Few things are as frustrating as searching for work. Drafting a résumé, scouring online listings, and trying to stand out from countless other applicants can be time-consuming and tedious, especially if you’re not using the right tools. Luckily, there are now a number of apps that streamline the job search process, offering you easier and more effective ways to land your next gig.
We’ve been covering technology since 2008 and track the best new apps on the market. Along the way, we’ve become experts at distinguishing between an excellent app and an unhelpful data-drainer. For this guide, we searched through the Apple and Android app stores to gather the best job-finding apps, including the transparent listing service Glassdoor and the odd-job assistant Bluecrew, so you can eventually put down the phone and get to work.
How we rated the best apps to help you find a summer job
WhistleOut searches for Android and iPhone apps that are easy to use and affordable. We evaluate apps through hands-on testing and rate them on a five-star scale based on the following criteria:
- User experience: We search for apps that enhance the user experience, improving the power of your phone and making your life less complicated. The apps we recommend are intuitive, allowing users to put them to use as soon as they open them.
- Price & value: We select apps that charge minimal download fees and tend to favor apps that don't charge anything. We do include some apps that charge fees, though we guarantee that they're worth the price tag.
- Efficacy: App developers like to talk a big game; we test their products to see if they deliver on their promises.
- Practicality: Your phone has a limited amount of storage, so you don't want to clog it with single-use apps that don't improve your day-to-day life. We reward apps that are worth their weight in data.
- Privacy & security: We evaluate the permissions an app requests, sussing out the legitimate from the suspect. We also scour user reviews on relevant app stores to see if customers are reporting security concerns and investigate the veracity of those complaints.
Best job search apps

ZipRecruiter Job Search
Let this app do the work in your job hunt
There are plenty of free job search engines out there, but many of them are cluttered with junk—outdated listings, unresponsive employers, and outright scams. Sifting through these databases can be demoralizing and, more importantly, a waste of your precious time. ZipRecruiter turns the equation around: you upload a résumé, a desired salary, and preferences, and then the app gets to work linking you with hiring managers at relevant companies.

Image: Kevin Kearney
ZipRecruiter will notify you when they’ve found a good match and prompt you to upload your résumé (you can also manually enter your work experience and scan certifications or awards). You can then apply for the position with just a few quick taps. You can also search for jobs yourself on the app, filtering by location, previous experience, and salary, as well as by in-person, hybrid, or remote positions. In testing out the app, I found it easy to navigate and far cleaner than competitors like Indeed or LinkedIn, which can be littered with off-topic listings and distracting social posts.

Glassdoor
Learn the truth about the job before you take it
Job listings always put the company in the best light, glorifying the position and the culture to attract the best candidates. If you’re lucky, you know someone who works there who will tell you the truth about the pay, the boss, and the demands of the job. If you’re unlucky, you can still use Glassdoor, which allows current and past employees to post their salaries and their satisfaction, giving applicants a glimpse into the reality of a job.

Image: Kevin Kearney
Glassdoor allows you to search for jobs like any other job search app, though the details included in the listing provide those employee insights. You can see how workers rate their senior management and the CEO, their benefits, their work-life balance, and the company’s overall culture. Glassdoor’s best tool, though, is related to compensation. You can check the average salary for a position in your area to see if the job listing is up to snuff.
Looking to organize your job prospects?
As your interview requests start to arrive, you’ll need to keep all your options organized. We’ve compiled a list of the 12 best apps to organize your life, breaking down the advantages of using apps like Calendly and Toggl Track.

Canva
Redesign your résumé with easy-to-use templates
If you’re going to apply to jobs on ZipRecruiter or Glassdoor, you’ll need a good looking, finely-tuned résumé to land an interview. Writing an effective résumé is one thing, but the part that always proves more frustrating is the formatting. It’s important to have a C.V. that stands out. Unless you’re a graphic designer, making that happen is no easy task.
I tested several free apps dedicated to résumé building but found all of them to be bogged down with ads and in-app purchases. One of them even placed a watermark on the résumé unless you paid $7.99 to have it removed. That’s nearly extortion!

Image: Kevin Kearney
The truth is I was overthinking. The answer was a lot simpler than I’d made it out to be: It turns out that Canva, the photo editor designed for the least tech-savvy among us, is also the best free résumé building app out there. Canva has thousands of free résumé templates, which can be customized with your employment history, education, and skills.

Image: Kevin Kearney
Canva’s new AI-assisted Magic Write feature can also help punch up your copy. Just select a section of text, then select the sparkly pencil icon. You’ll be presented with options to refine your writing, by making it more succinct, formal, or funnier, among other options. The ability to strengthen your writing while also improving the document’s overall design makes Canva the obvious pick for building out your résumé.
Best apps for
part-time or odd jobs

Bluecrew
Pick up shifts when you want
If you’re a voracious reader, there’s a chance you’re already familiar with this app. But if you’re looking to kickstart a healthy habit for the summer, then it might be the jolt you need. Goodreads is a dynamic book tracker, a helpful tool that allows you to keep track of the titles you read, rank them on a five-star scale, and interact with friends’ reviews and lists.

Image: Kevin Kearney
We know you might not be looking for a full-time job, so we also found some apps that allow you to work part-time or odd jobs when you’re looking to earn extra cash. If you’re looking for in-person work, we recommend Bluecrew, which offers temporary jobs and shifts near you. You can set your preferences for work (everything from bartending to customer support to dishwashing) and then begin searching and applying for gigs.

Image: Kevin Kearney
I tried out other similar apps but found they didn’t deliver on their promises. Jobber positions itself as a competitor to Bluecrew, yet it mostly aggregated the full-time listings near me from more popular job websites like Indeed. TaskRabbit might be the go-to for laborers looking for some easy cash, though it doesn’t seem sustainable for anything other than petty cash and, in some areas, requires a business license. Bluecrew might feature fewer listings, though we think that’s a feature rather than a bug. There’s less junk here, which means you can find actual opportunities and start earning some real money.

Fiverr
Grow your online side hustle
Manual labor isn’t the only way to earn a few honest bucks. Plenty of people need help in the digital realm, whether it’s with graphic design, social media marketing, content writing, or a number of other online tasks. We researched a few different freelancing apps aimed at creatives, including Upwork and Thumbtack, but we found Fiverr to be the best, especially for people just starting their freelance careers.

Image: Kevin Kearney
Fiverr is straightforward, allowing you to build a seller profile in just a few minutes by marketing a specific skill or service (i.e. creating images for a website or editing a blog post). From there, you’ll effectively have an open shop where Fiverr users will find you when they search for the services you’ve advertised. You can set up a videoconference with a prospective customer or handle everything through in-app messaging. Your contracts, schedules, and payments are organized within the app, which makes bookkeeping (and the eventual taxes you’ll need to pay) a breeze.
There is a downside, though: Every Fiverr transaction comes with a $2 service fee and a 20% commission. If your side hustle only consists of small, inexpensive tasks, you might need to up your rate—or head on over to Kijiji.
How WhistleOut reviews apps
Our mobile experts scour the app stores every month, looking for the best new apps for Android and iPhone. Before recommending an app, we use the app for at least one full workday, testing its basic functionality and evaluating whether or not it delivers on its promises.
-
Easy to use
Great apps simplify your phone. We selected the tools that don't require a complicated instructional manual. -
Affordability
The internet is filled with expensive price tags, but we're not buying what they're selling. We leaned into inexpensive, quality apps. Extra points if they're free! -
Hands-on testing
We played around with these before recommending them, ensuring they're worth your download.
From there, we weigh the app's pros and cons and then determine whether or not it's a worthwhile download for the wider population of cell phone users.
Related Articles
Find Better Phones and Plans
Hundreds of cell phone plans unpacked. All the facts. No surprises.