Supercharge Your Job Search With Google Alerts Tricks!

I sent an email to the readers of my free “Where are the JOBS?” special report, explaining how to use Google Alerts in their job search. Here’s what I wrote:

Let’s pretend that I’m a potential employer, and I did hear some bad stuff about you… that would be pretty bad, right? Hence my job search tip for you today: Google Alerts.
Google has a service that will automatically notify you when something is posted online with the terms that you ask for (like your name).

If there’s something floating around the internet about you, then you want to be the first to know.

Homework for today: go to http://www.google.com/alerts and setup an alert for your name!

A couple of days ago, I got an email back from one of my readers, with some extra tips. Here’s what he wrote:

There are some other ways to user Google Alerts. You can setup:

1 - Your ideal job title and get alerts for new jobs; 2 - Specific companies you are interested in (you'll get news items which will include new contracts, projects, etc. usually with names of company executives and employees for you to write to, express congratulations, etc. as a "door opener")
3 - Locations you are interested in. e.g. I happen to be here in Montreal but, I have US citizenship and I know that Plattsburgh has a lot of new manufacturing going on. There are government incentives for companies to locate in Northern NY. Canadian (esp. Quebec) companies are setting up shop there to capture more US market share. I have actually had 2 interviews with Quebec companies' US operations. In my alerts I see companies relocating there, getting new contracts, opening new facilities, etc. Again, all great dialogue starters without saying: I am looking for a job!

Do you have any more tips about using Google Alerts with your job search? What’s your favorite trick?

Note: This post is extracted and adapted from the post by the same name on Tough Economy Jobs. In addition to being the creator of the Tough Economy Jobs blog and HuntingToHired, Danny is also co-founder of Firepole Marketing, the definitive marketing training program for entrepreneurs, small busi....