How to Find Hidden Remote Jobs Using Google Search?

Finding remote jobs that aren’t advertised on major job boards can be crucial for expanding your career options. These jobs have lower number of applicants and could give you a competitive edge.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use Google search effectively to uncover these opportunities.

1. Utilize Advanced Search Operators

Google’s advanced search operators allow you to filter and refine your search results. Here’s how you can use them:

• Site Search: This operator restricts your search to specific websites or domains.
  • Example: site:lever.co remote developer will show remote developer jobs listed on Lever’s job board.
  • Syntax: site:[domain] [search term]
  • Explanation: Using site:lever.co, you limit your search to jobs listed on Lever. Adding “remote developer” narrows it down to relevant positions.
  • Additional Example: site:greenhouse.io remote marketing to find remote marketing jobs listed on Greenhouse.
    
• Intitle: Finds pages with specific words in the title. This helps in identifying job listings that explicitly mention the job type.
  • Example: intitle:”software engineer” site:linkedin.com to find software engineer job listings on LinkedIn.
  • Syntax: intitle:[keyword]
  • Explanation: Using intitle:”software engineer” ensures the phrase appears in the title of the web page, often where job titles are listed.
  • Additional Example: intitle:”remote job” site:indeed.com to find remote jobs listed on Indeed.
    
• Inurl: Searches for specific terms within the URL, useful for finding pages dedicated to job listings.
  • Example: remote inurl:jobs to find pages with job listings that include “remote” in the URL.
  • Syntax: inurl:[keyword]
  • Explanation: URLs often contain keywords related to their content. Searching inurl:jobs helps find pages specifically dedicated to job listings.
  • Additional Example: developer inurl:careers to find career pages specifically for developer roles.
    
• Wildcard (*): Use the asterisk as a placeholder for any unknown or variable terms, broadening your search range.
  • Example: remote * job to show various remote job listings.
  • Syntax: [keyword] * [keyword]
  • Explanation: The wildcard operator helps fill in the gaps where any word can appear, making your search more flexible.
  • Additional Example: * engineer remote to find any type of engineering job that is remote.

2. Search on Specific Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

Many companies use ATS platforms to manage job postings. Searching directly within these platforms using Google can help you find jobs not listed on major job boards.

• Examples:
  • site:jobs.lever.co remote
  • site:boards.greenhouse.io remote
  • site:apply.workable.com remote
  • Explanation: Targeting specific ATS platforms lets you find job listings that might not be widely advertised elsewhere. Each site has its own set of job postings that are typically more focused and current.
  • Additional Example: site:jobs.smartrecruiters.com remote to find remote jobs on SmartRecruiters.

3. Combine Keywords with Boolean Operators

Boolean operators like AND, OR, and NOT help refine your search.

• AND: Ensures both terms are included in the search results.
  • Example: remote AND “data analyst” site:linkedin.com
  • Syntax: [keyword1] AND [keyword2]
  • Explanation: Using AND requires both keywords to be present in the results, helping narrow down the search to more relevant listings.
  • Additional Example: remote AND “project manager” site:indeed.com to find remote project manager jobs on Indeed.
    
• OR: Includes either term.
  • Example: remote OR telecommute developer
  • Syntax: [keyword1] OR [keyword2]
  • Explanation: OR broadens the search to include results that have either keyword, giving you a wider range of options.
  • Additional Example: “remote job” OR “telework” developer to include listings that use different terms for remote work.
    
• NOT: Excludes specific terms.
  • Example: remote developer NOT intern
  • Syntax: [keyword1] NOT [keyword2]
  • Explanation: NOT excludes unwanted terms from the results, helping you avoid irrelevant job listings.
  • Additional Example: remote designer NOT junior to exclude junior designer positions.

4. Set Up Google Alerts

Google Alerts can notify you of new job postings that match your search criteria. This can help you stay ahead of the competition by catching new listings as soon as they go live.

• How to Set Up Google Alerts:
  • Go to Google Alerts.
  • Enter your search string, e.g., remote software developer site:jobs.lever.co.
  • Configure the alert settings, such as frequency and sources.
  • Click “Create Alert” to start receiving notifications.
  • Explanation: Google Alerts continuously monitors the web for new content that matches your query and sends you email updates, ensuring you never miss a new job posting.

5. Combining Strategies for Maximum Effectiveness

Using a combination of these strategies can significantly enhance your job search effectiveness. For example:

• Example: Combining site search and Boolean operators: site:linkedin.com (remote AND “software engineer”) NOT intern
  • Explanation: This query searches LinkedIn for remote software engineer jobs while excluding intern positions. Combining these strategies allows for a highly refined search.
• Advanced Example: intitle:”remote job” AND (developer OR engineer) site:jobs.lever.co
  • Explanation: This search finds remote job titles that include “developer” or “engineer” on Lever, giving you specific and relevant results.

By using these advanced Google search techniques, you can uncover hidden remote job opportunities that are not easily found on traditional job boards. Start implementing these strategies today to enhance your job search and discover the perfect remote job for you.