Step-by-Step: How to Scrape Job Postings in 2024?

Searching for jobs using the Internet is common nowadays. In 2022, 80% of job searches happened online. Going online makes job hunting easier, as it means no more manually sending/scanning resumes and attending physical interviews. 

Ironically, the accessibility of online job postings also made the job hunt more challenging. To combat it, applicants and recruiters use job scraping. This process helps them gather valuable information from job listings using automated tools. 

Continue reading to find out more about how to scrape job postings and how applicants and recruiters use such a process. 

What is Job Scraping?

Since more jobs are posted online, anyone can easily apply in just a few clicks. This made it tougher for applicants and recruiters to secure the job or find the best candidate with more people in the hiring pool. 

To get an edge, job seekers and hiring companies scrape job data. Job scraping is the process of collecting job postings from employment websites like  Indeed, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn. This technique requires special tools or bots. 

Scraper tools are capable of getting important information from job listings, such as:

• Title of the job

• The company offering the job

• Where the job is located

• Salary range 

• Date the job was posted

As  more companies utilize employment websites for hiring, job scraping becomes more of a necessity. Learn how to scrape job postings on your own in the next section. 

10 Steps to Scrape Job Postings

Before you start scraping job postings, make sure to secure the following:

Once you have all the requirements, you can start scraping job postings. Note that there are various tools that you can use to scrape job data, but here's how you can do it with Octoparse:

1. Install Octoparse on your computer. Create an account. 

2. Open the tool and create a new task once installed.

3. Go to LinkedIn. Copy the URL of the job listing that you want to scrape. 

4. Paste the URL on Octoparse and click the "Save" button.

5. Toggle the “Browse” switch to get a preview of the data that you want to scrape. 

6. Set up the tool by clicking "Options." Tick the checkbox beside “scroll down the page after it is loaded."

7. Select "to the bottom of the page" and click "Apply."

8. Click "Browse" and select “Auto-detect webpage data.” It will automatically get the data you need.

9. Click “Run” and extract the data.

10. Export the extracted data to a format you want (e.g., CSV or Excel). This is what the data will look like when extracted to Excel:

You can check the video below for a visual guide on downloading and using Octoparse to scrape LinkedIn.

Use Cases of Job Scraping Data

Scraping job data is used for different beneficial purposes. Here are some examples:

Best Practices for Scraping Job Postings

Before you scrape job postings from websites, consider the following tips to ensure you are on the right path.

• Understand the Rules and Ethics

While web scraping is generally legal, some websites do not allow it. Before gathering information from websites, learn about the rules and terms of services. This includes:

• Use Proxies 

Websites often enforce anti-scraping measures to protect their data. Common examples of these techniques are CAPTCHAs, honeypot traps, and IP address reputation. 

To bypass those anti-scraping measures, use third-party tools like proxies. A proxy hides a user’s real IP address to avoid getting blocked or flagged by websites. 

• Choose the Right Scraping Tools

There are many tools for web scraping jobs. Choose the one that is easy for you to use, fits your budget (ranging from free options to paid tools typically starting at $20-$50 per month), and works well with your website.

Conclusion

With increased job postings online, scraping them has become a valuable process. Job scraping works by using tools to gather information like job titles, salaries, company names, and location. It helps job seekers and employers to collect necessary information from online listings.

Remember to follow website rules when scraping job postings and use proxies to avoid getting blocked. Also, choose tools that work well with your needs and budget.