Overview

Searching NewJobDirect is very simple. All searches are performed against the body text contained within the indexed vacancy documents and, to a lesser extent, the page titles and meta descriptions set in the html pages (the meta description is information that is not visible on the page but is read by our software).

Remember that you are searching documents as they appear on company websites. NewJobDirect does not categorise vacancies in any way. It is important to consider the different ways that companies might write their vacancy documents. For example, what one company calls a salesperson another company calls a sales consultant and another calls a sales executive. If your search does not generate the expected result try searching with alternative, associated words.

If a search returns a results list that is too long it can be refined by searching within those results. To do this simply input your search criteria and check the "search in results" box then click "find it!". The new search will only be run against the results from the previous search. Example: search on the word accountant returns 500 results, enter word Coventry in the search box, check "search in results" box and new result is narrowed down to 40 entries containing the words accountant and Coventry. Keep refining your search until you are happy.

To help improve results we have implemented a word form feature. This means that when a word is searched for results will include various forms of the same word e.g. if the word driver is searched for results will include documents containing the words drive, drives, driving, driven, etc. This also works for plurals e.g. where a singular word is searched for (such as accountant) results will include documents containing the plural form (accountants). This feature does not consider word prefixes as these tend to change word meanings e.g. tested and untested (untested would not be returned in a search result where the word tested is searched for).

There are various ways of performing searches:

1. Simple search

Input the words you wish to search against. All vacancies containing all searched-for words will be returned in the search result, regardless of where those words appear in the vacancy document.

The simplest search string would be a single word, which would return the fullest search result. However, these results might not be specific enough for some people. Simple search with multiple words is a better way of achieving hoped-for results.

2. Phrase Search

Use in much the same away as simple search but surround words which form a phrase with quotation marks e.g. "sales manager". This will ensure that only vacancies where the words sales and manager appear together will be presented in the search results. Therefore, searching for "sales manager" Glasgow will return search results that contain the following:

• the phrase sales manager and the word Glasgow.

• the phrase sales manager and the word Glasgow
• the phrase sales executive and the word Glasgow, etc.

3. Boolean search

This search method allows you to create numerous options within one search string by using AND and OR operators. An example would be "sales manager" AND (Glasgow OR London). Results generated would be sales manager jobs in Glasgow and sales manager jobs in London. Note that AND and OR operators are case-sensitive, whilst search words are not case-sensitive.

The table below provides a quick reference guide to the types of search that can be used on NewJobDirect:

Search Type Examples Description Simple search accountant Lists all vacancies containing word <accountant> Simple search, multiple words accountant Exeter Lists all vacancies containing word <accountant> and word <Exeter> Phrase search "accountant Exeter" Lists all vacancies containing word <accountant> followed immediately by word <Exeter> Pattern account* account? Searches for vacancies containing words which match specific patterns. <?> means any character; *> means sequence of any characters. Minimum fixed part of pattern is 6 characters Any word/Wildcard * Used inside a phrase to substitute for any word Plus accountant + Exeter + manager Lists all vacancies containing all specified words. Returns same results as simple search, multiple words Minus accountant -London Lists all jobs containing word <accountant> BUT NOT those containing word <London> Logical expressions 1) accountant AND Exeter 2) accountant OR Manager Searches vacancies according to specified logical expressions. <accountant AND Exeter> is equivalent to <accountant + Exeter>. Note: keywords AND and OR are case sensitive Combinations 1) accountant + Manager -London 2) accountant AND (Exeter OR Plymouth) AND "part qualified" Limitations: AND cannot be used inside a phrase; minus signs are ignored inside a phrase