How to use Boolean Operators

Boolean Operators allow you to run focussed CV searches. Here's a few tips on to how to use them.

Boolean's not just for nerds....

Three important Boolean tips

1. Don't use them if you don't know how (or you will severely limit the results you see, or see the wrong results)

2. Try using our own tools first. You will probably find this refines your results enough

3. Some strings are so long, and so complicated that they either generate NO results, or return every single CV! Keep them simple!

Boolean - Overview

George Boole - would've been hired by Silicon Valley (if they'd been recruiting in the 19th century)

Historical footnote (just for fun!)... Who Was George Boole?

If you’re not familiar with Boolean searching, here’s how it works.

1. Use Boolean operators (like AND, OR, NOT etc) between keywords to instruct our searching software to return specific search results

2. Boolean operators must be capitalised, or they won’t work. E.g. ‘AND’ rather than ‘and’

Boolean Operators

AND

Use the word ‘AND’ between keywords to search for CVs containing more than one keyword. Like this:

• Nurse AND Dialysis

• CVs that match this search will contain both the words ‘Nurse’ and ‘Dialysis’

OR

Use the word ‘OR’ between keywords to search for CVs containing either one keyword or another. Like this:

• Nurse OR Dialysis

• CVs that match this search will contain either the word ‘Nurse’ or the word ‘Dialysis’

NOT

Use the word ‘NOT’ between keywords to search for CVs containing one keyword but not another. Like this:

• Nurse NOT Dialysis

• CVs that match this search will contain the word ‘Nurse’, but won’t contain the word Dialysis’

"SPEECH MARKS"

Use speech marks to search for CVs containing keyword phrases. Like this:

• "Dialysis Nurse"

• CVs that match this search will contain the keyword phrase ‘Dialysis nurse’

Brackets

Use brackets if you need to combine Boolean operators. Like this:

• Nurse AND (Dialysis OR Renal)

• CVs that match this search will contain the keyword ‘nurse’ as well as either ‘dialysis’ or ‘renal’

Handy links for further reading

Our favourite: Recruiter's Guide To Boolean Search Operators (5 min read) Also (quick 2 min reads):

What is a boolean operator? - PDF

Hope that helps!