FlexJobs Review 2023: Is FlexJobs Worth It?

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FlexJobs is a name that’s almost certain to appear on your radar when you’re searching online for home based and flexible jobs. It’s one of the most well-established and well-known online job boards, with mentions on the likes of Forbes, CNN and The Wall Street Journal.

But does that mean it’s worth investing in a subscription? That’s what I tackle in this FlexJobs review. It sets out to answer the two most vital questions:

  • Is FlexJobs worth it?
  • Is FlexJobs legit?

This FlexJobs review was last updated on September 27th 2023. Please note that I constantly update this review to include the most recent information. Plenty of other sites do NOT do the same!

There have been considerable changes at FlexJobs in recent months, not least a fundamental revamp to their pricing, and their approach to discounts. Read on to find out more.

Why Listen to Me?

I’ve tried to make this the most honest and thorough review of FlexJobs out there.

I regularly log on to FlexJobs to find out how things are evolving, and – unlike some reviewers – I actually spend time searching to see what kind of jobs are on offer each time. I have personally signed up and used FlexJobs – using my own money!

FlexJobs subscription proof
Proof of my own FlexJobs subscription!

HomeWorkingClub lives and breathes remote and flexible work. It’s what we specialise in, and what we know. As well as drawing my own conclusions from using FlexJobs myself, I also regularly speak to readers who’ve subscribed to FlexJobs and shared their experiences.

TL;DR: Is FlexJobs Worth It? The Key Details

For those who don’t want to read a detailed review, I can confirm that FlexJobs IS worth it, so long as you understand what you’re getting for the (relatively small) subscription fee.

  • You DO gain full access to FlexJobs’ large list of vetted job opportunities (24,561 of them, when I last looked in September 2023.)
  • You DO get access to an extensive collection of resources for job seekers – including courses, webinars, downloadable guides and discounted career coaching.

BUT:

  • You DON’T get a miracle guarantee of landing your dream job, just because you’ve subscribed!

FlexJobs: The Basics

Let’s get into the detail, starting with the real basics:

What Is FlexJobs?

FlexJobs is an online job board service for people seeking remote, home-based, freelance and flexible roles. The jobs come from various sources including company websites and employment agencies, and are “hand-screened” before being listed on the site.

FlexJobs Home Page Screenshot

Is FlexJobs Legit?

FlexJobs is completely legit and has a strong online reputation. It’s easy to find a positive FlexJobs reviews because the service does deliver, and subscriptions are very affordable.

Despite this, it’s important to realise that subscribing won’t do miracles. You still need to apply to jobs you are suitable for, put in strong applications, and perform well at interview.

Is Flexjobs a Scam?

FlexJobs is NOT a scam. It’s easy to find online praise from those who’ve found the perfect flexible job as a result of signing up.

However, some people DO speak negatively about FlexJobs. They are generally those who object to the general principle of paying any kind of subscription fee.

If you’ve decided you want to work remotely, you can try to uncover jobs that allow it on the traditional job boards, or do lots of time-consuming research into individual companies. Alternatively, you can pay for a service like FlexJobs that does that for you, putting all the flexible jobs in one place.

Background and History

To give you a little more reassurance, here’s a little information on the background of FlexJobs.

FlexJobs was founded in 2007 by Sara Sutton, a lady with decades of experience in recruitment and hiring. She became particularly passionate about remote work and flexible schedules when she had her first child, and has been working remotely since 1998.

FlexJobs is very active in the world of home, remote and flexible work, and has won various awards and accolades over the years. It received an award for “Marketplace Trust” from the Better Business Bureau, and the company is also BBB accredited, with an A+ rating, and a 4.22 star average customer review, at the time of writing.

Other awards in the FlexJobs trophy cabinet include an Online Trust Alliance Leadership Award for Excellence in Consumer Trust, and a listing on Entrepreneur’s Top Company Cultures list. Business Insider has also the named FlexJobs Vice President as one of the top 20 innovators in HR.

I’m pretty sure there aren’t any other online job boards with quite such a stellar reputation.

What Can You Find on FlexJobs?

FlexJobs offers a wide range of legitimate jobs, so you should find some options regardless of your career level.

FlexJobs’ definition of “flexible jobs” is rather broad. Many jobs are “100% remote” home jobs, while some are attached to a fixed location, with only some level of home working permitted.

There are also plenty of freelance opportunities – certainly a plus for independent workers.

What Else is Included with FlexJobs, Apart From Job Postings?

Like most chargeable job search services, FlexJobs bolts on several supplementary features to justify the small cost. These include online “resume profiles,” skills tests, and access to a huge amount of helpful content, including training videos and tutorials – more on all that below.

There’s also recently been the addition of a FlexJobs app, allowing you to search for remote jobs and access other FlexJobs features from a mobile device. (Please note that the FlexJobs app currently appears to be available for Apple iOS devices only.)

FlexJobs app

Members also get access to exclusive events and discounts on help from a FlexJobs career coach and other services.

FlexJobs Pricing

How Much Does FlexJobs Cost?

FlexJobs has made some considerable changes to its pricing structure throughout 2023. (Please note that a lot of other FlexJobs reviews are still showing FlexJobs’ old pricing at the time of writing, as well as showing coupon codes that are no longer valid).

PLEASE NOTE: We make best efforts to keep our FlexJobs pricing details up to date, but please check the FlexJobs site for the most recent information.

The current pricing for FlexJobs is as follows (last checked on September 6th, 2023):

FlexJobs pricing table 2023

The standard pricing breaks down as follows:

  • 14-day access: $2.95 (works out to $1.98 per week for this initial “trial” access).
  • On going subscription: $23.95 billed every four weeks.
  • Monthly access(paid annually upfront): $71.40 (works out to $5.95 per month)

As you can see, FlexJobs membership gets cheaper when you commit to a longer subscription. Doing so can make good sense, as the job opportunities are updated daily. A job search can takes time – there’s no guarantee that your dream job will be there waiting the very first time you browse the job listings.

It’s worth noting that there’s a 14 day money-back guarantee, and we’ve never heard of people having any issues claiming on this.

FlexJobs Coupon Codes

As well as switching up the pricing model, FlexJobs has changed its approach to coupon codes.

These used to be widespread, with frequent offers throughout the year. However, I’ve been informed by FlexJobs that these are no longer available. Indeed, the ability to enter a FlexJobs voucher code has now been removed from the site.

Right now, the cheapest way to try out Flexjobs is to sign up with this link and grab 14 days access for just $2.95.

Is there a FlexJobs Free Trial?

While there isn’t a fully-fledged free trial on offer for FlexJobs, you can still browse a lot of the site and get an idea of what’s on offer.

FlexJobs Review: Deep Dive

Next, we’ll run through exactly what you can expect from the FlexJobs jobs postings, and the rest of the online service.

FlexJobs gives you a wealth of information when you hit the user dashboard. The dashboard has evolved over the years, and while it’s rather “busy,” with a lot to take in, it’s certainly much more refined than it once was.

FlexJobs dashboard screenshot

There’s also a prominent online chat option, in case you need any assistance.

Let’s start with the most important thing: searching for jobs. Then we’ll move on to all the other supplementary features.

All of the job postings are found under the “Find Remote, Hybrid and Flexible Jobs” section.

What Types of Jobs are on FlexJobs?

The following types of jobs are available on FlexJobs:

  • 100% remote roles.
  • Home-based (telecommute) jobs.
  • Office-based jobs with an element of remote working allowed.
  • Freelance / independent contractor roles.
  • Part-time jobs.

When it comes to searching the FlexJobs site, the options you have to choose from are shown in the screenshot below. You can also filter jobs as “employee,” “freelance” or “temporary.”

Flexible work options on FlexJobs

The jobs listed cover every imaginable industry sector, and span from entry-level roles to senior positions within legitimate companies. You’ll see some big names among the firms on the site.

Logos of Companies offering jobs on FlexJobs

Here are some of the key categories of job available on FlexJobs:

Find a full list of the job categories here.

Freelance Work on FlexJobs

It’s important to understand that FlexJobs is a site for flexible jobs of all kinds. I’ve seen some reviewers look at it purely from a freelancer’s perspective, which is rather missing the point.

That said, there are freelance jobs on FlexJobs, and more of them than there used to be.

I took this screenshot, which shows you the breakdown of the jobs listed. As you can see, of around 24,000 jobs available, 1627 were categorised as “freelance.”

FlexJobs freelance jobs

This does rather serve to emphasise that FlexJobs is very different to something like Upwork (review here). It’s not intended as a dedicated freelancing site. It caters for all kinds of work from home opportunities. However, for most freelancers, landing just one gig via FlexJobs would make the subscription fee worthwhile – and there are over 1600 opportunities there.

International Jobs on FlexJobs

Another very important question, when looking at any job site, is whether it caters to a global audience, or focuses purely on the US.

FlexJobs is stronger on international (i.e. non US) jobs than it was when we first reviewed it a few years ago. On my most recent test I found over 1150 listings with the keyword “UK” and over 500 with “Australia.”

More and more companies are going 100% remote nowadays, and are increasingly willing to hire across borders. It IS fair to say that US residents will find more to choose from, but it’s still perfectly possible to find a remote job on FlexJobs if you live elsewhere.

This is significant, because FlexJobs’ closest rival, Virtual Vocations, is very US-centric.

Searching FlexJobs

Every time I update this FlexJobs review, I have a good look at what kind of jobs are available. The “Find Jobs” section allows you use a search box to search by keyword, title or job category. Alternatively, you can drill down through a category list.

Screenpost of Job postings search

The search facilities are good but not perfect. Every time I log on to FlexJobs I check to see if they have improved! By making use of the considerable range of advanced search parameters, you can drill down to the exact kind of job you’re looking for.

The nature of the text search means that FlexJobs sometimes throws up irrelevant jobs. For example, my search for “writing” produced some social media positions, because they mentioned “writing” in the job description. The more specific you are in your search criteria, the better.

FlexJobs prominently shows how many jobs are on offer at one time – it typically hovers around the 25-30,000 mark.

After spending a long time browsing FlexJobs, I’ve developed a good workflow for uncovering the most accurate results:

  1. Use the search box for your initial search.
  2. Use the filters at the top of the screen to drill down to the most appropriate results – this can help eliminate strange results the text search has produced.
  3. Be sure to use the “Remote” filter to ensure you only see jobs appropriate to you – i.e. 100% remote or Hybrid Remote.
Searching FlexJobs effectively using available filters

Finding and Applying for Jobs

Once you’ve found a job that interests you, you can click through and find a detailed description. FlexJobs excels here, with the job board showing as much information as the team as managed to gather on each role. This includes whether a job is home based, partially remote etc.

When you click the apply button, you’re taken directly to the original job advert. This could mean a page on the employer’s own site or an agency advert. Generally speaking, it’s then down you to dispatch your resumes and cover letters to the jobs that interest you.

It’s important to understand that this is how FlexJobs works. The job board purely aggregates jobs from other sources all over the internet – you’re paying for this service – not for access jobs you couldn’t find elsewhere (although it’s fair to argue that it would take you years to find them all!)

Other Features of FlexJobs

FlexJobs includes various supplementary features. I was initially rather cynical about these, seeing them merely as a “bolt on” to justify the subscription fee. However, FlexJobs seems to get stronger and stronger in this area. The “Learning Center,” especially, really does provide a lot of useful content.

Let’s break down what you get.

Resume Profiles

Resume profiles gives you the ability to set up multiple online resumes. Some may find this useful, but I remain unconvinced – for a couple of reasons:

Firstly, most people will already have a resume set up exactly as they want it, probably as a PDF file ready to email out to potential employers with a cover letter. Furthermore, the vast majority of the jobs on the platform have their own application processes. As such, they don’t integrate with FlexJobs’ resume platform. FlexJobs acknowledges this in its introductory video.

One big benefit of setting up resumes is that you’re teaching FlexJobs more about you, which allows them to include more relevant jobs when they send email updates.

The Learning Center

The FlexJobs Learning Center is rather good these days. There’s always been a lot of advice content on the site, and it seems somebody’s now really thought about how best to lay it all out and make it useful.

In this section, you’ll find downloadable guides, webinars and links to lots of blog and video content.

Courses

There are some free courses included with FlexJobs membership, delivered via LinkedIn Learning, and broken down into subjects like building a flexible career and finding remote jobs.

There’s about four hours of this course material in total. (Arguably, it’s worth paying the $2.95 for a 14 day subscription just to take these courses – you don’t get much cheaper training than that!)

Courses available on FlexJobs

Once again, you can get a lot of value out of your FlexJobs subscription if you take full advantage of these courses. There’s literally hours of material here.

FlexJobs Skills Tests

One bolt-on feature I’ve never been that enthusiastic about is the free access to a large collection of “FlexJobs skills tests.” The idea of these is that you can show off and prove your abilities in everything from languages to specific software packages.

FlexJobs skills tests

My issue with these tests is that I’m just not that convinced that the fact you’ve taken a skills test on FlexJobs is something a potential employer is going to be all that impressed with. (I’d personally rather spend the time completing a course on Coursera or somewhere similar, where you can get an accreditation from a known university or company).

That said, FlexJobs obviously has some belief in these tests, as they continue to enhance and build on them.

Partner Discounts

As part of a FlexJobs membership, you qualify for various “partner discounts” with third party companies. Some of these include savings from:

It’s certainly worth having a look what’s on offer, as the right saving could cover (or at least justify!) your FlexJobs membership!

FlexJobs Career Coaching

FlexJobs also offers a few career coaching options on a one-to-one basis. You can pay for coaching time, resume reviews, or even mock interviews.

Private coaching is an extra cost bolt-on service, and it comes at a significantly reduced price for FlexJobs members. The main options are shown below.

While I’ve not put these coaching services to the test as part of my review, the value here is good. For just $74 you can get a 30 minute private call focusing on whatever you like.

A resume review is competitively priced too – with many services charging WAY more. (If you need an updated resume, also take a look at our ZipJob review – they offer a basic free service).

There’s also regular free coaching available in live Q&A / webinar format. This is one of those features that illustrates that the value of a FlexJobs membership is higher if you’re willing to put some time and effort in.

Another thing I should note here is that there’s been huge inflation since my first FlexJobs review. While FlexJobs has increased the price of these services, it’s only done so minimally, which should be commended.

Blog Articles and Other Content

FlexJobs has a busy blog. The blog content is open to non-members as well. It’s a useful compliment to the information in the Learning Center.

FlexJobs also gets heavily involved in the wider flexible working community, with initiatives such as National Flex Day.

Company Guides

One thing I do think FlexJobs deserves a whole lot of credit for is its extensive selection of company guides. You can look up specific companies, and find a write up, along with information on certain criteria such as the type of work flexibility typically offered, and whether they take on freelancers.

Example company guide

Best of all these are available even if you DON’T have paid FlexJobs subscription! You can find the company guides here, and do your own research to find the top companies that offer flexible work patterns.

Online Feedback and User Reviews for FlexJobs

It doesn’t take long to find plenty of FlexJobs reviews online. The vast majority of customer reviews on sites like Sitejabber and Trustpilot are very positive. The FlexJobs TrustPilot rating is 4.6 stars at the time of writing – actually an improvement on the last update of this review.

FlexJobs staff frequently take the time to respond to customer reviews. As previously mentioned, the company also has an A+ Better Business Bureau rating, and a 4.22/5 customer review rating on that site.

I’ve heard from plenty of people who’ve found home-based jobs on FlexJobs. Hannah, who was recently hired for a full-time role found on the site, provided me with this FlexJobs testimonial:

“Overall it was a super positive experience. FlexJobs actually had a huge amount of jobs for me to choose from, and the application process was easy. They also offer a lot of useful resources. Most importantly, it is possible to search for “fully remote” in the country you are from.”

A Couple of Key Questions

Are there Out of Date Listings on FlexJobs?

Out of date job listings are something people seem to complain about with every job board. It’s almost inevitable that you’ll find some on FlexJobs too.

Out of date listings aren’t always the fault of the job boards. Employers often fail to pull the listing when a position has been filled. Some firms also recruit for certain roles on a constant basis. For example, I looked today at the oldest listing on FlexJobs. It was six months old, but for a company that constantly recruits new remote workers.

The key thing to do is to pay attention to when each job was posted. While I was searching, I did find some listings going back months rather than weeks.

Out of date job listing for an ESL teacher

There is some potential for frustration here. However, it was really no different in the past, when we all used to look for jobs in the newspaper. There was still the chance that a job would be gone by the time you applied.

How Long Should you Sign Up to FlexJobs For?

One thing it’s important to remember about FlexJobs, and indeed any job board, is that you may not find your dream job on the first day you look. However, you never know if it may be posted the next day, week or month.

The 14 day FlexJobs membership gives you a good opportunity to test out the site and get a feel for things (and perhaps complete a few of the courses).

Really though, if you are serious about finding perfect work from home positions, using the platform over a longer period will probably give you a much better chance. At the time of writing, signing up for a year is considerably more cost effective than a rolling monthly subscription.

How Much Can You Make on FlexJobs?

This is a question people ask regularly, but it’s important to realise that FlexJobs is a job board, advertising jobs on offer from other companies!

As such, there’s no simple answer to the question – it will depend entirely on your career stage and the job you land.

To give you some indicative examples (with figures taken from PayScale):

  • A customer services representative could expect a median wage of $14.63 per hour.
  • A project manager could expect to earn around $75,000 per year.
  • A writers’s average annual wage would be around $51,682.
  • A graphic designer usually earns an average of $46,638 each year.

These are very much average rates, based on a few roles we picked at random from the FlexJobs site.

How Does FlexJobs Keep “Bad” Jobs Off Its Site?

FlexJobs makes a selling point of ensuring that jobs posted on the site are legitimate and “vetted.” There are lots of scams in the home working world, so it’s reassuring to use a site that actively watches out for them.

FlexJobs posting FAQs screenshot

The job posting guidelines, shown above, go some way to showing you what the site does to ensure that only good quality jobs end up in the listings. As you can see, there are various checks in place to ensure there are legitimate companies behind the opportunities, and that they’re true “professional level” jobs.

With all that said, we would always recommend that you do you own due diligence on any job you apply for.

Customer Support

Just before we conclude, a word or two on customer support.

Last time I updated this review of FlexJobs, I was very impressed to find both email addresses and phone numbers for team members. Not many companies provide those these days.

Ways to contact FlexJobs screenshot

Telephone support is on offer from 9am – 6pm MT, and there’s also a live chat facility.

It’s clear that FlexJobs likes to be transparent and contactable. Feedback I’ve had from members reflects this – right down to people having no hassle seeking refunds.

Cancelling: How to Cancel FlexJobs

One thing that worries many people about subscription services is the ability to cancel. Little annoys me more than having to call a number or send an email to process a cancellation.

Thankfully, cancelling FlexJobs is easy. To end your subscription, simply do the following:

  • Navigate to the “Account Management” section (accessed by clicking your name in the top-right.)
  • Click the “Subscription” tab.
  • Click on the option to either “Expire your account” at the end of your current cubscription period, or cancel it immediately.
How to cancel FlexJobs - screenshot
How to cancel FlexJobs

I’ve cancelled FlexJobs and restarted my subscription on many occasions and never had any problems with incorrect payments or issues with the cancellation.

Conclusion: Is It Worth Paying for FlexJobs?

It is definitely worth paying for FlexJobs IF you’re willing to put some effort into searching all of the available roles.

Signing up to FlexJobs could result in you finding the perfect flexible job to suit your lifestyle. However, it’s not a “magic bullet” that will land that job in your lap without any work on your part.

You still need to search the listings regularly, make full use of the features, and send good quality applications to jobs you are a perfect fit for. Something I see a huge amount of in the home working world is people getting affronted when a tiny investment doesn’t change their life.

Every time I log into FlexJobs I find plenty of options for project managers, techies of all kinds, and people in sales and marketing. There are also entry level jobs such as call center and data entry roles.

If you’re willing to put that effort in, you WILL find a suitable new job to apply for on FlexJobs. This applies whether you’re an entry-level worker or someone with lots of professional experience.

Screenshot FlexJobs Blog page

I’ve spent a considerable length of time searching through the listings on FlexJobs over the years. I consistently find the kind of legitimate work I’m constantly asked about: remote sales jobs, data entry work, home-based programming roles, and freelance writing gigs.

FlexJobs deserves its positive reputation. It’s not perfect: The interface remains a little cluttered, although it’s fair to say that recent design updates have gone a long way towards putting this right. I’d personally get rid of some of the less enticing features in exchange for a “leaner and meaner” experience.

FlexJobs does offer the kind of flexible job opportunities people are looking for, complied by a firm with a very strong reputation among its customers. FlexJobs also has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

It’s also clear that the FlexJobs team live and breathe the remote working world, with a constant stream of webinars, blog articles and practical advice for job hunters.

FlexJobs is legit, and could be where you find a remote job offer, or your next freelance gig.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE: Check out our epic review of Upwork, if you’re looking for freelance opportunities. Or, if you’re quite happy in your job, read this to find out how to convince your boss to let you work from home.

 
FlexJobs is a Credible Place to Look for Flexible Work
4.5
4.5 of 5 stars 1 review
  • Value
  • Reputation
  • Choice of Jobs

Well worth a look!

FlexJobs won’t do miracles, or drop your dream job in your lap. However, it’s a highly credible remote job site with lots of remote work opportunities to work through. The training resources and courses could also help you to justify the cost of the subscription.

Pros

  • Access to jobs that may prove hard to find elsewhere
  • Inexpensive membership fee and a money-back guarantee
  • A good “Learning Centre” complete with free courses
  • Gradual, incremental improvements to the feature-set and search facilities
  • Excellent blog content
  • Solid reputation for customer service and integrity
  • Useful new search widget

Cons

  • Search and filtering features still need improvement
  • Out of date listings can be a problem
  • Skills tests and CV profiles feel like superfluous features