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How to find work on Indeed: filters, alerts and applications that get an answer
A practical guide to Indeed: how to set the search, which filters to use, how alerts work, what the company sees in your profile, and how to avoid scams.
Key points
- Indeed is free for job seekers: only companies pay, and only for sponsored adverts.
- A useful search is three filters, role, place, contract type, saved with an email alert.
- Quick apply only works when the profile is complete: a plain PDF CV and pre-filled answers.
- An advert with no company name, a salary "up to" and chat-only contact needs checking before you reply.
- Applying in the first 24–48 hours measurably changes your chances of being read.
Indeed carries more adverts than any other job board in Italy, and it is also the easiest place to get lost. The same vacancy shows up three times, half the results sit in another province, and quick apply invites you to fire your CV at everything. This guide uses it the other way round: few results, the right ones, with an alert that tells you when something new lands.
How to set up the search: role, place, contract
The search bar has two fields: what and where. Most searches get both wrong, with a generic word in the first and "Italy" in the second. The result is a list nobody reads to the end.
- What: write the job title the way a company would write it, not the way you describe yourself. "Customer care assistant", "warehouse operative", "administrative clerk". If nothing comes back, try the English synonym.
- Where: the city and the towns you can reach, not the whole region. If you would take remote work, search "remote" or "smart working" in the text field too.
- Filters: open the panel and set contract type, pattern (on site, hybrid, remote), publication date (last 24 hours or last week) and experience level.
- Save the search: turn on the email alert. From then on Indeed sends you only the new vacancies that match those filters, which is exactly what you want.
Two filters few people use, and both change the quality of what comes back: the publication date (a three-week-old advert is often closed) and the advert's language, if you are searching near a border or for international companies.
Your profile and CV: what the company sees
Indeed lets you upload a CV that stays attached to your profile and goes out with every quick application. It is the most neglected part and the one with the biggest effect: a CV the selection system cannot read kills the application even when the profile is right.
| In the CV | Why |
|---|---|
| A text PDF, one column | CVs built from tables and images are read badly or not at all |
| A professional title at the top | It is the first thing the filter compares with the advert |
| The advert's own words | The systems look for literal matches, not synonyms |
| Explicit dates (month and year) | Unexplained gaps get noticed |
| Results with numbers | "Managed 120 clients" says more than "client management" |
| A working email and phone number | An excellent CV with a wrong number is a lost application |
In your profile, fill in the job preferences too (role, location, availability). Indeed uses them to suggest vacancies and to surface your profile to companies that are hiring. If you do not want to be contacted, set CV visibility to "only when I apply". The setting lives in the profile panel and changes between site versions, so check it before you upload.
Quick apply: when to use it and when not to
Quick apply sends your saved CV in a couple of clicks. That is why it is convenient, and why it is crowded: an advert can collect hundreds of applications in a day. It works for roles with objective requirements (driving licence, shifts, certificates). It works far less for roles where the writing or the portfolio decides.
- Use it when the CV already matches the advert: same title, same keywords, obvious experience.
- Skip it when the company asks for a letter or a portfolio. The job board is then only the channel, and the application needs preparing.
- Check what gets attached. The CV version saved months ago is often the wrong one.
- Do not apply twice to the same advert. It does not improve your odds, and some companies log it as noise.
How to write the right advert (and what to check before you reply)
Not every advert is the same. Before you spend twenty minutes on an application, three quick checks stop you wasting them.
- Is the company named? If it is an unnamed "industry leader", search the advert text on Google. The same agency often reposts it every week.
- Is the salary stated? When it is, it is usually a range. When it is missing, that is no reason to skip the advert, but it is a question to ask at the first contact.
- Is the contract stated? Fixed-term, agency work, freelance invoice: the rights differ. "Collaboration" with no written contract deserves a question.
- Is there an address or a site? A company with no verifiable address and interviews only in chat is a red flag.
What to do when no replies arrive
Silence is the norm, not the exception: most companies never answer the people they do not shortlist. After 30 applications with no contact, three causes are likely: a CV that does not match, a role outside your target, or applications sent too long after publication.
The fix is to measure. Keep a sheet with date, company, role and channel. After twenty rows a pattern appears (say, no replies when you use quick apply, replies when you attach a portfolio), and you can change one variable at a time instead of everything at once.
Frequently asked questions
Is Indeed free for job seekers?
Yes: searching and applying cost nothing for candidates. Indeed makes its money from sponsored adverts paid by companies. If an advert asks you for money, it is a scam.
How do I save a search on Indeed?
Set the keyword, place and filters, then use the option that creates an email alert for that search. The exact label differs between the site and the app. From then on you receive only new vacancies that match those criteria.
Why do I get no replies on Indeed?
The usual causes are a CV that does not use the advert's words, applications sent to vacancies that are already closed, a role outside your target, or quick apply used without the portfolio or letter the advert asked for.
Does quick apply work?
It works for roles with objective, checkable requirements (driving licence, shifts, certificates), where the CV alone decides. It works less for creative or technical roles, where the portfolio, the letter and the way you tell your story carry the weight.
Does the CV I upload to Indeed stay private?
Visibility is set in the profile: you can let companies contact you, or show the CV only when you apply. The options change between site versions, so check the setting after each update.
How many adverts are there on Indeed in Italy?
The number changes daily and tells you nothing useful, because most adverts are duplicates or expired. Count the results your filters return and how many are still open instead. Fewer than ten means the search is too narrow.
How do you apply to a company that only advertises on Indeed?
Apply through the job board, then look the company up on LinkedIn or its own site to confirm it exists. If it makes sense, add a short direct message to a person there. Do not submit the same advert twice.