Online job searching can be a daunting task. Keyword queries often return irrelevant results in with desired listings. On the recruiting side, sifting through hundreds or even thousands of candidates is not practical.

But Monster.com is working hard to make job search easier. They've been introducing some new innovations for job search - both on the job seeker side and on the recruiter side. Monster is using patented search technology they've dubbed 6Sense to fuel these new job search technologies.

When you visit Monster.com as a job seeker, notice that you now have two options for search. Standard search, Monster's traditional model, and PowerSearch, the new patented technology which is currently in BETA.

As you can see, in the Standard search, you've got one box for your keywords and another for location. With PowerSearch, you get to a box for searching job titles, another for skills, and one for location.

I tested out the search using terms and skills I used to help my husband search for a job two years ago. He's a software developer specializing in Autocad in Raleigh, NC. Power Search returned zero results - but that's a good thing. Because searching on other job sites - I couldn't find a job that meets that specific skill - but I had to scan hundreds of job listings to learn that. That's because traditional job search will pull up any job mentioning Autocad - including drafting positions.

I wanted to make sure, though that when a search is conducted on Power Search, the results are actually good. Not an easy task in this economy. So, I searched for my husband's new skill - iPhone development - and pretended we were looking for a job for him in New York. There was a nice list of 12 jobs to sift through.

I compared that to HotJobs, which not only made me sign into my Yahoo! account (annoying!), but returned listings for IT jobs, which weren't relevant.

"The 6Sense semantic search technology is an extension of our investment in many technology innovations we've delivered over the past two years," said Darko Dejanovic, executive vice president, Global CIO and head of product for Monster. "We've continued to invest significantly in technology, product and infrastructure to completely revamp the talent and job search experience."

For recruiters, the new Power Resume Search offers an insanely robust search that filters searches from having to scour thousands to sifting through a short list of truly qualified candidtes.

"I hear from our customers that their businesses have jobs that they desperately need to fill and yet don't have the resources to make that a reality. 6Sense technology changes all of this, facilitating the hiring process so that better matches are made more efficiently thereby getting people back to work more quickly," said Sal Iannuzzi, chairman, president, and chief executive officer, Monster.

Last fall, Monster briefed me on the Power Resume Search technology and I must admit, it's very awesome. Recruiters can filter by location, skill, years of experience and many other factors. They can also decide which factors are most important.

Monster is really on to some great tech here. It's the kind of tech that needs to expand to other search verticals and search in general.

"This is an early example of what the online experience will look like in the coming decade, as we move from search as a separate tool to integrated online environments that guide us through an information task. Monster is a very early example in this search revolution," said Susan Feldman, Research Vice President for Search and Discovery Technologies, IDC.

Even if you're not looking for a job right now, go check out their new Power Search. It's what search can be and it's what search is right now for Monster.com.