Step up your ad calls game - skip the job boards

Most recruiters search where everyone else searches.

This, despite knowing that not all jobs are posted on job boards.

In fact, many companies rely exclusively on their ATS or careers page - meaning those roles never show up on LinkedIn, Indeed, or other aggregators. If you’re doing business development via ad calls, this gives you a serious edge as you get to find demand earlier and avoid overcrowded channels. Instead of searching job boards, search company websites directly using Boolean queries (google XRay) against common ATS platforms.

Try these Boolean searches to start

• site:icims.com "PHP Developer" "Montreal"
• site:jobs.*.com "PHP Developer" "Montreal"
• site:careers.*.com"PHP Developer" "Montreal"
• site:*.com/jobs "PHP Developer" "Montreal"
• site:*.com/careers "PHP Developer" "Montreal"
• site:apply.*.com/jobs "PHP Developer" "Montreal"
• site:*.com/work-with-us "PHP Developer" "Montreal"
• site:*.com/join-us "PHP Developer" "Montreal"
• site:apply.workable.com "PHP Developer" "Montreal"
• site:greenhouse.io "PHP Developer" "Montreal"
• site:jobs.smartrecruiters.com "PHP Developer" "Montreal"
• site:myworkdayjobs.com "PHP Developer" "Montreal"

These queries surface live job postings hosted on company career pages - often before they hit public job boards.

How to use this effectively

1. Swap "PHP Developer" for the role you’re targeting
2. Swap "Montreal" for your market or location
3. Swap the subdomain and / or directory by whatever you see a lot of in your market
4. Open the posting → identify the company → reach out directly

Best of luck, may the odds be ever in your favour :)