The Google Trick That Can Save You Time While Job Hunting

I don’t think anyone enjoys the process of looking for a new job. We might like the outcome of the search, but the actual work of updating a resume, finding jobs to apply for, going through an interview process, et al is in no way a good time.

So, who wouldn’t love a hack or two that could make it all go faster?

Tem, a 25-year-old software engineer from Austin, has dedicated his TikTok to sharing just that kind of tip.

The video is a response to someone asking where they can find a job that is NOT LinkedIn, and he simply shared something that worked for him.

“When I used to look for jobs, this is one thing I did. I would actually target the application website using Boolean search.”

A Boolean search uses a set of commands to refine Google search results so that you can find more relevant results faster.

Tem uses the method to target the application sites that companies link to LinkedIn, like Greenhouse.io. He searched these applications directly, cutting out the middleman.

“Now I’m going to target applications that have engineer and developer within those applications. I can also add these filters to show applications that have this keyword and remove applications that have these keywords.”

https://www.tiktok.com/@tem.bv/video/7132616862885580075?is_from_webapp=v1&item_id=7132616862885580075

Here is an example:

site:app.dover.io (engineer | developer) “react” -staff -senior -sr. -principal -lead -“c++”

Site tells Google to search within a specific url, parentheses tells it what keywords to look for in that site.

Quotation marks let’s Google know you want to see this exact keyword, and minus sign tells it to filter out the results that don’t contain the keyword.

He posted a follow up video that explains in more detail how the search saves him time.

“I’m actually targeting hassle-free application sites. For example, if I go to this Greenhouse application, this is a short application with a couple of input fields. I can upload my resume and just submit my application.”

Cutting out the middle sites like LinkedIn allow you to spend less time filling out lengthy forms just to get to the application.

You can use a Boolean search on any site, so it could come in handy on LinkedIn, too.

“Usually you can do a Boolean search on all websites that you can search on, as you’re just querying more filtered results from that database. I started using Google to specifically target hassle-free job posts (Greenhouse, Lever, etc) as I’m too lazy to go through a whole 25+ page signup and email verification process that many jobs may have on LinkedIn or Indeed when you click apply. This sped up my process a bit in the last times I looked for jobs.”

He also suggests using autofill whenever possible.

“I’d have all my ATS (Application Tracking System) information saved in an autofill extension such as 1Password. Every time I’m on a hassle-free job post site, my ATS information would autofill making the whole job application last on average 10 seconds per application.”

He shares a link to his favorite cheatsheet, too, so definitely make sure you check it out if any of this applies to you.

https://www.tiktok.com/@tem.bv/video/7133352188088405294?is_from_webapp=v1&item_id=7133352188088405294

Going directly through those application sites can also help you find jobs companies might not have posted to recruitment sites yet, as well.

Tem has more tips and tricks on his TikTok, so make sure to give him a follow.

You can also check out his website, Hiredlol, where he posts hassle-free job applications.

I hope these tricks can save you some time out there, and good luck in the trenches.

If you’ve got other tips that could help job hunting go smoother, our comments are open!