TikTok reveals ‘brilliant’ hack for applying for jobs without using LinkedIn

A TikTok user is drawing praise with his trick for finding jobs through some simple Google search methods.

The hack comes courtesy of a TikToker named Tem (@tem.bv). In a now-viral post, he showed how to efficiently search for jobs without using “middleman” sites like LinkedIn or Indeed.

Tem’s video was a direct response to another user, named @m3ntallyillvirg0, who specifically asked for help finding jobs beyond the seemingly endless listings on LinkedIn.

“When I used to look for jobs, this is one thing I did,” Tem says in his clip. “I would actually target the application website.”

The TikToker goes on to show how to customize a Google search for listings on the actual sites that host job applications, such as Greenhouse and Lever.

The tip comes amid a recent flood of career advice on the app. In one video, a former HR worker shared the one question he “always” asks at the end of a job interview. In another, a TikToker revealed a major manager “red flag,” which could be a sign of a boss who isn’t looking out for their employees.

As Tem shows in hiss clip, you can search for listings on a specific site by going to Google and typing, site:(website name). You can check multiple sites at once by adding a straight line (|) symbol between searches.

Tem then adds the job titles he’s looking for. To do that, place the words you want to search in parenthesis, separated by a straight line. Tem’s example looks like this: (engineer | developer).

That way, Tem will get only job listings with those exact words in the post. And again, his searches will take him only to the sites that host the job listings themselves.

Lastly, Tem adds and removes keywords to his search. He places the words he wants to include in quotation marks and places the words he wants to exclude between two dashes.

TikTokers were mystified by Tem’s search skills. Many called the hack “brilliant.”

“This is how you search,” one user wrote.

“Oh great, so I’ve been using google like a toddler for my whole life,” another added.

“Tell me why I need a degree in job searching just to apply for jobs,” another joked.

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