What’s the best way to find a job? Jobseeking advice from CV Writers

This is a question that customers of CV Writers ask surprisingly often.

Although the circumstances for every individual are unique and therefore warrant different approaches, the channels used to find out about jobs are broadly similar for most people. It’s the effectiveness of how they are used that will help some succeed more than others. There are 4 main routes to finding a job.

Advertisements

Jobs can be advertised through the internet on job boards, company websites, linkedin and various other sources. In the real world vacancies can be advertised in newspapers, magazines, posters or even on the back of petrol pumps.  In fact they can be advertised anywhere that you can squeeze enough space to write a job title and a contact number on.

Advertised jobs are great for recruiters and job seekers alike in that they provide a mass medium for vacancies. This mass medium is also one of the challenges. You can be sure that whatever job you apply for, there will be plenty of competition from other job seekers. The more popular the job board, the more intense the competition. Think about that the next time a job board promotes itself purely by the millions of job seekers signed up to it.

Don’t stick to one media – look around and sign up to niche and generic job boards. Keep an eye out in newspapers and specialist magazines. It may also be worth checking the back of the petrol pump nozzle once in a while, though not for too long obviously.

Recruitment consultants

Consultants range from local high street temping agencies to specialist headhunters scouring the globe for the next England football manager (or may be just North London?). Naturally, the type and level of service can vary enormously.

Recruitment consultants are paid commission on behalf of their clients, so not surprisingly, many are compared to estate agents. Generally, they don’t get good press from job seekers.  Complaints range from being sold into going to interviews that aren’t appropriate or that sometimes the field of potential candidates is too narrowly defined and that they should be more open to transferable skills. It’s certainly the case that they are well placed to challenge their clients on that front.

There are, believe it or not, some very good consultants out there. They form a vital role in recruitment and remember, like life in general, that relationships are two way. Make the effort to build a relationship with a consultant and you’ll soon work out the wheat from the chaff. They often have access to jobs not advertised so signing up to the right consultant is an essential part of job seeking. They can also provide advice and guidance about the jobs marketplace in your particular area.

Word of mouth and networking

You may be surprised but word-of-mouth is still one the most effective ways of getting a job. Before the days of social networking it relied on personal contacts. Now sites like Linkedin also play a major role where you can join groups and communities that put job seekers in touch with employers.

Clearly, if a friend of yours knows the boss of a company that is recruiting in your field then this is going to put you on the front foot. It saves the employer time and money and you are already given a glowing reference from your friend. Online it’s important to have compelling profile on Linkedin and that you choose the right keywords to describe your skills. That way, recruiters who do a search can easily find you.

The real benefit to networking is that you get the opportunity to influence and ask questions before applying for a job. You can make a positive impression before even applying . It’s much warmer than responding to an advertisement – though you should also try speaking to someone over the telephone first even before replying to an advertisement.

Speculative applications

Often forgotten about, but a fantastic way of keeping you in control and shaping your own destiny. Think of the ideal organisations you’d like to work for. Now research them and find out about the types of roles they recruit for. Find out about their culture by studying the language they use on their website and literature.  If this gets you excited then make an approach.

The best way to make a speculative approach is over the telephone. Either through the HR team or the head of the section that you would be interested in working in. You may need to be resourceful to get their details from reception or the main switchboard. But making personal contact could pay big dividends. Again it’s about striking up relationships. Then you can send your ‘warm’ CV.

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Of course, getting your CV up to scratch should be the number one priority (speak to CV Writers about that). Once this is done, try to utilize all the above routes.  You may gain success from where you least expect it – so if you’re serious about getting a job you really want , then you should explore every possibility you can.

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