When searching with one or more keywords, we highly recommend using Boolean search techniques. Boolean searching allows you to combine keywords with operators (or modifiers) such as AND, NOT and OR to produce more relevant results.

Learn more about Boolean searching.

Specific skill levels can be searched by clicking 'More options' on the search panel and entering your required skills within the 'Skills and Experience' area - one skill per box. You can also set the required level of experience.

When running your search you can select one or more industries Selecting the appropriate industry can help minimise irrelevent results if your search criteria contains words that are common across multiple disciplines.

The CV database contains candidates who have shared their CV on ComputerJobs within the last two years.

If you're looking to fill a role that requires a rare skill you may wish to utilise this archive to locate the perfect candidate for you. Alternatively if you're looking to pick up the latest available candidates you can limit your search to CVs uploaded 'today' as well as various intervals inbetween.

Searches you run will be performed within one of four regions. The regions available are UK/Europe/Africa & Russia, the Americas, Canada and Australasia/Asia.

You can switch regions by clicking the 'Change' link and selecting your desired region.

By selecting 'Search Application History' your search will not only be performed against candidate CVs but also within their application history.

For example, if a candidate has previously searched or applied for a Developer job but has not mentioned Developer within their CV they will also appear within a search for Developer.

It is based upon when the candidate most recently logged in, updated their searchable profile or applied to a job. This makes it easy to tell the difference between active and passive job seekers.

When making their CV searchable candidates have the option to protect the exposure of their personal information to only recruiters which they have explicitly granted permission. When requesting access, we will send the candidate an email asking for them to approve or decline your request. If no response is received, a follow-up email is sent after 2 days. If the candidate approves or declines you will be notified by email.

The data retrieved via the CV search is cached to enhance performance. When a candidate removes their profile information they may temporarily remain in the cache. These CVs are removed automatically as time passes.

Your last search is remembered between visits, so it is not essential, but we do recommend it.

After running a search you can quickly save it for later with the 'save' icon. When saving a search you also have the option of receiving instant or daily email alerts.

When you set up an Instant email alert you will be given the option to 'Attach CV to email'.

With this option enabled we will attach the candidate's CV to the email alert you receive, saving you the need to click-through and download manually.

Just as with downloading a CV manually, we'll deduct a credit when we send the candidate's CV to you.

Saved searches appear within a dedicated panel located on the left side of the window. The 'email' icon beside the search name indicates whether an email alert is either active or inactive.

Run the saved search, adjust the criteria via the pop-up and run the new search. When you are happy with the new results, click the 'save' icon and overwrite your existing saved search by choosing it from the list.

If you would like to update an existing saved search's email alert settings, run the saved search first from the Saved Searches panel and click the 'email' icon.

Run the search first from the Saved Searches panel and click the 'bin' icon.

Tags can be added in two ways – either by clicking the 'Add a tag' action within the right panel or by tagging in bulk from the basket.

CV Tags appear within a dedicated panel located on the left side of the window.

Tags can be removed individually from a CV by clicking the 'X' beside the tag name. Alternatively, you can clear a tag from every tagged CV by first running the tag search from 'CV Tags' and clicking the 'bin' icon.

Every CV is automatically tagged with the month and year (e.g. "May 2017") of when it was first downloaded. These tags can be accessed within CV Search from the 'CV Tags' panel on the left, beneath the 'Downloaded Tags' heading.

Notes can be added by clicking the 'Add a note' action within the right panel.

Notes are displayed at the bottom of the candidate details panel, beneath 'Full Details'.

Notes can be removed by clicking the 'bin' icon.

CVs can be linked to a job within CV Search by clicking the 'Link to Job' action within the right panel, simply click the job you would like to link.

CVs can be unlinked from a job within CV Search by clicking the 'Link to Job' action within the right panel, simply click 'X' on a job you would like to unlink.

CVs can be added to the basket within CV Search by either clicking the 'basket' icon in the search results or the 'Add to basket' action within the right panel.

Once you have CVs in the basket a 'Show Basket' link will be available at the top of the left panel.

CVs can be removed from the basket within CV Search by either clicking the 'basket' icon in the search results, the 'Remove from basket' action within the right panel or clear the basket entirely with its 'bin' icon.

Your entire basket can be downloaded immediately, as a single ZIP file.

Your entire basket can be sent to an email address, as a single ZIP file.

You can tag multiple CVs at once from the basket, instead of tagging them all individually.

Sending a chat invitation via the CV Search will unlock the CV and will therefore count as a download against your CV product. If a CV is already unlocked, you are free to chat with the candidate as many times as you wish.

Green - online and available to chat. They have been active in the last 30 seconds.

Yellow - away. They are online but have not been active in the last 30 seconds.

Red - busy. They are online but are currently chatting with someone else.

Grey - offline.

Yes - an offline chat invitation will be sent to the candidate via email. When they next come online, we will notify you via email as well as on the website if you are currently using Job Manager or CV Search.

Offline chat invitations expire after 7 days. Once this period has passed you can either submit another offline invitation or contact them via another method, as you will also have access to their contact details from their unlocked CV.

Emailing CVs, downloading CVs, linking CVs to a job, sending chat invitations and using the 'Contact Details' link will unlock the CV, revealing the candidate's contact details. This will deduct a CV download from the CV product on your account. After a CV has been unlocked, further actions against the same CV will not cause another deduction.

Every CV is automatically tagged with the month and year (e.g. 'Jun 2017') of when it was first downloaded. These tags can be accessed within CV Search from the 'CV Tags' panel on the left, beneath the 'Downloaded Tags' heading.