Advanced Job Search – How to use Google for a job search

For many people, finding a job has changed drastically. Many workers have found themselves displaced by the economic times. Some of them have not been on the job hunt since the Internet became mainstream. Want ads in newspapers and storefront windows have evolved into job boards, search engines and social networks.

The competition for jobs is fierce. Fortunately our friends at Google have built this incredibly powerful search engine. An engine that is very hungry for content.

If you’re using Google to look for a job, you are probably using in the typical job board search method; skill set + location. You can do much better. Those type of search results are typically content from the 3 big job boards: Monster, Careerbuilder and Yahoo’s Hot Jobs.

While those sites often have legitimate opportunities, they are often so congested with job seekers that  getting through to the hiring manager is nearly impossible. Imagine a company with two sales positions inundated with over 1000 respondents. They may not have the resources to even look at 10% of those responses in any kind of detail. How do you stand out?

Be proactive – get ahead of the game! This is where your advanced tools come into play, including Google. Advanced search is a very powerful method of locating information. Online job ads are just that; pieces of information shared in cyberspace. You can find job opportunities in a wide array of methods; Search Engines, social networks, coffee shops and networking events.

How to search Google for Jobs

Have you noticed the advanced search link at google.com? Just to the right of the text field in little tiny letters, is the advanced search link. This is where Google can help you immensely. A plethora of options are presented to the search savvy user. Be specific with your questions for Google (called queries). For those with specific skill sets, make sure your search string includes those skills. Use your location as part of the search string as well. Other locations in your area can be combined using the boxes separated by the  Boolean operator OR. You may search for exact phrase matches, you may also exclude phrases. You can search specific sites by entering what sites to limit your search to. Linkedin.com and craigslist.org come to mind. You can find fresh content by clicking the Date, usage rights, numeric range and more option. This will help by only showing content that has been added to Google’s  index within last hour, day, week , month, or year. You can sort by date, or relevance. Hopefully by now you are beginning to see how powerful this tool can be in a job search. Often times when a company posts a job on their own site, it is indexed by Google rather quickly. The downside to this is that almost no one knows about that employers web or career portal. Company results rarely show up in Google’s organic job search results. When they do it is almost always because it is sponsored on a popular job site. Guess what? Many companies have stopped using the big 3 to post their jobs.

Do you see where this is going? Think outside the box, be specific in your search, try new methods. Use Google’s advanced search to your advantage. Do you really just need a job, any job? Search the last 24 hours or the last week in several neighboring cities. If you find something interesting, again be pro-active get more information about the company using a tool like jobshouts.com socializer web search to locate people on social networks. You can search for company names, people’s names or job skills.

How to search for a job…not where…but HOW

A lot of focus is on the job market these days. Much is being said about how to search for a job. What sites to visit, where to look, how to network. What is missing from this? How to input the correct search strings into the search boxes of Google, Twitter, or any job search engine you might encounter during your job search.

That’s just about as important as where to look. If your search phrases are not specific enough, you’ll be wasting your time sifting through jobs that are not relevant to your skills or profession. If you’re too tight on your search specifics your results will be too small to work with.

Each person will go about this in a slightly different way. Dependent on your skill sets your search phrases will vary. However, the logic behind search queries will be fairly consistent across almost any profession.

Boolean Search operators are very useful when conducting a search on google. Setting up google alerts to do this for you should be a integral part of your job search arsenal.

Before you begin your search, first make a list of keywords related to your chosen industry. Also make a list of cities, or geographical locations that you will be searching for jobs in.

When you enter your keywords into search fields, you can search for either a specific word or string of words. This can prove useful when you wish to enter multiple criteria e.g. software developer Tampa Florida. If your job requires a particular skill or qualification you may also wish to include this e.g. C#, PHP, Java, SQL etc.

Do not enter words that are not keywords, a, an, the, at, on etc. There is no need for them and they could throw your results off. You might just end up with movie titles for results. Not what you are looking for.

Use the Boolean operators  AND, OR, and NOT.

You can also combine words using AND, OR, and NOT. For example, network AND engineer will search for jobs which contains both the words network and engineer, although not necessarily next to each other.

Sales OR manager will search for jobs which contain either the word sales or manager.

Sales NOT manager will search for jobs which contain the word sales but not manager.

You can also search for a phrase by typing it exactly as you wish it to appear. E.g. typing “Quantity Surveyor” would return jobs containing the phrase ‘quantity surveyor’. placing your search phrase inside of quotes will return result that only match what was put into the quotes.

Try this search string (without the quotes) in Google and see what you get.  “(job, tampa, fl) network OR engineer -Novell”.

Parentheses ( )If you are sure about one search term, but not so sure about the others, you can group them together with parentheses. For example, I know for sure I want to search jobs in Tampa, fl. I also told Google to narrow my results to postings that contain network OR engineer but not Novell. Since I don’t know squat about Novell, why would I need to see search results that need filtering further?

Just try to keep in mind that Google automatically inserts the AND statement automatically anytime you enter multiple keywords. Most job search engines do as well, but if your not getting results use the AND statement. See if it helps; each person should get comfortable using operators, and search phrases that are relevant to their own careers, and goals.

Searching for jobs on twitter.

This is where your search takes on a different spin. Twitter and job authorities on twitter make use of what is known as hashtags. Hashtags are preceded by the ‘#’ symbol. e.g. #jobs or #seojobs, or #prjobs.

Here is an example search phrase to put into a search window in tweetdeck or twhirl. #jobs tampa .net developer. Not using a 3rd party client like tweetdeck of twhirl? Well if you’re serious about your job search you should be.

Using a tool to manage your search on twitter, such as Tweetdeck or Twhirl will put your search on autopilot. You wont have to sit in front of your computer waiting for the perfect job to come along. Leave your client running in the system tray and check it periodically.

Good Luck with your job search I hope this helps. If you would like to contribute more information to this article feel free to contact me @tall_geek on twitter.

Using Social Media to help with your job search

In 2008 America shed a record numbers of jobs (over 2.5 million) The largest decrease since the end of WWII. With more losses looming on the horizon, and no slowdown in site, many people are wondering when will it end. This is an unprecedented time for workers in the US, with many people losing their jobs through no fault of their own. This will cause a ripple effect globally. No one is really safe. JobShouts.com wants to offer some ideas to help you in  your search.

2009 marked the beginning of a new era in America.  A new president is in the oval office. Social media is taking center stage in the web 2.0 movement. Job boards are getting a lot of attention from job seekers.  This article is designed to assist the job-seeker. It includes ideas and information gathered from a variety of resources. It details the specifics of using LinkedIn to build your career network, and ideas on how to grow and develop your social networks.

It’s not the be all, end all guide that will guarantee your immediate success. It takes time to build and develop a network. There is no 30 second microwave networking class that actually works. JobShouts.com wants to help by providing ideas and solid advice. Please share this by passing this information along to your peers, friends, family members, or anyone affected by the current employment crisis. Read more

Think your job is secure? Don’t bet on it…

We have a new President! Hooray for change! Even if you didn’t vote for it, change is on the way and it’s likely to get worse before it gets better. Be prepared; don’t get blind-sided. Take these steps to ensure that you end up on your feet, should you be the next casualty of the dwindling job economy:

Blogging

Blogging is a great way to share information, present your abilities or talents or showcase your funny bone. Just remember, never put in writing what you don’t want someone to read. In other words, if your blogs are full of foul language, references to drug use and pictures of weekend antics – you might not want to make it public. Potential employers are also blogging these days in record numbers. They are on Twitter, Blogspot, LinkedIn, MySpace, Facebook and more. As a recruiter, I have used these sites to search for candidates as well as to determine character of candidates that want to be considered for opportunities. Many times, I have been thankful to have found their MySpace page prior to submitting them to a client. These are things that references don’t tell you!

Bottom line: I highly recommend using blogging sites as a way to express your abilities, including those abilities you get from personal fulfillment – not just your day job. Is Ruby on Rails something you are tinkering with on the side? Blog about it and make it public. Follow other Ruby developers. You’d be amazed how just talking about it can snowball into networking with lots of people that can help you should you lose your job.

Education/Certification

While you are still employed, brush up on skills! Take online classes or night courses. Get certified. Take a look at the most “in demand” skills in your profession and bring yourself up to speed. Doing this now, rather than after you’ve lost your job, will ensure that you get back to work quickly.

Update that Resume!

Don’t wait until you’ve lost your job to update your resume. You’ll be in panic mode and are likely to make mistakes, leave things out or just present yourself poorly overall. Pull out that dusty resume and make sure you read this article: http://aplace4people.blogspot.com/2008/11/resume-writing-tips.html

Embrace Recruiters, don’t chase them off
If you get a call from a recruiter, be receptive. Even if you are happily employed, remember that change comes to those who least expect it. By tuning in to opportunities rather than blocking them out, you’ll have a better feel for the market should your job go south. At the very least, you may learn about an opportunity that someone you know would benefit from. Not all recruiters are built the same, however, the best approach is to always be willing to listen and network.

Source/Author: Robin M. Eads, Talent Acquisition Expert and President @ A Place 4 People, Inc. – http://www.aplace4people.com/

The Video Resume: Some Points to Consider

There is an emerging trend among Web 2.0 specialists for presentation of their qualifications; the video resume. There are some evident pros and cons for this type of resume, as well as some resistance from HR professionals. For those candidates considering a video resume, especially for those in the social media field, my suggestion is to research, prepare and most of all have the ability to recognize if this isn’t for you.

Before deciding if a video resume is the way to go, consider these points:

Research:
Make sure you know the proper etiquette. Don’t just wing it. View other video resumes and decide what you like and don’t like about them.

Prepare:
The best approach is to be prepared with what you will say and present on camera. This type of “resume” will likely take you a few tries to get right. You don’t want to be too animated, however, you don’t want to look like a deer in the headlights either. Practice, if you have to. Have an “interviewer” if that makes you more comfortable. The video should be ideally 3 minutes or less and be well edited. You may have to hire someone to edit and/or record your video if you don’t have the right equipment or skills. This is generally not very expensive and a good investment if you plan to use a video resume. You should be dressed as if you are interviewing and good lighting and sound is a must. Most of all, have the ability to recognize if the video resume doesn’t do you justice. If you don’t think it’s a good representation of your true personality and communication abilities, then don’t do it – and most importantly, don’t send it!

The video resume can be a very useful tool in presenting your qualifications in a unique way. They do not replace a paper resume in my opinion, but are a great follow up and/or addition.

Further, video resumes allow you to showcase communication skills and personality; an essential component of most jobs – especially in Web 2.0 or Social Media environments, Public Relations, etc. For recruiters that work the national market or multiple locations, a video resume can be a great supplement to the phone interview. Having the ability to “see” the candidate before you present them to your hiring manager is important.

Confidential to HR Personnel: Consider that video resumes are not a means for finding a “barbie doll candidate”, but rather a precursor to an in-person interview. If a candidate sends a video resume that isn’t concise, well edited and planned – then I think that’s a good indicator of their overall abilities. Don’t lament about how you don’t have the time to sit through 20 minute videos. You’ll likely know in the first 30 seconds if it’s worth watching – about the same time it takes to review a resume and decide if you want to continue reading. I’ve listened to opposition from some HR folks warning of potential law suits, claiming it encourages discrimination. Let me ask you, how is it any different than interviewing someone in person? The same person that would hire someone based on how they look will do so regardless of the source, be that video or face to face interview.

Bottom line: It’s not for everyone. Doing your research and preparation is important in determining if this is the path for you, regardless if you are HR, the hiring manager or the candidate.