Language is an important element to consider when searching for your perfect job. Whether you are looking for your next great adventure or a launching point for your future career, it is important that you use the correct language in articulating your goals for your job search.
I have always been a great advocate of communication and the beauty of the spoken/written word. As a fledgling poet I struggle for the words to effectively express the imagery of my mind. The same principle applies to something more basic, like the job search. I have often wondered if it is just a simple word that would propel job seekers to their target. Maybe I am making it more difficult than it actually is, but I firmly believe that being able to articulate our thoughts, effectively, will allow a job seeker to effortlessly execute their self-marketing plans. After all, the resume, the cover letter, and even the social media pages are stories that we have written about ourselves … to solicit job offers and the promise of a better tomorrow.
In my research to find the perfect technique for job search tools, I found many articles that say that our resume and cover letter must take into consideration the time and effort that the potential employer has and takes to peruse and make a decision about our resume. So, the language you use on your resume must be clear and succinct. The language must leave no room for alternate interpretations.
Knowing what you are looking for has become increasingly difficult with the transition from Saskjobs to the Job Bank. Keywords that are used for searches are no longer generalized to access similar job postings. Similar jobs are not automatically grouped together for ease of access. What the employer is looking for may not be called the same thing that another employer is looking for. For example, a landscaping company could be looking for a labourer and another for a landscaper. Essentially both are the same, but the employers call them different titles. Or it may even be a landscape labourer. The clarity of your job search depends on how you use the language to serve you. It isn’t just the language, though, that you must take into consideration. It is the search technique.
Introducing a concept such as a Boolean search technique is the next step in helping you to be competitive in your job search strategy. Using this technique will help you to filter through all the opportunities that are posted on the various job sites.
A Boolean Search is essentially a keyword search, and it allows you to tailor your own specific search criteria as well as provide the opportunity to give you greater control over your search results. In order to use the Boolean search technique, you need to learn the basic phrases to use that are called Operators.
It is important to note that this technique can be used on almost any job board. You won’t know until you try it!
Reed.co.uk is a website that has provided similar information and examples for searching using the Boolean Technique.
To start using Boolean, simply enter the following operators when conducting a job search.
For the ‘AND’ and ‘OR’ operators, we’ve also included their one-character version, to help keep your typing to a minimum:
AND / &
When to use: When you’re searching for a job and you want the job description to include multiple keywords.
Example: ‘I want a job as a Carpenter, which allows me to also Drywall’
Example search: Carpenter & Drywall
OR / |
When to use: When you want the job description to include one of a number of keywords, but they don’t all need to appear.
Example: ‘I want a job as a Mechanic or a Heavy Equipment Mechanic
Example search Mechanic | Heavy Equipment Mechanic
“ “ marks
When to use: When you want a job description to include an exact phrase.
Example ‘I’m looking for Housekeeping roles’
Example search “Housekeeping”
Searching Housekeeping, without quotations, for example, could bring back a number of other unrelated roles
* (asterisk)
When to use When you want your search to start with a certain term.
Example ‘I want to be an Administrator’
Example search Admin*
This will return all words which begin with ‘Admin’, for example, Administrators, and Administrative Assistants
( ) parenthesis
When to use When you want to group two or more sets of conditions together.
Example ‘I am looking for Construction roles, specializing in Management or Supervisor ’
Example search Construction & (Management or Supervisor)
Final Thoughts
The above representation of the Boolean Search Technique is very basic. With the right research, you, too, can advance your usage of the search technique once you master the basic controls. Playing around with the option of searching will help you find what you are looking for with greater ease.
Notwithstanding, nothing replaces a great command of the English language. The importance of efficient search words will carry you far in finding the perfect job for you! That being said, good luck in your job search!!
Feel free to come to the Lorne and Evelyn Johnson Foundation Computer Resource Centre located at 2020 Halifax Street, Regina, SK at the Regina Work Preparation Centre.
–LH
