Step Three - Finding jobs
Finding vacancies has never been easier - but have you considered cutting out the competition by finding a job that is not advertised, that may not even exist yet? Where do you look? And who can help you? Before we move on to answering these questions, there is another question you might think about: who do you want to work for? Bear it in mind when looking at the following list of the 'usual' sources of vacancies and the benefits and pitfalls of each...
1. Local and National press: still a good source, especially the local papers for the more... 'ordinary' jobs; national papers for the more specialist and senior level. Vacancies advertised in either may not be quite as 'new' as those on the internet but there's probably, at worst, only a few day's difference. Be sure to read the advert carefully and be sure that it is in the right location for you and will satisfy your salary needs (without any over-expectation on your part). Also check that you can meet 100% of the essential requirements.
2. Internet job boards: most jobs here are advertised by agencies but the advantage is that the job goes live on the internet very quickly and, let's face it - the early bird catches the worm. Again, do read the advert carefully to make sure you fully understand what the employer requires of you and what you require from the employer. It is relatively easy to apply for these too but do take the time to compose an individual cover letter to accompany your CV with each application. Then it's just a few clicks and you're done.
Some job boards openly suggest that all you need do is download your CV and let employers come to you. In practice, that doesn't happen. Employers rarely spend time surfing the net for matching CVs and agencies only do so when they have a specific requirement. You must remain proactive in your search. Now, there are dangers in downloading your CV which you need to bear in mind. Once on the internet you have no idea who might pick your CV up. True, they will most likely be agencies and employers who have paid to view CVs online, but you will have no control over where your CV goes. Supposing your own boss picked it up? What often happens is, if you have desirable skills, many agencies will pick it up and add you to there database. As soon as the agencies get a requirement for someone with your skills, they may (although against Regulations) send your CV straight to the employer. When I say 'they' I mean it could be 2, 8 or more agencies all sending your CV to the same employer for the same job. The employer will not be viewing your application too seriously if they realise they are reading the same CV over and over again.
One final word of warning about posting your CV on the net: don't give too much personal information. Obviously you will need to give your name, a location and a contact number or email address. Among the information you don't need to give at this point is a full address and you should never need to put in information about your family, their ages (or yours) or the fact that you play football every Tuesday evening. Get the idea? Of course you do.
3. Agencies: It has to be said, there are good and bad agencies as in most industry sectors. Find yourself 2 or 3 good agencies which either specialise in purely local jobs or specialise in your specific sector of industry. Don't just send your CV, make an appointment to see someone. Get their business card and keep in regular touch. If the agency has an open door policy, pop in from time to time. Give your agent all relevant information about your work history (warts and all) because only then will they be able to present you to potential employers with confidence. All agencies have to comply with current Regulations laid out by the BERR (ex-DTI). To ensure that your selected agencies do work to Regulations you can view them or download them from: www.opsi.gov.uk
4. Unadvertised vacancies: The toughest but the most effective way of getting the job you want. This method comes down to who you know and the contacts you can build. One way to do this is to pick the brains of family, friends and acquaintances. Talk to them about your job search and about their employers. Could there be a place for you there?
Most companies now have a website and you can find out a good deal from that about potential employers - and it will help your cause if they realise you have taken the trouble to research them and have decided you would like to work for them. Then, using oodles of self confidence, you will need to call the Company and find the name of the person who is most likely to want to talk to you about the possibility of employment. Arrange a meeting and sell yourself. One rule here is to avoid the Human Resources department who will only be aware of 'live' vacancies and are likely to turn you away or offer to keep your CV on file. Another rule - but this applies to all job-seeking methods: Always pu the emphasis on what you can do for the Company and not what the Company can do for you.
And, finally, we now have the famous - or infamous - Social Networking sites on the internet. By far the most used site by head-hunters and employers (those who are savvy enough) is www.linkedin.com it is the industry leader in job/work-related networking but www.facebook.com is growing fast. If you are already using Facebook as a social network site, it is probably best to use a different site for your job-seeking. You will need to 'sell' yourself in very few words using these sites and, a word of warning again, some employers will google your name or check you out on Facebook so be sure there is nothing embarrassing on your wall!
In conclusion:
"Listen very carefully, I shall say this only once"... Whenever you apply for a job make a note of what you applied for, when you applied, where you found the ad, who you applied to and any names/contact numbers. Keep a track of your application by noting the date of any response and what the response was. Follow up all applications to make sure they have been received and to discover (if possible) when you might hear about the initial response (interview or rejection). Keep follow-up calls reasonably few, we don't suggest you make a pest of yourself but there's no harm in showing an interest.
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