Investigating the Learning Process in Job Search: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

We investigated the learning process in search by conducting a log-based study involving registered job seekers of a commercial job search engine. The analysis shows that job search is a complex task: seekers usually submit multiple queries over sessions that can last days or even weeks. We find that querying, clicking, and job application rates change over time: job seekers tend to use more filters and a less diverse set of query terms. In terms of click and application behavior, we observed a significant decrease in click rate and query term diversity, as well as an increase in application rates. These trends are found to largely match information seeking models of learning in a complex search task. However, common behaviors are observed in the logs that suggest the existing models may not be sufficient to describe all of the users’ learning and seeking processes.

Publication
Proceedings of the 28th ACM International Conference on Information and Knowledge Management