Boolean searches allow you to combine words and phrases using words like AND, OR, and NOT to limit, widen, or define your job search. To conduct a Boolean search head to the job search results page, and type in your Boolean search.
ClearanceJobs.com 25 employs the following standards:
Separate all keywords and keyword phrases with AND or OR. For example:
- “java” AND “oracle”
- “java” AND “oracle” OR “unix”
Group sections of keywords or keyword phrases together with (parenthesis). For example:
- (“java” or “c+”) AND “windows”
- (“armed guard” AND “license”) OR (“armed guard” AND “certification”)
To exclude resumes from a search, use the AND NOT separator. For example:
- (“java” AND “oracle”) AND NOT “javascript”
- “apple” OR “microsoft” AND NOT (“unix” or “linux”)
For EXACT phrases, enclose the keywords in “quotes”. For example:
- “unix” AND “linux” AND “windows nt”
- “security guard” OR “armed guard”
To search on partial keywords (sometimes called “wildcards”), insert an asterisk at the end of the partial keywords. For example:
- “peoplesoft” AND sap*
- “peoplesoft” AND sap* AND eng*
Other search tips:
- Search text is not case sensitive, so there is no need to CAPITALIZE text
- Only the “quotes” character is recognized, so only create Boolean search text in ClearanceJobs.com or a text editor like MS Notepad
- For the best results, be sure to use the “Boolean” tab within Advanced Job Search 9
Begin with a general search
Start your search by selecting general criteria and then “drilling down” to meet your specific needs. Drill down by adding more keywords or selecting more criteria.
Consider alternate spellings and wordings
If you are searching for a job using only specific keywords, you may be excluding some opportunities from your results. When using keywords, there is usually more than one way to phrase or spell your keyword. For example, a “Database Administrator” may also be phrased as “DBA”, “Database Admin”, or even “Database Guru”. Similarly, a “Software Developer” may also be listed as a “Software Programmer”, or “Software Engineer”, or “Software Coder”. A “Windows NT” expert may be “WinNT” or “Windows-NT” or “WindowsNT”.
When in doubt, browse!
Sometimes, simply browsing through the ClearanceJobs job database is an easy way to find interesting opportunities.