It is a frustrating time for job seekers at the moment.  Vacancies are short on the ground in technical areas and finding them can be tough!  A simple job title search in Google leads to a long list of vacancies, which initially seems appealing.  However, just following a couple of links is enough to find out that most of the links lead to duplications of the same job advert, listed with different agencies or job sites.

So how can Google be used to find job adverts and aid candidates get an interview?  Firstly, acknowledge that many employers only list a vacancy on their own website or with just one specific agency.  These can be tough to find and it requires you to know the company beforehand.  However, the following tips will lead you to find companies who hire for the job you are looking to undertake and not just specific job adverts.  These tips have lead to success before!

It should be remembered that your ideal job is likely to be found only with hard research.

1. Searching online for a generic phrase, such as ‘physics jobs’ is unlikely to work.  You might find a long list of positions, but most of them will be unsuitable for your own personality.  Understand what *you* want to do and which skills you want to use.  See ‘Your Dream Job’ for more.
2. If you are looking for specific job titles or want to use a definite skill, don’t just enter a basic search on that term or phrase.  Instead, seekers can use Google’s “site” command, which filters results by specific web domains.  This can be useful to identify which companies are presently listing or have previously listed jobs with those search terms.  For example, if I were interested in fluid dynamics, I could search the ExcelScient site:
   

   site:excelscient.com fluid

   which should list a temporary position with ANSYS and a fellowship at the University of Exeter.  This command is great when used with the main job sites, but best used with local job sites (if you know a vague location).

3. Search online for industry directories.  If you fancy working in a company related to the space sector, then try a Google search for “space directory”, which leads to a large list of companies working in this sector.  Naturally, the majority of these companies will not be hiring, but it will tell you which companies work in that sector and usually list them by location.
4. A great list of companies within specific technical sectors is compiled by BERR, who publish a series of online brochures under the heading “UK Capability”.  A search for “BERR UK capability” usually lists
5. Remember to search for UK pages only, unless you are looking to move abroad, so that the results are filtered accordingly.

I will try to add more to this list as I remember my own tricks…

Good luck with the search!