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How to Use Google to Find the Jobs on Dot-Jobs Websites
Since 2005, large employers have been increasing their use of a not-very-well-known top level domain: .jobs (dot-jobs). Websites using this top level domain work just like .com and all the other domain names. But, they are something of a secret.
You can leverage Google for your job search using a couple of Google’s cool, but less well-known, functions, combined with the dot-jobs top level domain.
Dot-Jobs Top Level Domain
So far, registration of dot-jobs domain names has been limited to employers for use posting their jobs. This TLD should be a treasure trove of jobs that are relatively easy to find with Google.
Dot-jobs sites should also be relatively scam-free. Should be! No guarantees, unfortunately.
I haven’t been able to find any numbers on how many dot-jobs domains have been registered since 2005, or how many of those registered are actually in use. Testing it today, using Google’s site search delimiter, as described below, proved that many employers are using the dot-jobs TLD, and job seekers can find job postings with it.
What Is Included in Dot-Jobs Search Results
Registration of a dot-jobs domain name is not something that anyone can do. The Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) owns and manages this top level domain, and everyone registering a domain must prove that they are authorized to represent the employer and must agree to the SHRM Code of Professional Ethics.
This means that all you should find associated with a dot-jobs TLD are real jobs from real employers.
The only exception to individual employers are the sites in the .JOBS Network, a series of sites that are run by the non-profit DirectEmployers Association. DirectEmployers runs many focused .jobs sites covering whole job categories like Accounting.jobs, Sales.jobs, and Veterans.jobs and Internship.jobs as well as Illinois.jobs (and all the other states, of course) and BostonSales.jobs, TexasMarketing.jobs. The .JOBS Network allows smaller employers to make their job postings available on a .jobs domain name.
Queries to Search All .Jobs Sites Using Google
The queries below are click-able links. Then, you can easily modify the search in the Google search box so that it meets your requirements.
Basic Query Format
This query will pull the jobs with the appropriate job title from ALL the dot-jobs Websites.
The format for this query is simple: [job title] site:.jobs
Notice that there is NO space after the colon! But, a space does separate the job title from the word “site” so be careful.
.Jobs Query Examples You Can Use
For example, suppose you are an accountant looking for a job, type the following query into Google:
If the job title you want contains more than one word, enclose the words in double quotation marks. So, if you are looking for an IT Asset Manager position, your query would look like this:
Say you want to work in Chicago, add ” chicago” to your query.
Assume you want to work as an accountant in Chicago, but you don't want to work in a bank.
Add all the additional requirements you typically use with Google, and add the site:.jobs element to your query to find this gold mine of job postings.
Query Format to Search a Single Employer Site
You can, of course, limit the search to a single .jobs site, AT&T, for example by adding the specific domain name you want, if you know that they are using a .jobs site for their recruiting.
Bottom Line
Not every employer has implemented this specific domain name and site, but many, many have. So, this search trick is well worth trying.
For 10 more tips on leveraging Google for your job search, read Google-ize Your Job Search.
© Copyright, 1998 - 2013, Susan P. Joyce. All rights reserved.
About the author...
Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. Since 1998, Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt.org. Follow Susan on Twitter at @jobhuntorg and on Google+.
