Job Searching by Keyword
Alternate Boolean Query
Boolean search rules vary from site to site.
- You might be allowed to substitute symbols for operators, such as those below.
- & is the same as and. Alternately, + is too.
- ! is the same as not. Alternately, - is too.
- | is the same as or. Alternately, omitting symbols is too.
- You might select any or all instead of typing Boolean operators.
- Any is the same as or.
- All is the same as and.
- You might be allowed to use the operator near.
- It means to search for words close together, but not necessarily in the order you type them, as it does if you use quotes.
- You might be allowed to use wildcards.
- At some sites, the wildcard symbol * means to search for words that have the same prefix. For example, engineer* returns job ads with any of the words engineer, engineers or engineering.
Keep in mind that, while the operators above are common, they're just samples. Because they may differ somewhat from site to site, it's a good idea to read the search tips provided.
But don't let this Boolean thing scare you. It's not difficult once you get the hang of it. Besides, most job searching sites are getting away from it in its rawest form, because it's...well...scary! Not so apparent is that most job sites—even those with search forms—use Boolean query in the background. But they make it more friendly with symbols and terms as above, distribute it among separate search fields, check boxes and drop-down boxes, or offer a mix. While you don't need to memorize it, just knowing about the Boolean query taking place in the background will help you focus your search at these sites.
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Incidentally, Boolean query works at most search engines too, such as AltaVista. But as with job sites, the rules differ. |
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