Job Scout Quick Start
Job Scout finds new jobs like the ones you want, from 2,800+ company career pages and six remote-job sites, and shows them on one page. It's free, and everything stays on your computer.
This guide takes about 10 minutes, start to finish.
1. Install
Mac
- Open the file you downloaded, Job-Scout-mac.dmg.
- Drag Job Scout onto the Applications folder in the window that opens.
- Open your Applications folder and double-click Job Scout.
- The first time, your Mac may say "Job Scout" Not Opened because Apple couldn't verify it. That's because Job Scout is new and isn't notarized by Apple yet. Click Done (not Move to Trash), then open System Settings > Privacy & Security and scroll all the way down the right side, past the long list of app permissions, to the Security heading. There you'll see "Job Scout" was blocked to protect your Mac. Click Open Anyway, confirm with your password or Touch ID, then click Open Anyway once more. You only do this once. (If the message isn't there, open Job Scout again, click Done, and come straight back. It only shows for a little while.)
Job Scout runs in your menu bar (top right of your screen, near the clock). Look for a small magnifying glass with a star inside. Click it any time for Open Job Scout, Open at login, or Quit.
Works on Macs with Apple chips (M1 and newer) and Intel chips, running macOS 11 or later. Job Scout runs on computers only. It doesn't run on phones or tablets.
Windows
- Open the file you downloaded, Job-Scout-Setup.exe.
- If Windows shows "Windows protected your PC", click More info, then Run anyway. You'll see this because Job Scout is a new app that Windows doesn't recognize yet. Your browser may also ask whether to keep the download. Choose Keep.
- If your antivirus (like Trend Micro or Norton) warns about Job Scout, it's because the app is new and hasn't been downloaded by many people yet. Nothing's wrong with it. Choose the option to continue or allow it. To double-check the file, its SHA-256 fingerprint is listed on the releases page.
- Click through the installer. It doesn't need an administrator password.
- Leave Open Job Scout now checked and click Finish.
Job Scout runs in your system tray (bottom right of your screen, near the clock. You may need to click the ^ arrow first). Right-click the icon for Open Job Scout, Open at login, or Quit.
2. Set up (about 5 minutes)
When Job Scout opens, your web browser shows the setup screen. It asks for:
- The jobs you want. Type the job titles you'd apply for, one per line. If you're aiming at two or three different kinds of roles, make a group (a "track") for each, like "People and Culture" and "Program Management."
- Where you can work. Remote only, remote or near you, or anywhere in the US.
- Pay and deal-breakers. Your minimum pay and anything that rules a job out.
- Your background. Upload your resume (a Word file) or paste the text. From a PDF, open it, select all, copy, and paste.
- Claude and alert emails. Both optional. See sections 4 and 5.
Click Finish and find jobs. Your first search starts right away and takes a few minutes.
Job Scout opens in your browser, but it isn't a website. It runs on your computer at an address only your computer can reach, localhost:8765. Bookmark it if you like.
3. Use it
- Find new jobs (top of the left menu) runs a new search. Run it whenever you like. A progress panel shows each step, and it says Done when it's finished.
- Each job shows a fit score (with Claude), why it fits, the salary when it's listed, and where it's posted. Click a job for details, the posting text, and your notes.
- Clear your list as you go. Bookmark to save, ✓ when you've applied, ✕ if it's not for you. Each one moves the job out of New matches, so the page only shows what you haven't looked at yet.
- Saved, Applied, and Closed (left menu) keep those jobs across every search. In Applied, track each job's stage (Applied, Interviewing, Offer), and export Saved or Applied to a spreadsheet. Setting a job's stage to Closed moves it to the Closed list.
- Take the tour (bottom of the left menu) walks you through the page again.
4. Claude (optional, recommended)
Job Scout works without Claude. It still finds and filters jobs for free.
With Claude, it reads each job against your resume and deal-breakers, scores the fit from 1 to 10, tells you why, and searches the web for jobs those sources miss. That turns hundreds of keyword matches into a short, ranked list.
You'll need a paid Claude plan (Pro, Max, or Team). The free Claude plan doesn't include it. It isn't an extra charge: Job Scout uses your plan's usage allowance, the same one your own Claude chats use. A typical search uses about 10 to 35 cents' worth at Anthropic's pay-as-you-go prices, which is light use, and Claude only runs when you click Find new jobs.
To connect it: in setup's last step, or later in Settings > Status > Connect, click Install Claude, then Sign in to Claude. Your browser opens to sign in. Click Authorize, and you're done.
5. Job-alert emails (optional)
If you get job-alert emails in Gmail from LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter or similar sites, Job Scout can read them so those jobs show up too. It only reads them. It never changes, deletes, or sends email.
- Turn on 2-Step Verification for your Google account at myaccount.google.com/security.
- Go to myaccount.google.com/apppasswords, type Job Scout, click Create, and copy the 16-letter password.
- In Job Scout, open Settings > Alert emails, enter your Gmail address, paste the password, and click Save and test. Then tick the sites you get alerts from, or add your own, and click Save settings.
Job Scout also notices "Thank you for applying" emails and moves that job to Applied for you, dated the day you applied. It only does this when the email names the job, and you can turn it off in Settings. It also spots rejection emails and moves those applications to Closed, so Applied only shows what's still alive. If you file rejections in their own folder or label, enter its name in Settings > Alert emails.
The password is kept in your computer's secure password storage (Keychain on Mac, Windows' protected storage on Windows), never in a file.
Updates
When there's a new version, Job Scout shows a banner at the top of the page with a Download button. Install it the same way you did the first time. On a Mac, choose Replace when asked. Your saved jobs, notes, and settings stay exactly as they were.
Common questions
The page says "Job Scout isn't running." Open the Job Scout app again, and the page reconnects by itself.
Where's my data? Only on your computer. On a Mac it's in ~/Library/Application Support/Job Scout. On Windows it's in %APPDATA%\Job Scout. Clearing your browser doesn't affect it.
How do I uninstall it? Mac: drag Job Scout from Applications to the Trash. Windows: Settings > Apps > Job Scout > Uninstall. Your data folder stays behind in case you reinstall. Delete it too if you want everything gone.
It's not finding the jobs I expect. Open Settings > Job titles & tracks and add more titles or keywords. Job Scout only considers jobs whose titles contain one of them.
Is it really free? Yes. Job Scout is free to download and use, provided as-is, and the free features stay free. A Job Scout Pro edition is planned, adding premium features like rejection tracking and interview prep for a small monthly price you can cancel anytime. If it helps your search, I'd love to hear about it. Use Send feedback in the app, or say hello on LinkedIn.
Job Scout is built by Jon Richards at UpSkillPros.