10 Top Tips For Job Hunters

Rick Shiels 3m 747 #jobhunters

The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.

Are you struggling to find a job? Need some handy hints to get you on the right track and help you land that job you so desperately want? Read on for some tips that might help you out in your time of need.

1. CV

One of the most important things that will sell you to potential employers before they even meet you is your CV. Ensure yours is up to date. Enlist the help of professionals if you can, some places even do free CVs so look around if you need help. Make sure you have it on computer file for easy emailing and also a printed, extended version bound in a smart folder when going to interviews.

2. Word of Mouth

Let people know that you are looking for work. Friends, family, friends of friends, the more the better at increasing your chances of hearing about job vacancies. Many jobs are found through word of mouth. Make it known to as many people as possible that you are seeking work.

3. Make a List

Make a few lists. Write down all your positive selling points, jobs you can do, skills, etc. This can widen your search and you may even discover a job that you had never even thought of before. You also want to list the jobs you would like to do and the places you could go to apply for a particular job you are after.

4. Go looking

As simple as it sounds, actually go looking for work at places you would like to work. Approach potential employers directly. There are many jobs that are not advertised and by walking into a company and asking for a job may actually get you one. Make sure you are prepared by carrying your up to date CV with you.

5. Use the Internet

Lots of jobs are advertised on the Internet. Spend some time searching and applying for as many as you can. Sign up for email job alerts as well. These inform you if a job matching your selected criteria has become available. Don’t forget to still check out newspapers daily. Professional and industry journals can be another place to look.

6. Recruitment agencies

Sign up to a recruitment agency. The majority of these places are free, but you will have to register. They can help find a suitable position for you and can take the hard work out of job-hunting for you as employers approach these companies directly for candidates for job vacancies they have that they don’t advertise.

7. Interview presentation

Make sure that if you do land yourself an interview that you present yourself well. Being clean and tidy says a lot about the image you are projecting to and you want your first impression to be a good one. Speak clearly and confidently and don’t swear or use foul language.

8. Social media profile updated

Make sure you change your profiles to private, rather than public on your social media sites. There may be some photos or posts that could be off-putting to a future boss. Although your private life is just that – private – there may be some unsavoury things on your pages that may cause you to lose out on a job.

9. Write cover letter

Make sure you have a well-written cover letter to accompany any job applications and CV’s you send out. You want an employer to be interested enough in you by what you put in your cover letter so that they want to learn more about you and will read your job application more thoroughly. Give the employer an idea of who you are and what skills you have and what you can bring to the job. You want to make each cover letter specific to each job you apply for, so spend a bit of time on these.

10. Take on part-time work

Don’t be afraid to take on part-time work (if you are able to money-wise). If you are offered a job at a company you really want to work for then this could be a foot in the door and lead to full-time work in the future. Just don’t make any accident at work claims when there or you’ll be in trouble.

So, good luck with your job hunt. I hope some of these ideas help you in your search and you will soon be employed.

Rick Shiels is a writer and also a career advice officer who has helped a number of people into employment.

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