by WP Job Manager – A Complete Overview
WP Job Manager is a free, lightweight, and highly extensible job board plugin for WordPress. It allows you to turn your WordPress website into a fully functional job listing platform, similar to major job portals like Indeed or Monster, but with the flexibility of WordPress. The plugin was originally developed by Mike Jolley and is now maintained by Automattic—the same company behind WordPress.com and WooCommerce.
It’s designed to work seamlessly with almost any WordPress theme and can be extended with numerous free and paid add-ons for additional functionality like resume submission, applications, alerts, and more.
Core Purpose
At its heart, WP Job Manager lets you:
- Post and manage job listings.
- Allow employers to submit jobs via a front-end form.
- Enable job seekers to browse, search, and filter jobs.
- Control listing duration and expiration.
- Integrate with various add-ons for advanced features.
It works both for standalone job boards and for websites that want to add a “Careers” or “Jobs” section to an existing business site.
Key Features of WP Job Manager
1. Lightweight & Shortcode-Based
WP Job Manager doesn’t overwhelm your site with heavy templates or unnecessary styling. It’s shortcode-driven, which means you can add job listings, submission forms, and dashboards anywhere on your site just by placing shortcodes on a page.
Common shortcodes include:
[jobs]– Displays job listings with search and filtering.[submit_job_form]– Displays the job submission form.[job_dashboard]– Displays a logged-in user’s list of submitted jobs.
2. Front-End Job Submission
Employers can submit jobs directly from the front end of your site. The form includes fields for:
- Job title
- Location
- Description
- Company details (name, website, logo)
- Job type (full-time, part-time, internship, freelance)
Submitted jobs can either be auto-published or sent for admin review and approval.
3. Job Listings with Search & Filter
The [jobs] shortcode creates a list of available jobs with:
- Keyword search box
- Location-based search
- Job type filter
- Pagination
- AJAX-based live filtering (no page reloads)
4. Employer Dashboard
Employers can log in and view all their posted jobs via [job_dashboard]. They can:
- Edit job listings.
- Mark jobs as filled.
- Delete jobs.
5. Expiration Control
You can set job listings to expire automatically after a set number of days. Once expired, jobs are hidden from public view unless renewed.
6. Theme Compatibility
It’s designed to work with most WordPress themes without custom coding. However, for the best experience, WP Job Manager-compatible themes (like Jobify, Listable, or WorkScout) can be used.
Add-Ons for WP Job Manager
While the free version is powerful, WP Job Manager’s real strength comes from its extensions. Automattic offers both free and premium add-ons to enhance functionality:
Free Add-Ons
- Applications – Lets job seekers apply to jobs using a form.
- Job Tags – Adds tag-based categorization to listings.
Premium Add-Ons
- Resume Manager – Allows job seekers to upload resumes or create online profiles.
- Job Alerts – Users can subscribe to get email alerts for new jobs matching their search.
- Paid Listings – Integrates with WooCommerce to charge employers for posting jobs.
- Bookmarks – Lets job seekers bookmark jobs for later.
- WC Paid Listings – Advanced paid job posting integration with WooCommerce.
These add-ons make WP Job Manager adaptable to almost any kind of job board setup.
How WP Job Manager Works in Practice
1. Installation & Setup
You can install it directly from the WordPress plugin repository:
- Go to Plugins > Add New.
- Search for “WP Job Manager”.
- Install & activate.
- Run the Setup Wizard to automatically create the necessary pages.
2. Creating Job Listings
You can:
- Add jobs manually via WordPress Dashboard > Job Listings > Add New.
- Let employers post jobs via the
[submit_job_form]shortcode.
3. Managing Jobs
From the dashboard, admins can:
- Approve pending jobs.
- Edit existing listings.
- Mark jobs as filled or expired.
Practical Use Cases
WP Job Manager is versatile enough to be used in many scenarios:
- Dedicated Job Boards – Create a niche-specific job portal (e.g., “Tech Jobs in NYC”).
- Company Career Pages – Post your organization’s open positions.
- Community Websites – Offer a job section for members.
- Freelance Platforms – Post gig and project listings.
- Local Classifieds – Add a jobs section to a city guide website.
Advantages of WP Job Manager
- Free & Open Source – The core plugin is completely free.
- Lightweight – Doesn’t bloat your site; fast performance.
- Easy to Use – Shortcodes make integration simple.
- Flexible – Can be used for both small company sites and large-scale job boards.
- Extendable – Dozens of add-ons for extra features.
- SEO-Friendly – Uses custom post types for better search engine indexing.
- Theme-Friendly – Works with most WordPress themes.
Limitations & Considerations
- Basic Out of the Box – The free version lacks advanced features like resumes, alerts, and paid listings (these require paid add-ons).
- Styling May Require Tweaks – Some themes need minor CSS adjustments for perfect integration.
- No Built-In Payment System – Requires WooCommerce or third-party add-ons to monetize listings.
- No Multi-Step Applications – Advanced application workflows require customization.
WP Job Manager vs. Alternatives
While WP Job Manager is one of the most popular job board plugins, there are alternatives like:
- Simple Job Board
- Jobs for WordPress
- WP Job Board (premium)
WP Job Manager stands out for:
- Being backed by Automattic.
- Having a large ecosystem of extensions.
- Strong community support.
Best Practices for Using WP Job Manager
- Use a Compatible Theme – If possible, use a theme designed for WP Job Manager for seamless styling.
- Plan Your Monetization Strategy – If you plan to charge for listings, integrate WooCommerce early.
- Enable Job Alerts – Keeps job seekers engaged.
- Optimize for SEO – Use an SEO plugin (like Yoast or Rank Math) to optimize job listings.
- Moderate Submissions – Review employer submissions to maintain quality control.
Conclusion
WP Job Manager is a powerful, flexible, and easy-to-use solution for building a job listing section or a full-fledged job board in WordPress. Its shortcode-driven approach makes it simple to implement, while its extensions allow it to grow with your needs.
If you need a lightweight job listing tool that works well with most WordPress setups and can scale into a full career portal, WP Job Manager is an excellent choice. Whether you’re running a small company site or launching a niche job portal, it can be tailored to fit almost any hiring scenario.
