Using the  SEARCH  option

• Searching the applicants to your positions
• Some advanced Search commands
• Save searches; share searches with Faculty

Searching the applicants to your positions

While you are in any of the AcademicJobsOnline options, clicking on the "Search" link will bring up a window similar to the one below. Here you can search within the list of applicants that have applied for at least one of your jobs. Let's look more closely at both the simple and sophisticated searches that you are able to make. At the simplest level, you can type in a word in any of the labeled blank text boxes on the page, click on Submit, and you will get back a list of all applicants where there was a match for the word you typed in for that data label. Unless requested otherwise (see #3 below), by default you'll get back a table with only the applicants' names. You can then click on a name to get more information. If you do not know all the characters in the word or "text string" you want to search on, you can use the wildcard, *, to help you. For example, you wanted to search for an applicant by last name, but you're not sure whether it's spelled "McDonald", "MacDonald", "McDonell", etc., you can type "m*don*" (upper/lower case doesn't matter) in the text box next to Name. This will retrieve all applicants whose name contains that pattern. You can also refine your search by using more than one search criteria, e.g., PhD Advisor and Research Interests. You can perform a search using multiple criteria, where your search results page will have more columns than just the Applicant Name. For each column you'd like to have added to your result list, just type in a wildcard, *, or whatever you want to search for, where that item has a text box. Where a search item has a drop-down box, you would need to make a selection for this column to show up on the page of results. You can also see any of this information by clicking on a name. Many of the labeled search text boxes and selections are self-explanatory. Let's examine the more complex search items here: The Research Interests section has a few subcategories: Primary is where you can search the applicants by primary area of research. All is where you can search the applicants by all areas of research (e.g., primary, secondary, etc.). The Position(s) Applied section also has a few subcategories. This search is hierarchical; i.e., you need to have made a selection in the first drop-down box to use the second drop-down box criteria, etc.. The positions listed in the first drop-down box are the positions currently listed with your department. Here you can request a search for all applicants for a position. The status listed in the second drop-down box, Withdrawn, Deleted, and Active is where you can, in addition, refine your search to those applicants that have applied to certain positions AND have a particular status. The third drop-down box contains selections regarding time-limited positions in which the applicant has indicated an interest. The selections listed are Temporary, Postdoc, 2 Year, and 1 Year. In selecting one of these options from this drop-down box, you will be able to refine your search to those applicants interested in particular time-limited positions. The Other Info query fields allow you to search each field containing answers to the "Ask Applicant this Question" fields you established in your Config page. For example, if you set up a question to ask applicants to name any faculty contacts, the answers would be searchable using the "Dept Contacts" field. The Comments section allows you to search for applicants where comments have been made by a particular faculty member. Faculty are able to make comments about an applicant. Listed in the drop-down box will be the names of your registered faculty members. Select one to pull up the applications where they have made comments. The Rating section again has subcategories. Faculty are able to rate individual applicants. Faculty are able to place applicants on a short list. In the first drop-down box in this section, On short list by, the names of your registered faculty members will be listed. In selecting one of the names, you will be able to search for all/any applicants that this faculty member has placed on his short list. Faculty are also able to indicate that they recommend that an applicant be interviewed or be made an offer. In the second drop-down box in this section, On interview list by, registered faculty are again listed for selection. In the drop-down On offer list by, the same is the case again. In selecting one of the names, you will be able to search for all/any applicants that this faculty member has placed on his respective recommendation list. The Sort By option allows you to sort your resulting search list according to the recommendations of a selected registered faculty member.

Some advanced Search commands

There are also other rules for searching, if you happen to be searching for particular non-character data. You can also use the question mark symbol, ?, for wildcard searches. The question mark will match only ONE character. You can use as many question mark wildcards as you like. This can be helpful in refining your search, if you want your list of results to be as short and concise as possible. For example, entering Ros? will bring up search results such as Rose and Ross while entering Ros* will bring up search results such as Rose, Ross, Rosenberg, and Roster. If you want to search on an actual question mark, you will need to indicate that it's a real question mark and not and not a wildcard by putting a backslash immediately before the question mark: \?. The same thing applies to the asterisk wildcard, *. If you want to search on an actual asterisk, you will need to indicate that it's a real asterisk and not and not a wildcard by putting a backslash immediately before the asterisk: \*.

Save your search, Share search with Faculty

Once you've submitted your search, you will get a window similar to the one below. You can save this particular search for later user by typing in a name for this search in the text box and clicking the Save button. You can have as many searches saved as you like. All saved searches will be listed near the bottom of your "Search" page for you to manage. All saved searches can also be accessed easily as Search Filters on the main list page. Another very helpful feature available is the option to share the search with Faculty by checking the box make it shared?. Note also the options next to the "Search Results" title, so that you can download your search results as a .CSV file (the download link), an .xls file (the xls link), or right-click on url and copy the link location.