An Introduction To Craigslist

Millions of people visit Craigslist every month. Still, many more have heard of it, but are not sure what it is. This article is a quick overview of the primary categories of Craigslist. Even though Craigslist has been available in some kind of form going back to 1995, there are people with no real idea of what it is or how it's used. However, these people are missing a terrific chance at being part of an online community that is constantly growing and evolving.

The Craigslist community can be a great asset for buying and selling things, discussing popular topics, or when looking for: information, jobs, friends, mates or dates. Here are some of the main sections presented in order as they currently appear on the site.

Community

There's a lot of local information that can be found in the Craigslist Community section. Things that can be found in this section cover events, lost and found even local news and politics, among others. If you want to look into a specific area then this is one section you will want to take a look at.

Personals

Whether you are looking for casual friendship or a lifelong mate the personals is for you. You must be at least eighteen years old to use this section. There are categories for all tastes, including opposite and same sex listings.

Forums

The Craigslist forums are a place where you can keep in touch, ask and answer questions, voice  your opinions or exchange information. The forums contain several different categories. This makes finding others with similar interests much easier. You can post to some of the forum categories without logging in, but for others a login is needed.

Housing

If you are looking for roommates, a house swap, an apartment, a house to buy, parking, storage, vacation property, sublets, tenants, commercial or office space then the housing category on Craigslist is the place to start. It is good for your local area or if you need housing in any of the 450 or so locations covered.

For Sale

The Craigslist For Sale section is for the sale, trade, giving or requesting of physical items. As with other sections, it is categorized. If you can find it for sale in a newspaper's ad section you can find it on Craigslist - with the two additional categories of 'barter' and 'free'.

Services

The service category is ideal for business owners who offer a service instead of, or in addition to, physical goods. Just make sure to post in the appropriate category. If you cannot find the right category then you can post to the small business section.

Jobs

The largest section on Craigslist by far is Jobs. There are dozens of categories listed to make looking for the right job match easier. The jobs listed here include full and part time, contracted work, working at the employer's location or working from home.

Gigs

'Gigs' can be defined as short term, one-off opportunities. There are fewer categories listed in Gigs, but they tend to be more general so they cover just about anything. If you are looking for help for an unexpected and temporary situation, or a special occasion then post here. Ongoing positions should be posted in the Jobs section.

Resumes

What if you are looking for work and want to get your name in front of potential employers? Then post to the Resumes section. There are no subtopics here, so a headline that stands out is essential for getting noticed.