Many training material and software tools come with examples and templates for search. This is certainly helpful. However many people would try the given template, not get the good results and get stuck.

I think that creating Boolean search strings is not an art where you create the right string (if you "know the stuff") and collect the results. Rather, it's a process where you come up with a string, take a look at the results, change your string based on the results you're getting, look at the results again etc. till you collect enough info on the subject (such as a good number of online resumes with certain skills). The search art is much more about playing with the string to add or remove keywords than about using some advanced syntax.

Available training materials like cheatsheets are "static" and often address the syntax and give good starting points but do not teach you the process. Do you agree? What is the best way to teach someone the process of searching?

-Irina