During the early days of in-home internet, Craig Newmark turned a personal distribution list into the modern-day version of classified ads. By allowing postings for local events, sale of items, and job postings, Craigslist became a nationwide phenomenon, allowing for communication and outreach in hundreds of cities.
While the website has remained a true classified ad platform, where you do everything from selling real estate to rehoming a kitten, the site has also evolved into a location-specific job board. Though it is no longer the market leader, this classified site has remained a popular place for job seekers.
Overview of Craigslist
While Craigslist.org is no longer the internet leader in any single category, the website continues to serve more than 4.9 million visitors per month and over 20 billion page views per month. It remains the leading classified service in any medium. In terms of job postings, there are 2 million listings per month, making it a great option for many job seekers.
Well-organized posts
Because it is not used solely for jobs, Craigslist has robust functionality for posting and finding the things you are looking for on the website. The home page offers everything from a lost and found section to a board for housing swaps, neatly organized by category and subcategory.
Craigslist has always been localized; each page is specific to a metropolitan area, and there is no global or national option.
Easy to navigate
The tagging system means that it is easy to find exactly what you’re looking for without having to sort through thousands of posts. Each post contains specific information related to the posting and offers photos and a map to demonstrate the general location.
Private messaging feature
Craigslist also has a secure messaging option that allows for information to be exchanged without providing personal contact info.
Pros
- Craigslist is a well-known website with millions of visitors each month, and many employers still post jobs there.
- Many jobs posted on Craigslist are for entry-level, manual labor, retail, and other roles that are not always as common on more professional-oriented job sites.
- You’re more likely to find part-time and non-traditional gigs on the site than you’d find on other job boards.
- There is no cost to use Craigslist for job applicants, and everyone has access to the same set of features.
- Craigslist has fewer applicants than other websites. Each job on Craigslist averages around 20 to 30 applicants, compared to 250 on websites like LinkedIn.
- Since listings are local, there is also a smaller applicant pool.
- In addition to looking for job postings, you can offer a resume or personal ad under a “Services Offered” category that may extend your network.
Cons
- The employers who post on Craigslist tend to be smaller and may have lower budgets for recruiting. This can mean their budget for hiring is also lower.
- Not every post on Craigslist is legitimate. Professional sites like ZipRecruiter do verify job listings, but Craigslist does not.
- All postings are localized, so your search is regional.
- The jobs available on Craigslist tend to be lower paying and, more often, things like trade work, manual labor, or retail and service sector opportunities.
- Craigslist does not offer additional resources for job hunting, like educational information or networking capabilities.
- Job listings are in reverse chronological order, which pushes the newest to the top. Employers can repost after a certain time to put the ad at the top again.
Craigslist features
A Craigslist account contains a number of features that are designed to apply to all forms of posting, not just job seekers.
Easy navigation
Craigslist’s platform has undergone many changes over the years and remains simple and easy to navigate. When you go to the page for your local city, the home page has categories listed like Community, Housing, Services, and of course, Jobs. Each of these sections lists subcategories. You can also browse nearby cities or use a search feature to find what you’re looking for.
There are no advertisements, graphics, or unnecessary items on the website.
Local posting
The city-specific setup of Craigslist allows a community feel, even on a platform that is present across the globe. True to its roots, the website still has an event calendar and allows you to break down large areas into neighborhoods or regions for more specific content.
While other job boards allow you to filter by location, for those looking for on-premise jobs or more regionally specific items, the local nature of Craigslist can be helpful.
Detailed posts
The creators of each post on Craigslist can provide as much written detail as they like, including job descriptions and terms or instructions in bulleted format. Each post includes an interactive map to help demonstrate the location, and photos can be added for additional detail.
The freeform nature of these postings means there is less rigidity than a traditional job posting format, though those could easily be placed into the website’s template.
Categories and subcategories
Instead of using extensive filters, Craigslist is sorted into specific categories from the outset. For instance, under the jobs heading, you can find everything from Finance and Accounting to Spa and Salon as options which means the initial list of posts you see on your smartphone y is relevant to the type of job you may be looking for.
Communication
Craigslist users can directly communicate with job posters in two ways. You can choose to avoid sharing contact information and use the website’s emailing, which masks your details with a generated address. You can also provide your information to the Craigslist site and allow them to relay messages.
Services offered
The most common use of Craigslist is for companies hiring to post an ad that job seekers can respond to or submit an application. However, there is also a board for Services, where anyone can advertise their own services. This can include sharing information about your small business or a general post about looking for work. A section for Resumes also exists to simply post your own resume.
Craigslist pricing
Craigslist users do not have to pay anything to use the website. There is no premium tier that grants access to more features, so you’ll never enter your credit card information.
Employers have to pay a small fee per job post in the United States and Canada, which can range from $10 to $75, depending on location. This helps reduce some of the spam that has been posted in the past. High-volume posters can also create accounts for paid posting.
Craigslist customer service
There is an extensive Help Center available on Craigslist’s website, including pre-written articles on how to carry out various tasks on the website and troubleshoot potential issues. This includes a Help Desk forum where users can communicate and share tips or answers to questions with one another.
For specific issues, you can also contact Craigslist by submitting a form online with details of your problem. The company behind Craigslist has less than 50 employees, despite its large user base, so there is no live chat or call center you can use to get in touch quickly. There is a toll-free phone number, but the best way to manage problems is typically through the website’s forms.
FAQs
Yes, craigslist.com is a legitimate website that is well known and used by millions of people each year. Each individual post does not get vetted before going live, so many posts on the website are not legitimate and require additional caution.
If you’re conducting a job search and come across a fraudulent post, users serve as flaggers and should mark the ad for review. If you’re worried about being scammed, a site like ZipRecruiter, where there’s more oversight, might be best.
Anyone can post on Craigslist, which means there is not a lot of protection against scammers or bad actors hoping to do harm. The site has no moderators. Because posters do not need to be verified, there is not always a way to know who you correspond with. Sharing personal information or agreeing to meet up based on a Craigslist conversation alone should be avoided.
Craigslist has garnered much media attention in the past because of scams and other problematic posts. People who did not follow safety standards have been hurt by bad actors on the website. Take precautions if you’re meeting a real person, set a meeting in a public place.
Craigslist is a very busy website with a large number of job postings that have a smaller audience than other job websites. This can allow easy access to job posters and make it easier to get a response. Users also enjoy the easy-to-use website and the local nature of postings.
Any vague job posting or asking you to reach out for details is suspicious. You should also be cautious of salaries or job perks that seem too good to be true. Government organizations and most large companies will not post job listings on Craigslist.
Never provide personal information, photos, or your location during a Craigslist discussion.
Craigslist is free for users, including those looking for a job. Employers and individuals who are hiring may be charged for each job post or have an account that allows them to post jobs in bulk. You should never be charged anything to use Craigslist for any other reason.
Yes, Craigslist has a large number of legitimate jobs posted every day. Not every job on Craigslist will be legitimate, especially because they are not verified by the company before being posted. If you are cautious and take precautions, you can find real job postings on Craigslist.
A job poster could use Craigslist to hire remote roles. However, remember that the website is usually used for local postings, so these would be less likely to be posted for only one audience. Some jobs may use this as an enticement for a scam, so be cautious when this is offered.
Most large cities have a Craigslist presence, and surrounding smaller areas may be grouped into that larger metropolitan area. There are about 70 countries and 700 cities with unique Craigslist boards.
Yes, Craigslist has a section called Resumes that allows job seekers to post their own resumes for consumption by employers and recruiters. This section is not the most heavily utilized, but it can work for some people. You can also post a service under the Services Offered section to advertise your business or services.
