By subscribing to a Job Search / Job Board RSS feed and then checking your Reader, you may never visit the job website again!   I repeat….FOR ALL YOUR JOB SEARCHING – on Craigslist, on SimplyHired, on Indeed and other sites … just set up Google Reader …. and see the most recent the job postings – daily.

What is a RSS Feed? A website page content can contain a web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format.  RSS (most commonly translated as “Really Simple Syndication” but sometimes “Rich Site Summary”) includes full or summarized text, plus metadata such as publishing dates and authorship.

To learn about RSS Feeds, watch this You Tube:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Why is this a good thing? Well, it benefits a website publisher by allowing a content to be pushed out automatically.  It benefits the web surfer (YOU) to receive timely updates from favored websites or to aggregate feeds from many sites into one place. It keeps your inbox from being cluttered and is much easier to keep track of new jobs listings, for example.  An RSS reader allows me to do that without having to go to dozens of websites to see if they’ve got anything new!

What is Google Reader? To view RSS feeds, you need to use an application called a reader. There are many readers available, such as Google Reader. Firefox and Internet Explorer can also be used as an RSS reader.

To learn about Google Reader, watch this You Tube:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Google Reader is a decidedly simple yet very usable and, thanks to a flexible labeling system, quite comprehensive web-based RSS feed reader.

You can even share items easily right from within Google Reader.  And remember, they stay there, so it’s easy to look up a job posting you remember slightly from 3 months ago that seems to be running again.

Google Reader then lets you group and read feeds by label and you can read all items designated with a certain label, too. If you label somewhat consistently, Google Reader offers a high level of organization. Of course, you can search all your items, a particular folder or subscriptions, or all articles carrying a certain tag.

My Categories are:

• Job Search
• News
• Photography
• Social Media
• Thinkers
• Blogs I’m Following

You will be pleasantly surprised with Google Reader!  I highly recommend using it routinely to make your time in front of your computer screen more pleasant.

Final tips:

• Use Google reader to manage your own source documents – set up a searchable personal knowledge base
• The links and summaries you load in the Google Reader will remain there forever.
• Share what you find with others- inside the Reader – so you are then networking within the Reader
• Follow (sounds like Twitter) folks’s shared reader items and see their comments as well.
• Become a subject matter expert (SME) with the Reader

Background Reading about the Google Reader:  http://www.google.com/help/reader/tour.html

It’s true, so much of the job search process happens online… the most common complaint – as you know – is the “black hole” — that mysterious place to which resumes seem to travel from the moment an applicant hits the “send” key.  If you’re involved in a job search where you feel like you repeatedly send out resumes in response to ads and rarely hear back, then it might be time for some new online search techniques.

Here are the 5 tricks to shake things up for you:

Answer questions on Linkedin
Your strongest chance of being hired is to find ways to show off your expertise and build relationships in your field. One easy way to do this is to troll the “Answers” section on LinkedIn and start responding to questions where you think you can be helpful. People whose answers get high ratings show up on a list of experts. Nabbing one of those spots is a terrific way to ensure that people using the site to fill a position will find your profile.

In addition, use LinkedIn for research, not just reaching out to people. You can search for people who have the job you want or who are at the company you want and view their profile to get a sense for their background and skills.  For smaller companies who may not have a lot of published news about them, learning about who works there may give you a window into the projects they do and the backgrounds they hire

Play around on Twitter
Twitter offers a huge way to search for job postings, interact with recruiters in particular fields or geographic locales, and respond to listings. The beauty of job searching on Twitter is that there is a live person on the other end of a Twitter account and you just might be able to attract that person’s attention and engage in conversation.  Job activity tends to be heaviest in web-related fields, but now that Twitter has gone mainstream, jobs are being posted because companies realize that all kinds of people are showing up on the service.

Find jobs on employer websites
Ever hunt around a web site unable to find the job listings even though it seems like they should be easy to find? Try this method, which should work with nearly any search engine.

Make sure you are looking in the right place
The Web is so big and fluid that it’s easy to get lost.  Alltop.com is a comprehensive blog directory that makes it simple to find scores of blogs on a particular topic. Scan the “careers” and “jobs” categories, where you’ll be able to decide if a blog is relevant to your search based on its 5 most recent posts; you can also look for blogs that cover your industry.

“Key word” your resume
I’m not a big believer in getting jobs through the blind submission of resumes. Still, if you are going to send yours out for any postings where you don’t also have a personal relationship, you’ll want to give yourself the best chance of being noticed. And since most resumes are digitized and scanned by software for screening, it is vital that your resume contain the key words an employer will be searching for in a given job search.

As a starting point, figure out the words your resume should contain by looking at the job description and title given in the posting. But there’s more to it than just plugging in those words. Here’s some additional things to consider to make sure that you are key word optimized. Keep in mind that it’s not just your resume that should pay attention to key words. The same thinking should go into all of your online profiles.

Source: Marci Alboher, Working the New Economy

Tips and Suggestions from Indeed.com CEO Paul Forster.

• “Job seekers narrow their search as much as possible in order to find jobs that fit their experience, skills, and desired location.”
• “Focus on finding exactly the right jobs, rather than taking a scattered approach to job searching.”

More suggestions to help you focus your job search to generate listings that match your criteria:

Save Time With Job Search Engine

Using a job search engine saves time. Indeed.com, for example, searches jobs on job boards, newspapers, associations, and company web sites, including most of the Fortune 1000 companies. You can search for jobs all in one place, rather than having to visit all these sites independently.

Job Search by Salary

Indeed’s job search by salary tool enables job seekers to find jobs that pay at least a certain salary. Enter an annual salary in the search box to find all jobs that Indeed estimates pay at least that much.

Job search by salary uses proprietary methodology based on an analysis of similar job listings that includes salary, job title, job description, and location. Indeed’s algorithm extracts salaries from all job listings containing this information – about a fifth of the total – and then estimates salaries for the rest.

Job search by salary makes it easier for job seekers to find the job that is a right fit.  It saves the job seeker time they may have spent applying for jobs they couldn’t afford to accept, and it also helps companies, because it limits applications from candidates who aren’t in the position’s salary range.

Advanced Search

The most effective way to search is to drill down so you are searching as narrowly as possible and getting to the right jobs.   Use skills, interests, and location, as well as salary requirements, when searching for jobs. That way you can narrow your search so the results include only the most relevant listings. Click on Advanced Search and search by:

• Keywords
• Phrase in the job title
• Type of employer
• Radius

Set Preferences

Use preferences to choose which jobs you want to show on your results list. You can select only jobs within a certain distance from a zip code and jobs that have been published within a certain period of time.

Blocking Companies

If there is a company you don’t want to see job listings from you can block it, so you won’t see jobs from that company in future searches.  Click on the ‘block’ link beneath each job search result. You can then manage the settings in your preferences.

More Actions

Use the More Actions link under the job posting to view all the listings from the same company, map the location of the job, research salary information, research the company on Google, email the listing, and get a permanent link to the post. You will also be able to find contacts at Facebook or LinkedIn who may be able to help you connect with the employer.

Job Search Tools

Indeed has job search tools you can use to help manage your job search and to ensure you get the job listings that match your interests.  Job seekers can set up a my.indeed account to access saved jobs, searches, and alerts from any computer, and download job search plugins for Firefox and for Google Desktop, an application for Facebook, a button for your Google Toolbar, and other applications to help expedite your job search.

Source: Paul Forster, CEO, Indeed.com

Click here to view the embedded video.

Using Indeed is just like using a general search engine like Google. You can quick-search from the Indeed home page, as follows:

Step 1. Type words into the box marked ‘What’ that describe the kind of job you are looking for, such as a job title, skill or employer name.

Step 2. Type into the box marked “Where” the city, the State or the zip code where you want to find a job.

Step 3. Click the ‘Find Jobs‘ button or hit Enter on your keyboard.

Jobs will be returned that match your keywords within 25 miles of the location you specify. If you enter two or more keywords, it will return only those jobs that contain ALL your words (you don’t have to include ‘and’ between the words).

Exact Phrases

To find jobs containing an exact phrase, put double quotation marks around the words.

For example, enter: “real estate”

Capitalization

The search isn’t case sensitive. It makes no difference whether you enter upper or lower case letters – e.g. “general motors” will give you the same results as “General Motors”.

Narrowing Your Search

If your search returns a large number of jobs, there are several things you can do. Look at the text links in the left hand column within the ‘Refine Your Search‘ box. Click on those that fit what you are looking for, which will return a subset of your original search results.

Alternatively, try adding more terms to the ‘What’ box and search again. Also, don’t forget to use the ‘Where’ box – using just your zip code works well.

Another great feature is to exclude jobs containing certain keywords. Just type “not” before any terms you don’t want.

contract NOT lawyer

Broadening Your Search

To find all jobs that fit your interests, you may need to broaden your keyword search. One way is to remove keywords from the ‘What’ box and search again. It is often more effective, though, to use ‘or’ between terms. If you are looking for a management position, for example, you could enter: manager OR director. This will return all jobs that contain either the word ‘manager’ or the word ‘director’.

Abbreviations

Some names and phrases are better known by their abbreviations than their full forms. To make sure you don’t miss any jobs, however, use both abbreviated and unabbreviated forms together.

For example, enter: HR OR “human resources”

Company Names & Job Titles

You may limit your search to show just jobs from a particular company or with a specific job title. For example, enter the following into the keyword box to return all jobs at Microsoft:

company:microsoft

Or, to return all jobs that include the word ‘consultant’ in the job title, enter this:

title:consultant

If there are multiple words in the company name or job title, use double quotation marks. For example:

title:”business development”

Complex Phrases

You can use complex phrases, often called ‘Boolean’ logic, to fine-tune your search.

e.g. (manager OR director) and healthcare

This will return all jobs that contain the term healthcare and either the word manager or director.

You can keep revising your search string to improve your results set. The example above could end up looking like this:

(manager OR director) and (healthcare OR pharmaceutical) NOT sales

You can see your last 10 searches in the bottom left hand margin of your screen, so you don’t have to remember your search strings or reenter them each time you search.

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Questions and Answers – from  Indeed.com

How do you rank the search results?

Jobs are ranked solely by relevance or date. We do not accept payment to include jobs in the search engine or to improve their ranking.

How do I see only new jobs?

To only show jobs that have been added to the site since you last visited, click on the Show: new jobs link near the top of any search results.

If you want to change this setting for all your searches go to your preferences and for Job Age choose Show jobs published “since my last visit.” Click ‘Save Preferences’ — all new job searches will now return only listings that have been added to Indeed since your last visit.

Why does the search results page say that there are more results than I can see?

We remove duplicate jobs from our search results. To view duplicate jobs, click the “Repeat your search with the omitted job postings included” link at end of your search results.

How do I find jobs closer or farther from where I’m searching?

Change the radius using the “distance” drop-down box near the top of the results page.  If you want to change the radius for all your job searches, open your preferences, select a different radius, and click ‘Save Preferences.’ All new job searches will use the radius you selected.

How do I remove results from a particular company or website?

To remove search results from specific companies and websites you must sign in to your my.indeed account.

After you’ve signed-in, click the “block” link at the end of any job in your search results. You can then choose to block all jobs from that company, or from the website the job is posted on. The companies and websites you choose will be saved in your preferences. Remove the company/website from your blocked jobs list to add their jobs back to your search results.

My search is not returning enough results. What can I do?

* Check your spelling: Both the ‘What’ and ‘Where’ and make sure the zip/postal code or state/province abbreviation is correct
* Remove search terms: By default our search results contain jobs with ALL of the words in the ‘What’ box. If you want to find jobs with ANY of the words, use OR between the search terms.
* Increase your radius: You may need to look farther away to get the results you want.

My job search is returning too many jobs. What can I do?

* Refine your search: The left column on the search results page contains links to help you narrow down your search. If the left column is not showing, click “Refine your search” at the top the page.
* Add more terms to the ‘What’ box: include any words that you would like the job title or description to contain
* Include a location: If you have not specified a location, add a city, state, or zip code to the ‘Where’ box.

When I search using my zip code, it also returns jobs from other locations. Why?

Jobs are returned within 25 miles of the location you specify by default, but you can change the radius of your search to get the results you want.

My search results are showing my city, but in the wrong state. What should I do?

Add the state to the ‘Where’ box and search again. If you don’t enter a state, we show results from the biggest city with that name. For example, just entering ‘Austin’ will give you jobs in Austin, Texas. If you want Austin in Ohio, you must enter ‘Austin, Ohio’ or ‘Austin, OH’.

Can I save my job search?

Yes. You may save your job search as a Job Alert email or as an RSS feed. Choose one or both to have new jobs matching your search automatically delivered to you. You may save as many different job searches as you like.

What is a Job Alert email?

If you save your job search as a Job Alert email, you will receive daily or weekly emails containing links to new jobs matching your search criteria. You may set up as many Job Alerts as you like and you may cancel them at any time.

What is RSS?

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a way to subscribe to a website and have new content delivered to you. In order to use RSS, you need an RSS reader. Internet Explorer 7, Firefox 2, and other web browsers have RSS readers built-in. There are also online RSS readers like Bloglines or Google Reader, and downloadable programs like NewsNetWire that you can use to view RSS feeds.

What is Salary Estimate?

Only about 20% of the jobs in our search results contain salary information. When a job posting doesn’t include a salary, we estimate it by looking at similar jobs. When salaries are available, they are shown in our search results. Estimated salaries are not endorsed by the companies offering those positions and may vary from actual salaries. This is a new feature so your feedback and comments are appreciated.

There are specific job search sites (besides Linkedin and Twitter).  These sites, known as “Niche Job Search Sites” may be useful to you in your job searhing.  The “niche” websites listed on this posting are lesser-known job-search sites.  I was surprised to see the magnitude of the available jobs listed on these sites.

Check for yourself to see if you can use any of these.  Be advised that only 40% of available jobs are posted on jobboards.  There are 40% for those jobs listed internally within an organization – for employees to make referrals to.  And the remaining 20% of possible jobs are in the minds of hiring managers – your actual target for job searching (even though talking to a hiring manager is the most difficult method to get noticed in this job market, it tends to be the most lucrative).

By the way, niche is defined as:  A situation or activity specially suited to a person’s interests, abilities, or nature!!

Go at this list of job search sites (listed in no particular order) to see what you can come up with!

1. Dice.com: This is the go-to site for jobs in technology. Companies like Dell, NVIDIA and Apple post jobs to the site regularly, along with non-technology companies looking for IT workers. Apply online or upload a resume for recruiters to view. For $29.99 per month you can see who has viewed your resume and be sure your resume places high when your area of expertise is searched.

2.  IT Job Board:  This site is the #2 computer/IT careers niche site.  It works with the UK and Europe’s leading businesses and IT recruitment agencies to offer thousands and thousands of live permanent and contract IT jobs throughout the UK and Europe everyday

3.  Jobsinthemoney:   This #2 financial careers niche site features targeted job postings available in the JobsintheMoney.com database from companies across many industries and locations throughout the United States and cover a variety of positions for tax accountants, auditors, fraud examiners, analysts, controllers and CFOs, as well as many other finance and accounting professionals.

4.  ComputerJobs.com:  The #3 computer/IT careers niche site.  This job board focuses solely on the IT professional. Founded in 1995 by IT professionals who saw a need for an effective way for job seekers and companies to connect, ComputerJobs.com has over thirteen years experience connecting thousands of high-tech employers with millions of qualified job seekers.

5. GovernmentJobs.com:   The influx of cash from President Obama’s economic stimulus plan will lead to a host of new job opportunities in state and local government. Use this site to search for jobs in government offices throughout the U.S.

6. eFinancialCareers.com:  The financial sector has been hit hard, but the surviving companies are still hiring. This site features jobs in areas such as accounting, finance and insurance. Check out the “emergency career toolkit” full of tips for keeping your career in gear, even during the downturn.

7. Medzilla.com:   Healthcare and pharma remain strong industries, even during the recession. This site features jobs from biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies like Amgen, Teva and Baxter. Jobs range from entry-level drug sales reps to full-fledged medical and engineering positions.

8. SchoolSpring.com:  This site saves educators the task of scouring the Internet for jobs in each individual school district. Executive, administrative and teaching jobs from around the country are aggregated here. Applicants can narrow searches based on subjects and grade levels taught. For an even more targeted search, try state-specific sites like EdJoin.org in California or NYEdJobs.org in New York.

9. HCareers.com:  Head to this site for jobs in food service, hotels and tourist attractions. In addition to listings, there are free features like tips on writing cover letters, continuing education resources and a salary and cost of living calculator with advice on negotiating a raise.

10. MarketingJobs.com:  Job seekers with backgrounds in marketing, advertising or sales come to this site to check out offerings from employers including The Walt Disney Company (Stock Quote: DIS) and the blueberry division of Driscolls Berries. Posting a resume is free, as are downloadable resources like industry magazines and more than 350 informational videos about various sales careers.

11. MediaBistro.com:  This site is for anyone involved in the production of creative content, including editorial assistants, journalists and editors as well as those in media sales and advertising. In addition to the free job listings, there is a place to advertise availability for freelancing as well as career-related online courses and seminars.

12. Guru.com:  This site plays the middleman for freelancers looking for contract work in industries like business consulting, graphic design and law. Job seekers can upload resumes and search and bid on jobs. Guru.com helps project managers award bids and even provides a safe online payment method to help guarantee a smooth delivery.

13. Startuply:  This site will list small company posting site; majority tech jobs, but not all

14. Start-up jobs:  This site is a also small company posting site

15. Venture Loop:   Check here for VC-backed company jobs

16. NPost – Mostly tech and start-ups

17. Retirement Jobs:  This is the #1 retirement careers niche site

In Summary, you may also want to check the world’s largest network of niche career communities, powering thousands of local and industry-specific sites. The Beyond.com network is comprised of many distinct channels, each represented by a premier career destination and backed by a powerful group of associated communities.  Link:  http://www.beyond.com/channels/

Beyond’s Motto: “The Focus of One, the Power of Many”

Beyond’s Mission: For community members to experience the targeted exposure of a niche job board, reinforced by the power and volume of their entire network.  Jobs posted to one of their communities are automatically distributed and visible across all relevant network sites, providing for maximum exposure and targeted connections with high-quality candidates.