click through and see the company location, how many employees they have, who they are, and what updates they post to their audience.

By this stage, if you don't have an account on LinkedIn, the only question is…

Why?

Bonus point…

60% of jobs get found through networking, not job boards.

First, build a great LinkedIn profile, connect with employees at the companies you want to work at and get networking.

Ask them what it's like working for the company. When you've made a good connection, ask for a referral.

Create a free account on LinkedIn and search for jobs.

18. Google

Google has their own job board. Who knew?

It's a search engine for jobs / job boards.

Basically, google scrapes jobs from the biggest job boards and career pages.

It's highly likely if you search, for example, for Digital Marketing Executive in York, the first results you see are google indexed jobs.

You click it, and then google has an 'apply on website' link for every job.

You can't apply for jobs on Google's jobs directly.

Employers can't post jobs, singularly, at least, on Google.

Google scrapes and indexes structured data. That's it.

The reason it's on this list? You will definitely come across google jobs during your job search.

So, be aware of it and use it as much as possible.

Search jobs on Google.

19. NordVPN

A VPN, what?

Let me explain briefly what a VPN is… most people know it is the thing that lets you watch Netflix in different countries.

Correct.

Indeed, for this purpose, that's all we need to know. A VPN lets us pretend we're in a different location or at least allows our browser to think we're in another region.

But why is this useful for job search?

Well, if you are looking for jobs locally in your town, it won't make a difference. However, it will help you massively if you want to work remotely or migrate.

Because job boards like Indeed have region-based URLs, for example, uk.indeed for UK jobs or fr.indeed for jobs in France. It means you can't check jobs in the US because of your location.

Here, for example, when we try to search for a developer job in New York, there are ZERO results. That doesn't seem correct.

By adding a VPN to your armoury, you widen your scope of the locations you can find a job.

The bonus is that you can also use your VPN to watch Netflix in different countries, so, 100s more TV shows and films to binge on. And they are cheap, usually with an excellent offer - never pay full price.

Try switching your location with NordVPN.

Best tools for storing credentials

Having a password manager is something you should consider for everyday use.

Not just during your job search.

You should NEVER have an easy-to-guess password or use the same password twice.

These top 200 worst passwords ever should give you some tips what passwords not to use.

In 2014, eBay got hit with a full-scale password breach of 145 million users.

If your password and email are part of any breach across the platforms you use online, and you're using the same credentials everywhere, hackers won't just gain access to the breached platform but every platform you use.

Banks, social accounts, shopping accounts… etc.

Password managers help you secure all your accounts; if one gets hacked, you won't allow access to everything.

But WHY use password managers for job searching?

When it comes to job search, you will start using several different platforms, like those listed above.

So, having a secure tool to store all your credentials will be both secure and save you a bunch of time.

20. 1Password

1Password is a password manager used by people, families, and businesses.

It's easy-to-use AND you can use it across all your browsers and devices. No more copy and paste across devices. Phew. Learn more about password managers.

Most password managers will generally do the same thing. Some might have features that others don't. Regardless, they should all have the same level of security.

If you find a password manager, not on this list, make sure they are using at least PBKDF2 to secure and hash the passwords you store with them; if not, your passwords won't be secure.

In fact, if you randomise your password and have at least 30 characters for each one, it would cost around $14 quadrillion of computing power to crack your password.

The reason we like 1Password? It's just effortless to use. Password managers should save you time; 1Password absolutely does that.

You get tips how strong your password is which is incredibly useful for securing your accounts:

You can store more than just passwords; addresses, for example, can be saved, so you don't have to fill it out each time. You can auto-complete across all your devices.

Try 1Password to secure your accounts.

21. NordPass

NordPass is relatively new to the password manager game, which started in 2019. 1Password, for reference, was founded in 2006.

However, this is no new kid on the block, NordPass was built by NordSecurity, the same people who created NordVPN.

Nordpass is as secure as hell, pleasant to use and has a Trustpilot rating of 4.7 / 5.

Like 1Password, you can store more than just passwords. Your credit card details, for example, can be stored incredibly securely, completely encrypted, addresses etc.

You can also get breach reports if your passwords lack strength or are weak.

It's quick and easy to start; head to the NordPass website, add your email, and the app will start downloading. Then, all you need to do is create an account and start adding login details. It's that simple.

Just hit 'add item' to add a new login credential:

Regardless of which password manager you use, it will massively help save you time during your job search and make your accounts a lot more secure.

Secure your job search passwords with NordPass.

That concludes our definitive list of the best tools you can use right now that will get you hired quickly. You also need to remember to plan. After you have sealed your new job offer, remember to leave your existing employer on the right terms with a good resignation letter and sign off in style.