The main job platforms by European country
Looking for a job in Europe is not about opening all the portals at the same time. Each country has different dominant platforms, public services, local portals, aggregators and recruitment habits. The wrong choice creates volume; the right choice creates signal.
The goal is not to be on all platforms. It’s knowing which channel to use to discover vacancies, validate companies, find recruiters and monitor applications.
First, separate the function of each platform
| Platform type | Best use | Common error |
|---|---|---|
| international vacancies, recruiters, target companies and networking | use only the quick application button | |
| EURES | European mobility, cross-border vacancies and official information | ignore due to institutional opinion |
| National public portals | local vacancies, public programs, job information | search in English only |
| Aggregators like Indeed | map recurring volume, titles and requirements | apply for everything without filter |
| Glassdoor | validate reputation, salaries and interviews | rely on an isolated assessment |
| Local portals | national, face-to-face, technical, administrative and service functions | apply without adapting language and CV |
| Company page | confirm vacancy, team and real requirements | do not check if the ad still exists |
If you’re just starting out, use platforms to learn the market. If you already have countries defined, use local portals. If you already have target companies, use LinkedIn and the company page.
Useful platforms by country
| Country | Useful platforms and channels | When to prioritize |
|---|---|---|
| Portugal | LinkedIn, IEFP, SAPO Emprego, Net-Empregos, Indeed | local functions, services, operations, technology and national companies |
| Spain | LinkedIn, InfoJobs, SEPE, Indeed, Tecnoempleo | administrative, commercial, technology, service and local business functions |
| Germany | LinkedIn, StepStone, Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit, Indeed, Xing | engineering, industry, IT, healthcare, local roles and vacancies in German |
| Netherlands | LinkedIn, Indeed, Werk.nl, Nationale Vacaturebank, StepStone | international companies, logistics, technology, operations and local vacancies |
| France | LinkedIn, France Travail, Apec, Indeed, Welcome to the Jungle | skilled roles, startups, French companies and roles that require French |
| Ireland | LinkedIn, Jobs.ie, IrishJobs, Indeed, Public Jobs | technology, international support, shared services and public sector |
| United Kingdom | LinkedIn, Indeed, Reed, Totaljobs, Civil Service Jobs | English-speaking market, services, technology, public sector and direct recruitment |
| Switzerland | LinkedIn, jobs.ch, JobScout24, StepStone | skilled roles, finance, pharma, engineering and multilingual roles |
| Belgium | LinkedIn, VDAB, Actiris, Le Forem, StepStone | vacancies by region, public functions, services and international companies |
| Nordics | LinkedIn, national public portals, Finn.no, Jobbnorge, Arbetsformedlingen | technology, engineering, energy, public sector and functions with local language |
This table is a starting point, not a closed list. In many countries, the sector and language change more than the portal. A hospitality job, a software job, and a government job rarely live in the same main channel.
How to use LinkedIn without relying on Easy Apply
LinkedIn is strong for international roles, technology, product, marketing, B2B sales, finance, consulting, operations, and multinational companies. But it delivers best when used as a research tool, not just as a portal.
Do this:
- Search for the position in English and the local language.
- Save searches by country, regime and seniority.
- Read 20 vacancies before adapting the resume.
- Notes repeated requirements.
- Identifies recruiters and hiring managers.
- Follow companies that hire your profile.
- Send short messages only when there is real context.
Search example:
- “Data Analyst” + Netherlands + hybrid;
- “Data Analyst” + Madrid;
- “Business Analyst” + Germany + English;
- “Customer Success Manager” + Lisbon + remote.
To learn more, read How to use LinkedIn to find jobs in the European market.
When to use EURES and public services
EURES is the European professional mobility network coordinated by the European Labor Authority. According to ELA, the service includes EURES advisors in 31 countries, a CV database, millions of vacancies, information on living and working conditions, online events and mobility support.
Use EURES when:
- looking for cross-border work;
- you want official information about living and working in another country;
- you need to understand scarcity by occupation;
- searches for mobility programs;
- you want to validate national public channels.
National public services are also useful when searching for local roles, public sector, training programmes, grants, employment information or regulated professions. The problem is that many vacancies appear in the local language. If you only search in English, you will lose part of the market.
Local portals work better with language and focus
Local portals are especially important for:
- administrative functions;
- local commerce and sales;
- hospitality;
- logistics;
- health and care;
- construction;
- industry;
- customer service;
- face-to-face functions;
- small and medium-sized companies.
Before using a local portal, translate your job title into the country’s language. “Operations coordinator” may appear as “operations coordinator”, “coordinador de operaciones”, “Sachbearbeiter”, “Chargé de mission” or other formulation. Do not translate mechanically; reads real vacancies and copies the market language.
It also adapts the curriculum. If the vacancy is in Spanish, French or German and requires that language, sending a CV only in English may reduce the response.
Search routine in 30 minutes a day
A good routine prevents dispersion:
| Day | Action |
|---|---|
| Monday | review alerts from LinkedIn and Indeed; save only aligned vacancies |
| Tuesday | search on the local portal of the priority country |
| Wednesday | visit pages of 10 target companies |
| Thursday | send messages with context to 3 relevant people |
| Friday | update spreadsheet: channel, response, vacancy quality and next step |
Measures quality by channel:
- how many useful vacancies I found;
- how many applications I sent;
- how many responses I received;
- how many interviews appeared;
- which channel brought the best companies;
- which channel brought the most noise.
After three weeks, cut out what only generates volume.
Errors that reduce response
- Open alerts on 10 platforms and don’t follow any of them properly.
- Search only in English in countries where the local language is important.
- Use the same CV for LinkedIn, public portal and local company.
- Apply through the aggregator without confirming the vacancy on the company website.
- Ignore public portals out of prejudice.
- Do not register where you applied.
- Confusing many vacancies found with a well-executed search.
To organize your routine, combine this article with How to organize a job search without losing control.
Sources and starting points
- EURES, European professional mobility portal.
- European Labor Authority: EURES, to understand the service and network.
- Europass, for CV, cover letter, jobs and courses.
- Your Europe: work in another EU country.
A good platform is the one that offers useful vacancies for your profile, in the right country, with verifiable conditions. The rest is noise organized in the form of an alert.