How can I get a job? - Tips from successful candidates
As a leading training provider in this region we often
get enquiries for training courses from people who have recently been made
redundant. The following list of tips is based on conversations
with our students who quickly found work after studying with us. It is a
quick summary how their approach to job finding and personal outlook may
have helped them.
Remain Positive
It is natural to feel down heartened after losing your
job. However you should try to remain positive and avoid thinking that
redundancy is a reflection on you and your abilities. We are seeing more
and more experienced, well qualified and capable people being made redundant as
companies have no other option than letting good people go. This means
that it is becoming more competitive for each position but your should try to
remain confident in each application. If you do not have confidence you
need to find a way to get it back. Counselling or learning new skills may
help you.
Be more flexible
Take time to think about what work you want to do in future
and what you think you are realistically qualified for. One lady applying
for a work recently told us that 350 people applied for one position as a
secretary. The most popular jobs will always have the most applications
therefore consider working in a different line of business, role or town.
For example if you were previously a legal secretary your word processing and
typing skills may make you an ideal candidate for a position as a medical
secretary.
Review your skills and plug the gaps
Put yourself in the mind of the recruiter. If you have
two applicants for a position, one who says they are familiar with word
processing and spreadsheets and the other who has up to date and recognised
certificates in Microsoft Word and Excel who are they going to choose? Be
honest with yourself and take a realistic view of your abilities. Even
during this recession there are still lots of new jobs but the bar you must
cross to get one is set higher and higher.
Update your CV
Your CV is critical to finding employment. It is
therefore absolutely essential that it is up to date, in the right format and
best expresses your skills, capabilities and work experience. Experts say
that you have less than 5 seconds to catch the eye of the person reading the CV
so if it does not match the recruiter's requirements then your application will
be unsuccessful. Another important consideration is that every CV should
be unique for that application. Never be tempted to send a standard CV
for a job application. The recruiter wants to see that you have seriously
considered the role and that your skills match their requirements.
Apply for jobs - not as obvious as you think!
You will be amazed how often we hear that people do not
apply for jobs because they think their application will not be successful,
even though they have many of the employer's requirements. Try to view
the job finding process as a funnel consisting of distinct stages. The
first stage (i.e. the top of the funnel) may be buying your local paper every
week to research the job adverts, the second will be sending off your CV, the
third getting interviews and finally, (the bottom of the funnel) being offered
a position. Quite simply, the more jobs you apply for the more chance you
have of finding work.
Networking
It's surprising how many jobs are found by word of mouth or
contacts via friends or family. For this reason try to speak to as many
people as you know about their work and whether they know of any forthcoming
vacancies. Being involved in other activities (see below) often opens
doors to other opportunities that you would otherwise miss.
Keep Busy
Even though finding a job can be a full time job in its own
right it is important to be busy doing something else. This includes,
volunteer work, training or some other form of self-improvement. This
shows your potential employer that you are a proactive person who sees
adversity as a challenge and an opportunity to improve your skills. It
also fills a potentially larger and larger gap on your CV while you're looking
for work.
The interview
It is highly unlikely that you will get a job without and
interview therefore your mission is to get as many as possible - even if you do
not want the job! The practice you get could mean the difference between
success and failure when you have your next interview. We always say to
students that if you get an interview the job should be yours because the
recruiter would not have called you in unless they felt you could do the
job. The purpose of the interview is for you to demonstrate that the CV
is accurate and impress them with your personality. Once again, put
yourself in the mind of the recruiter - ask yourself why should they hire
you? When you know the answer make sure you tell them or show them why in
the interview.
Do not fall into the 'Trap'
If you do all the things identified in the points above you
will undoubtedly increase your chances of finding work. However, it may
still take a few weeks or even months to get the job you want. Quite
often we speak to people who have been looking for over six months with few if
any interviews. We call this the 'Trap'. They do the right things,
such as regularly applying for jobs etc but they do not recognise that there is
something missing in their CV. Ultimately, that is why they are having no
success. Unfortunately, with every week that passes the problem is
compounded as they become more and more out of touch with the world of
work. The people who find work quickly are those who recognise that they
have to be proactive from day one. They quickly assess their abilities
and skills and start to improve them immediately rather than try the 'I'll wait
and see' approach. Ask yourself which one are you!
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About The Author
This article was written by Mike Baddeley of Pitman Training Guildford
Author Profile
Pitman Training Guildford offers a wide range of IT, Microsoft Office, typing, shorthand and bookkeeping training courses. Unlike a conventional school or college all our courses are totally flexible. This means that you can start them at any time and study on a flexible basis including part time, full time, evenings and weekends. Our courses are recognised by bodies such as OCR, City & Guilds, Microsoft and the British Computer Society so you know your qualification will be accepted by employers.
Author's Contact Details
Mike Baddeley
Pitman Training Guildford
Portsmouth House
1 Portsmouth Road
Guildford
Surrey
GU2 4BL
Telephone: 01483 572855
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Pitman Training Guildford website »
AllGuildfordJobs are very grateful to Mike Baddeley and Pitman Training Guildford for taking the time to provide this advice, please use the contact details above if you'd like to contact Pitman Training Guildford.
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