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Applying for a job can be a daunting task for anyone no matter
how many years' experience they have or how qualified they are.
However, preparation can help tremendously and can often result
in a dream job or a job halfway there!
If you have been searching a while, it may be time to think of
just getting a foot in the door to start with and then work your
way up the ladder. This is explained further in the 'Where
to Look for a Job' section under 'Agencies'.
The following pointers should help you prepare for the whole process
of job-hunting but remember keep your enthusiasm up and do not
take rejections personally. Rejections are not a reflection
of who you are as a person and your skills and abilities!
Where to look for a job
There are various ways of identifying potential employers
and it is best to use as many methods as you can so that you can
send off as many applications as possible. There is no such
thing as applying for too many jobs as long as you ensure that
each application is personalised so that the company believes
that you have applied to them and only them.
Through newspapers
Newspapers always tend to have job pages and cater to certain
professions on certain days, eg The Daily Telegraph has technical
vacancies on Thursdays. Local jobs are often advertised in the
regional papers, eg The Evening Standard. There can also be specific
job papers, eg overseas jobs express, jobs north west etc.
Your local newsagents are always a source of good advice regarding
which papers are best.
Some of the websites are listed below
The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk
The Daily Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk
The Times http://www.the-times.co.uk
The Evening Standard
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk
Overseas Jobs Express http://www.overseasjobsexpress.co.uk
If you are a graduate, remember to look in your professional publications,
e.g. Marketing Week, The Chemical Engineer etc.
Job Centre
Despite the stigma attached to the job centre, the job centre
can help you develop job searching skills as well as identify
potential work for you. It is always good to drop in and
leave your details and have a good look through the listed vacancies.
Internet
Like it or not, this is the day and age of the internet.
The internet is a great source of information. If you do
not have access, try local libraries, colleges and universities
(universities tend to limit use to their students or staff only)
or else (if you have the money!) you can visit a cyber café.
There are plenty of useful internet sites listing vacancies as
well as advice on job hunting. Some of the more popular sites
are listed below:
Agencies
Every city is full of recruitment agencies for nearly all professions.
Although the majority of agencies are geared towards people with
a bit of work experience, there are a few agencies that can get
you a much-needed foot in the door even if it is on a temporary
basis. Be aware that some agencies will test your IT capability
in terms of Microsoft Word, Excel etc. so prepare beforehand and
treat the sessions as an interview. Sit down with the yellow pages
or your local phone book and look under recruitment or employment
agencies and choose the agencies most appropriate to your background
or just ask them for guidance.
Examples of agencies are
Networking
That’s what the BBPA and other professional organisations are
for! Use your friends from University (not literally!), keep your
old contacts from work, keep in touch with any supportive tutors
or lecturers. ‘Why?’ I hear you ask. A lot of jobs are advertised
internally before they are ‘released’ for publication in newspapers
etc. so you may be able to get a step ahead of all other applicants.
Previous work colleagues may end up in a management position within
the department that you want to work in. Also, lecturers and tutors
can have close connections with businesses and industries in the
local area and therefore, may be able to guide you. Work your
stuff and find out about opportunities and take advantage of them!
Speculative Applications
I won’t lie. Speculative applications probably have the highest
failure rate than all other forms of application but it can work!
The way to increase your chances of success is to phone the company
beforehand to find out what vacancies they may have, if any, and
the name of the person in the relevant department. So, if you
are applying for a sales job, try to get the name of the Sales
Manager rather than write to Personnel. If you know which profession
you want to follow or which company you want to work for, you
can obtain the telephone number and address details from the telephone
directory or by carrying out an internet search.
Careers Services
If you are not sure what career you wish to follow or would like
general advice, the local careers service can be an extremely
useful source of information. Try your local college or university.
AGCAS is the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services
and has its own website, which anyone can access (please see earlier
section on the internet) http://agcas.csu.man.ac.uk.
Voluntary Work
If you are having trouble getting a job and are unemployed, I
would advise voluntary work as a way of gaining further skills
and impressing potential employers. Voluntary work does not necessarily
have to be with a charity organisation, my previous manager carried
out voluntary work for a local engineering firm and was kept on
as a permanent employee!
Recruitment fairs
The hardest stage of job seeking is always getting past the application
stage and onto interviews. Therefore, if employers can put a face
to the name on the CV, it is more than an added advantage! My
advice would be to go to as many jobs fairs/recruitment fairs/milk
rounds as possible.
Training Schemes
Okay, so you are a new starter in the job stakes or you have
decided you want a change or you are not that confident in exams
and don’t want to go to university or college full-time, what
can you do? If you are between 16 and 24, consider a modern apprenticeship.
It will definitely give a leg-up on the career ladder! You can
call 0800 91 9000 for more information and ask for the Young Person’s
Guide to Work-based Training and to find out specific details,
try 0800 783 1042. Modern apprenticeships are available in Accountancy,
Agriculture, Business Administration, Catering and Hospitality,
Childcare, Construction, Customer Services, Engineering, Hairdressing,
Healthcare, Information Technology, Insurance, Manufacturing,
Motor Trade, Retail, Sports and Recreation, Travel. Further information
can be found at http://www.sectec.co.uk/movingon/jobs_and_training/modernapp.htm
However, if you are a graduate who is keen on getting more experience
and getting a postgraduate qualification, how about the Teaching
Company Scheme? Teaching Company Schemes (TCS) are two-year programmes
run by the Teaching Company Directorate (TCD) in Faringdon, Southern
England. The TCD works with businesses and the education sector
to provide opportunities for graduates to obtain paid (excellent
starting salaries!) work experience along with a postgraduate
qualification. TCD run TCS as well as PTP (Postgraduate Training
Partnership) for PhDs and CBP (Colleges and Businesses in Partnership).
Further information can be obtained by phoning 01367 245200 or
at their website http://www.tcd.co.uk/
There are various ways in which to apply for a job. You can either:
- Fill in an application form provided by the prospective employer;
- Fill in the Standard application form (usually supplied by
colleges/universities); or
- Send a CV
All the above should be sent with a covering letter unless otherwise
stated by the prospective employer. Basically, you should see
yourself as a product you want to sell.
The application is the most important stage as if you do not
get this right then you will not be given the chance to present
yourself at an interview. Therefore, any applications should be
completed in a quiet area where you can concentrate and take your
time.
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