How to Use Google’s Revolutionary Job Search Tool

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Google may well have just revolutionized the job search process.

Several weeks ago, the tech giant launched a new feature for its search engine, Google Search, which aims to match up job seekers and job openings better than job posting websites. In fact, when you use this feature, Google combs through all those job posting sites for you.

Why Google created a job search feature

The new feature is part of an initiative called Google for Jobs, which was first announced during the company’s annual conference in May.

In a recent blog post about the feature, Google noted the trouble with job hunting:

“With job postings scattered across the web, newspapers and help wanted signs, it’s not always easy to find ones that are a good fit based on your unique needs and skills. As a result, many job seekers feel like they can’t find the job they’re looking for or apply to roles that aren’t the right fit.”

Google saw itself as uniquely equipped to solve that problem, though. As the post notes, “We have a long history of using our technology to connect people with crucial information.”

Indeed, you can now enter a query as vague as “jobs near me” into Google’s search engine and be on your way to finding a new job.

How to use Google’s jobs search feature

When I tested it out, I found the new feature pretty easy to use — and unlike any other online job search resource I’ve seen.

Just note that it doesn’t have a dedicated website or web page. It’s a feature of Google’s search engine. So to use it, all you do is enter a job-related query — “part-time jobs” or “retail jobs in Fort Lauderdale,” for example — into the search engine.

Google’s blog post about the feature’s launch says you can use the desktop or mobile version of the search engine, but I found the latter more user-friendly.

When I accessed Google’s search engine through a web browser on my computer — that is, by visiting Google.com — the results from a job-related query looked almost exactly like the results of any other Google search. The only difference was that the results themselves were largely from job sites like Monster and Indeed.

When I accessed Google’s search engine through the Google mobile app — a free download for Android and iPhone phones — the experience was richer. The search results were about the same as on a desktop, but above them was a new box labeled “Jobs,” which enabled me to better hone my hypothetical job hunt.

Buttons pop up in the box to help you refine your search. When I entered a vague query like “jobs near me,” for example, buttons popped up for subjects such as:

  • “Sales & Retail” jobs
  • Jobs posted in the “Past 3 days”
  • “Full-time” jobs
  • “Health care” jobs

The box also offers a menu that lets you search for specific job categories or types, by how recently jobs were posted, by city or by employer.

Perhaps the neatest part about Google’s job search feature, however, is that it gives you alerts. Here’s how Google explains it:

“Searching for a job can take time. And keeping up with new jobs that are posted throughout the day can be impossible. Now, if you step away from your job search, you can pick up right where you left off and stay in the loop on opportunities that interest you. Just turn on alerts for your search to receive an email notification whenever new jobs arrive, keeping you up-to-date and on top of your job hunt.”

Will you try this new job hunt tool? Share your thoughts below or on our Facebook page.

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