Smarter Job Search with Booleans
Dig deeper into Google to find job listing you might have missed. Combine keywords with operators to refine search results.
Enhance your job search with the power of Boolean operators, unlocking precise and targeted results on Google.
Discover practical examples of Boolean commands for efficient job hunting, including strategies for finding roles that match your exact criteria.
Leverage advanced Google Search techniques to uncover hidden job opportunities and streamline your search process for better, faster results.
Most of us stick to the basics when using Google: we pop in a search term and press enter. This approach gets the job done for the most part. However, when you need to dig deeper, Google Search has much more to offer regarding precision, subtlety, and strength — especially if you’re familiar with Boolean commands.
Boolean operators are beneficial for anyone scouring search engines for specific information. These mathematical symbols with unique syntax allow you to broaden or narrow your searches, manage programming sequences, or enforce particular conditions. This guide highlights some of the most effective Boolean operators for finding jobs, with examples illustrating their application.
What are Boolean Operators?
As established by English mathematician George Boole, the three primary expressions of Boolean algebra are AND, OR, and NOT. These operators are used in all common programming languages to return results based on whether specified conditions are ‘true’ or ‘false’.
Google Boolean Operator Functions
Here are the Booleans I have found useful when searching for job listings.
AND – Links conditions together; the results must match all the specified words/phrases
OR – Links conditions together; the results must match one of the selected words or phrases
NOT – Excludes terms from the search results
site: – used to find possibilities for internal links, i.e. site:website.com
“ ”– If you want Google to consider the phrase you’re searching for as a complete phrase, you should put it in quotation marks
() – Brackets group multiple search strings and set priorities
* – Asterisk to get more results for the term you’re looking for as a wildcard
- – Minus sign to narrow down our results
Note that these are just a few. For the complete list, go here.
Job Search Boolean Example:
For a job search, here is the syntax for boolean Google search:
site:website.com (title1 OR title2 OR “multi-word title) (location 1 or worktype)
OK, let’s say you are living in London, looking for either a hybrid or remote job, and are open for titles like Producer or Senior Producer. Let’s say we want to search Gameindusty.biz.
Here is that use case:
site:jobs.gamesindustry.biz (producer OR “senior producer”) (London or hybrid or remote)
That search produced:
You will see you now have a deep link into the various classifications on their site for both Producer and Senior Producer.
Hidden gems:
Did you also notice the Kelper Interactive job that snuck itself in? That is the SEO gremlins at work helping you dig deeper into the Google black hole. I have noticed that even below the site you explicitly searched for, you will find hidden gems you likely had not seen before. Keep scrolling, and you will be surprised!
Speed up your search routine:
When you have crafted that perfect search, please save it to a document where you can quickly reference it again. Build a list of clever searches you can cut and paste on your regular search. As you come across new sites, add them to your growing list. It is my observation that this is much faster than going to each and every one of your usual sites and using their search function.
If you like this, then you may be interested in:
Experiment with adding operators:
The example I provided above is the bare minimum. Experiment with your unique needs:
Searching for producers brings up a lot of video and film jobs. Consider adding (AND games or games), which helps weed out those non-game jobs without vomiting them if a logit game job just happened to have one of those keywords.
Search with a wild card. Try site:*.com or site:*.co.uk in your search. This will scour loads of random sites looking for your keywords. I have found quite a few roles not published on recruitment sites this way.
List of game job sites:
Below is a list of starter sights. This is not a complete list, so keep your eye open for more as you search.
boards.greenhouse.io
gamesjobsdirect.com
jobs.gamesindustry.biz
remotegamejobs.com
hitmarker.net/jobs
smartrecruiters.com
glassdoor.com/jobs
jobs.smartrecruiters.com
simplyhired.co.uk
If you find a good one, add it to the comments below, and I will update this list.
Good luck!
Navigating a tough job market can feel daunting, but history has shown us that these challenging times are merely phases in the broader economic cycle. It’s important to stay positive and persistent in your job search. Remember, every application sent and every interview attended brings you one step closer to your next opportunity. Keep pushing forward, refine your skills, and stay adaptable. Opportunities arise when least expected, and with a proactive mindset and determination, you will land that next job. Stay hopeful; the tide will turn, and your persistence will pay off.