Category: job searching

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The Ten Step Job Hunter Plan

After working with many long term unemployed job hunters, I have found that several common themes stop job hunters securing employment.

This ten step plan will help overcome these obstacles and clear the path to your new career. Long term job hunters after securing work often report that other areas in their lives improve including confidence, family relationships, stress levels, self esteem and their quality of life.   

A career coach can help you move forward with your life, your career and your future.

The Ten Step Plan                                                                                                        

  • Have a Clear Career Goal: Have you ever been to the supermarket not knowing what you want to buy for tea? Do you find yourself walking down each food section without choosing a product? It is the same with job hunting if you don’t have a career goal you will find it hard to apply for vacancies no matter how many job search websites you use.

You need to find a career that you will be passionate about, a job where you will wake up wanting to go to work – if you could choose any career and there were no restrictions, what job would you want to do? If you can find a career that suits your personality traits you will be successful as your values, beliefs and identity will match the job role.

  • Job Requirements: Once you have a job goal, your next step is to understand what skills, qualities and qualifications are needed for the position you will be applying for. You can easily learn this from reading job adverts, job specifications and job profiles. By recording the employer’s essential criteria on your CV, Job application and discussing how you possess these essential skills during the job interview, you will double the amount of job offers you receive.

 

  • Where are vacancies advertised? Depending on your job sector depends where the positions you will be applying for will be advertised. As some job sectors rely heavily on job search engines, others will only advertise on their company website, while others prefer to receive speculative applications.  A good starting point is the sector skills council.

 

  • The Speculative Approach: Remember, not all jobs are advertised often due to the cost of job advertisement. We just mentioned the speculative application; I have added this as a separate bullet point as there is a 40% success rate in using speculative applications. A speculative application is when you send a speculative letter and CV asking if the employer is currently recruiting.

 

  • Know the Industry: Become an industry expert, showing your industry and knowledge expertise on your application form and during the interview will increase your job offers, as employers often think if you understand the industry and job role you will enjoy and do well in the position.

 

  • Believe in Yourself: As well as not having a job goal, not believing in yourself is one of the biggest barriers job hunters have. In some cases this lack of self belief has stopped people attending a job interview, even when the candidate had made it to the interview venue.

An NLP Life Coach can help you improve your confidence, for now imagine you are a confident person, how would you stand? What is your confident posture like – do it now, is you head looking up or down, what will you say to yourself. Already you are starting to feel more confident by imagining that you are confident. If you believe you can pass job interviews you will!

  • Telephone Skills: I am always surprised that more job hunters have a fear of talking to employers on the telephone then they do talking to interviewers face to face. The secret to passing telephone interviews is practice, you would prepare for a face to face interview and you also need to practice for a telephone interview.

 

  • Interview Questions: from following the above steps you now understand about becoming an industry expert and you know the essential criteria needed for the position you are applying for. From this you can confidently predict the interview questions and prepare your answers. Remember to have a list of questions to ask the employer.

 

  • Keep A Record: It is important to keep a log of the jobs you have applied for, this way you can follow up unsuccessful applications and gain feedback from the employer. Often job hunters will gain a job interview and forget the position they have applied for which will lead to poor interview preparation. A job log will help you stay on track.

 

  • Keep Your CV Updated:Once you have been successful with your job application, continue to update your CV with your new position, duties and any new training. This way if you are unpredictably made redundant your CV is ready to go. Often employed people who are not job hunting accidentally come across an excellent opportunity and having an up to date CV will allow you to apply for the position straight away.  If your current CV does not secure you job interviews use a CV Template Package to update your current CV.

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Telephone Scripts for Telephone Applications

You’re searching on the Internet, looking for a job and you find a vacancy that really suits your employment criteria – well done. As you read through the job advert you come to “how to apply” section and it requires you to telephone the employer! How does this make you feel?

To pass the telephone application you need confidence and you need to prepare, this article will help you prepare for the telephone interview by giving you a script to follow; it is not just about having a general script to follow, it’s about how you can personalise the script to suit your background and the job position you are applying for.

 

The Fear of Telephones

 

When you read the line “to apply, telephone…” You will either take a deep breath, start to feel panicky, while thinking “there is no way I’m going to telephone an employer” or feel confident about telephone applications, knowing that you will pass this stage of the job application.

Why do many of us become scared when you have to telephone an employer? By now, you will know that many job hunters are more nervous about telephone applications then attending a face to face job interview. Before you telephone the employer you have learn how to be confident on the telephone, there are many techniques to help you with this.

Telephone Applications

 

When asked to telephone an employer, many people believe they will have to undertake a telephone interview; this is often not the case. In many instances all you will have to do is leave a message on the employer’s answering machine and to make this process even easier, we have added an additional script for leaving an answer machine message, for your use.

When an employer is interested in interviewing candidates over the telephone (this is a common interview process for telephone sales team jobs) they will give a clue on the job advert: “please allow 30-40 minutes for your phone call”

Like all interviews you need to prepare what say and how to act, if you are still concerned about telephone interviews read the Secrets of Employment and like many other successful job hunters use the techniques included to overcome telephone fears and learn how to pass all interviews.

If you are not required to leave an answer machine message, once you get through to the employer they generally only want to take some basic details and maybe ask you one or two questions, to get an idea of your background before asking you to complete an application form or to send your CV.

 

Telephone Scripts

Below are two scripts; one for an answer machine message and the second for when you are put through to the employer.

The script below are basic to help you get started and can be used across all job sectors, you need to add your own answers to the blanks and then reword the whole script to make it your own and relevant to your background and the job sector.

Answer machine Message for Job Application:                                                   

Good Morning my name is add your name, I recently seen your vacancy for a job position on the job website/newspaper.

I have over add years of experience as a add job position and feel my experience of add one essential job criteria will add additional value to your company.

Can you please forward me a job specification and application form to add address and e-mail, to repeat that is repeat address and e-mail.

 

Thank You                                                                                      

Speaking to an Employer                                                                            

 

In most cases a receptionist will initially answer the telephone call.

Good morning, my name is add name, can you please put me through to named person on the job advert.

 

If asked what it is regarding;                                                                                 

It’s regarding a job application I recent seen advertised.

 

Once you have been put through to the named person;                                              

 

Hello named person on the job advert, my name is add name I am telephoning to apply for the position as a add job position that you recently advertised on add website/job paper.

 

When asked about your employment experience;                                                                

 

Overall I have over add years experience of working in add sector name industry. This experience has taught me to add a really life experience that hits one of job roles essential criteria. In addition I am qualified to add industry qualification.

 

The question above is the most important section of the whole telephone interview, the example we have used is very general designed to cover all job sectors and reader’s abilities, for a full breakdown of answers to interview questions and over 60 Interview Questions and Answers you will want to read Tricky Interview Question, Killer Answers.

The employer may ask you one or two more questions, you can use the Tricky Interview Questions, Killer Answers E-Book to effectively answer all the employers questions to guarantee you a face to face interview. If possible add to one of your answers the reason why you are interested in their vacancy and company.

 

End of Conversation                                                                                 

 

Thank you for your time and I look forward to meeting you soon, Good Bye.

You will need to re-write the script 3 times to ensure you have worded the script perfectly and highlighted your essential skills needed for this position. You will also find it useful to complete a mock telephone interview with a Careers Advisor or Friend.

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How to Job Search with Twitter

Job searching on social networking sites continues to grow with Twitter and Facebook taking the Lions Share of the social networking sites traffic.

Many of us now have a Twitter account on our PC and/or Phone (job searching on the move), if you’re not a tweeter set up a Twitter Account today.

You can use twitter in several ways, as a job search tool or as a way to share your knowledge and expertise with employers, encouraging employers to recruit you.

A Careers Advisor can help you increase your job searching.                         

Twitter Job Searching                                                                                

First, using the Twitter search engine search for:                                      

#jobs                                                                                                             

#jobsearch                                                                                                                

#hiring                                                                                                                            

From this you will gain a list of job vacancies, you can even search more specifically;

#accountantjobs                                                                                                   

#Managerialjobs                                                                                                      

#governmentjobs                                                                                                  

You can use any industry, job title or company name to search for vacancies. Through this search you will find tweeters who tweet specific “industry” jobs or “all job industry” vacancies. If these tweets interest you, you can follow these tweets and receive up to date tweets and jobs.  

While job searching add your favorite jobs/tweets to favorites box, so you don’t forget about them.

You will be amazed by the amount of jobs that are advertised on twitter, use twitter alongside other job search engines to maximize your job searching.  

Inside Information for Job Applications

Once you have found a vacancy you are interested in, search for people working in the organization you are looking to apply for. You may find tweets from the company (companies use twitter to promote their image, services and products) Employees and Managers.

Follow these tweets, discreetly if needed and gain insights into the company polices, mission, history, new contracts and gossip – all which potentially could be useful during your application and interview.  

Under an alias you could message the employees asking for information, updates and interview tips.

Tweet Yourself

You can also use Twitter as a self promotional tool, set up a new twitter account and add a professional photo in the background. On your profile, add that you are looking to gain employment, how many years experience you have and a little bit about yourself.

Learn the Secrets of finding Employment today.

From this you can tweet information about your experience, your industry knowledge, give industry advice and news updates.

After a while people will start to see your tweets (and re-tweet them) showing you as an industry expert, employers will see you have in-depth knowledge, qualifications, expertise and may offer you an interview of the back of your tweets.

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I Need a Job Quickly

Do you have a large Mortgage, Bills to Pay or a Holiday due and you have just been made redundant or recently lost your job? Are you desperate to find work quickly?

Whatever your reason is, some job hunters need to find a job quickly, these top ten tips will help you achieve your goal – quickly.

To find a job quickly follow the Top Ten “I Need a Job Quickly” Tips.

1. Write yourself a plan, make it detailed, we are more likely to complete and follow a plan we have wrote – First you need to have a GOAL; start by answering these questions:

 

2. What is your goal? What do you need to do to achieve this goal? What else do you need? What can other people do to help you? What resources do you have? What favours can you call in? What might stop you achieving your goal? How can you overcome this challenge?

 

Put all these answers into a plan of action; add dates and times for when you want to complete your individual actions. Split every action into 3 smaller more mangle chunks, people often need evidence that they are moving forward, by having smaller steps and milestones you will quickly achieve these, keeping you more motivated and focused. Do you need to know how to write a career action plan?

 

3. Pay for a CV Writing Service to write you a Targeted CV, you already know, a CV writing service will ensure your CV gets you noticed when applying for work. A good CV is the key to gaining job interviews, don’t waste time guessing if your CV will work for you, and get the professionals to get it right first time.

 

4. Research Your Industry, find out which companies have won new contracts and who is currently recruiting – this will stop you time-wasting when your job searching.  Using social network sites and asking your past colleagues and managers is the easiest way to succeed with this.

 

5. Sign up to a least 3 Recruitment Agencies and make this industry specific, as well as job searching yourself, let others job search for you.

 

6. Add Your CV to Job Search Engines, again this to increase the amount of job positions you can apply for. Add your CV to at least 3 job search engines.

 

7. Speculative Applications have a 40% success rate and is a quick way to apply for various positions in a short period of time. You can find companies address/e-mails on search engines, business directories and on websites such as www.yell.com

 

8. Practice Interviews; often job hunters find and apply for vacancies only to be turn down after their interview. This is often due to nervous or lack of preparation. Apply for a low level job and use their interview to practice your interview techniques. Use an NLP Career Coach to help you gain new confidence and to overcome interview fears.

 

9. Depending on the industry you are in, Offer to Work for Free for a day, if the employer likes you, they will offer you a contract of employment.

 

10. There is no failure, only feedback; learn from the past, as well as looking at what works well with your job searching, CV Writing and Interviews also look at what you can improve and what you have learnt from any mistakes you may have made. Never give up, life is about learning and moving forward.

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How to Quickly find a Job Online – 10 Quick Tips

Quick tips to find an online job

In the past job hunters, would leave one job and quickly walk into another, in most cases without even having an interview – this job search technique no longer works, as employers often interview a number of candidates to show they are not discriminating against anyone.

More recently job hunters would look for advertised jobs in the job magazines, newspapers and in post office windows, you can still find vacancies this way, but the more homes that have the internet the fewer employers pay to place an advert in a paper. With the introduction of the internet, job hunting in the ’00s has changed:

Online job hunting has made finding vacancies, once you know what to do, quick and easy, in many cases employers will look for you.

10 online job hunting tips for you to use.

1. First, you need to spend time writing a targeted CV and Application Form and save these to your desktop. Spend time writing these documents and ensure you have highlighted all your skills and qualities that will sell you to the employer. To save time and to ensure you have a good CV you can pay for a CV writing service

2. Now you have your CV and application form, you can use these as a template for all your applications. When you next have to complete an application form (most application forms are now completed online), to save time copy and paste the answers from your saved application from into your new job application form. You may need to edit some of the answers to target it to the new job role. You can do the same with your CV.

3. Add your CV to job search engines such as Monster and Reed, these way employers will look for you. In most cases you can also set up alerts on search engine websites for jobs under industries, you will start to receive vacancies via e-mail within a couple of days.

4. On Google set up alerts for “industry name” new jobs and “industry name” creates new jobs. Google will e-mail you articles, websites and blog post for new jobs in your industry; You will now be one of the very first job hunters to hear of these new vacancies.

5. Visit company WebPages, under the tab “jobs” or “careers” you will find company vacancies; many companies will not pay job search engine websites to advertise vacancies as they feel they gain enough traffic from job hunters to their own site.

6. Join twitter, facebook, linked-in and other social network sites. You can link, be-friend and follow industry jobs, companies, job search websites, sector skills councils. From this you will start to receive hundreds of links to jobs and articles in your industry.

7. Use social network sites to ask industry experts question around industry jobs, new contracts and possible interview questions, many social network users are only to happy to share their own knowledge with you.

8. You can also use facebook or twitter to set up a page for “looking for ‘industry name’ Job” you can use this as an online CV and add links to your other websites so employers can see your work – this is a great resource for the media industry.

9. Use www.yell.com to find industry/company e-mail addresses, open your e-mail account and add all the e-mail addresses to the BCC (this way employers will not know you have made a mass e-mail) add your CV as a PDF attachment and put your cover letter text in the body of the e-mail. Speculative job searching is underused and has a 40% success rate.

10. Finally, Google “Job Title” in “Location” and find hundreds of links to local job adverts.

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10 tips when posting your CV online against fraud

CV stole by criminals

I am often asked, “Can I be a victim of fraud by posting my CV on the web?” The answer is “Yes!”

On average, criminals committing identity fraud only need 3 out of 15 pieces of information, don’t let your online CV give criminals a chance to commit identity fraud.

As job hunters are keen to gain employment, many do not think twice about giving companies the information they request. How do you know if the company you are applying to actually exist?

Criminals can easily advertise for a bogus job just to gain your private information, I even saw one job advert asking for a fee for the company to accept your CV.

Protect yourself from CV ID Fraud

1. Google the company name, gain contact details and check if the company exist

2. Be wary with e-mail addresses not containing the company name (some criminals will advertise a fake vacancy for a real company)

3. Ensure your details have not been saved on a computer desktop or in document files when using public computers and internet cafes

4. Don’t leave your paper CV lying about in public places, shred any CVs before throwing them away

5. While job searching on the internet is a great way to find employment, especially when you can upload your CV onto employment websites, you first need to ensure you do not give to many personal details away.

6. Good CV hosting websites will not show employers your personal information without your consent.

7. Your CV should show your skills and qualities, once an employer is interested they can request a full CV and references. This is because your CV is “live” on the internet for everyone and anyone to see, unlike a paper CV which will only be read by the employer.

8. With the age discrimination act, you no longer need to record your date of birth on your CV-stopping criminals from knowing your age.

9. Only give your forename and surname on your CV

10. Do not include your place of birth

11. Never record your marital status, no employer needs to know this and employers should never discriminate against people being married or single

12. You can use a telephone masking service, stopping you from publishing your private phone number

13. Never give any bank details to an employer until you have a job offer in writing. Employers only need your bank details if they employ you and want to pay your wage into your bank account. Never ever put bank details on a CV.

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101 Tips for Job Searchers

101 Job Searching Tips

Choosing a career:                                                                                               

1. Pick a career that suits your personality

2. Take a personality type test to match your skills to a job role

3. Write a list of criteria you would like in your career and match these against job specifications

4. If you are unsure on your career goal visit a careers coach

5. Look at LMI articles, check which careers will be here in the future, in these changing employment times

6. Volunteer to gain experience (and to check if you enjoy the job/industry)

7. Read a job profile to find out which skills are needed for your industry

8. Become an industry expert by signing up to industry blogs, tweets, Google alerts

9. Check if you have the essential qualifications required for the position you are applying for

10. Learn industry jargon and the meaning of acronyms

Job Searching                                                                          

11. Attend networking events and collect contacts

12. Sign up to industry news feed (find out which companies are recruiting or downsizing)

13. Google “industry name” and “location” for links to job adverts

14. Post your CV on job search websites and let them e-mail you vacancies

15. Sign up to several job agencies, allow the professionals to find you vacancies

16. Attend industry job fairs

17. Apply online using job search engines

18. Look in job papers and industry magazines

19. Write an action plan with SMART targets

20. Use the Secrets of Employment E-book as a guide to gaining work

21. Apply for unadvertised vacancies by sending a speculative letter and CV to companies in your industry

22. Look on company websites (under careers or jobs) for vacancies

23. Tell friends and family you are job searching

24. Use social networking sites to sell yourself and to find vacancies

25. Telephone past employers to ask if they know about any industry companies recruiting

26. Continue to job search until you gain a job offer in writing

Need a CV Writing Service?

CV and Cover Letter                                                                                             

27. Write a targeted CV and cover letter

28. Always send a cover letter with your CV

29. Check your CV especially your contact details before you use it to apply for vacancies

30. Update your CV throughout your career progression, have your CV reviewed for free

31. Use the same font and font size on your CV and cover letter

32. Just record “years” on your employment history to help delete small amounts of unemployment

33. Use your cover letter as a guide to writing a speculative letter

34. Break up your CV text by using headings and bullet points; use a good CV Tempalte to help you write your CV

35. Edit your personal profile as a “sales profile” record what you can offer the employer-this is your selling point, the reason why they should employee you

36. Match your skills and qualities to the job specification-especially the essential criteria

37. Research the company you are apply to and record a paragraph on the company’s achievements on your covering letter

38. Send your CV as a PDF as some old computer systems will not be able to read your text on an open document

39. Only record positive achievements on both your CV and covering letter

40. Sign your covering letter

41. When e-mailing a CV, put your covering letter as the main body of the e-mail, not as an attachment

42. Inform your referees to prepare your references

Write your own CV with the secrets of employment CV writer

Application Form’s                                                                         

43. Follow all the instructions on the application form

44. Only write using a black pen

45. Take a copy of the application form to write a mock application form, this will also help you check if your text fits into the application form boxes

46. Index all additional pages on the application form

47. When completing online application forms save a copy of your personal profile on your desktop to save time on your next application form

48. Match your personal profile to the job specification ensuring you mention all essential criteria

49. Break up your personal profile text with headings

50. As with a CV, send a covering letter with your application form

51. Check if you need to send any documents with your application form

52. Tick the disability box if you have a disability as some employers will guarantee you an interview if you meet the essential criteria

53. If you have a “spent” criminal record, tick “no” to the question “do you have a criminal record” in some industries they will ask you if you have a “spent record”

54. Never lie on an application form

55. Always sign your application form

Applying for vacancies on the telephone

56. Be prepared for a short online telephone interview (normally around 4-5 questions)

57. Stand up and smile, research has proven that your voice carries better by doing this

58. Dress for an interview as an outfit can put you into an “interview/business” frame of mind

59. Have a pen and paper ready, in case the employer passes you on any information such as an interview date

60. Prepare your CV by highlighting any selected information you want to discuss

61. Have a list of question ready-remember an interview can’t see what you have prepared on the phone

62. Complete a mock telephone interview with a friend or careers advisor

63. Have a quiet room prepared (put a do not disturb sign on the door)

64. Turn off your mobile phone (use a landline to ensure you do not lose the signal)

65. Check that the room is quiet from outside noise; close windows, turn of the TV

Job Interviews                                                    

66. Prepare your interview clothes-first impression count

67. Complete a mock run to the interview venue

68. Take a copy of your CV to the interview in a smart-looking case

69. Polish your shoes – sometimes the little things count

70. Brush your teeth, no one likes bad breath

71. Practice your interview questions and answer

72. Complete a mock interview

73. Create a list of questions to ask the interviewer

74. Never give just a “yes” or “no” answer, always back this up with the reason why

75. Only give positive answers even to negative questions

76. Shake hands and introduce yourself to the interviewer

77. Smile throughout the interview

78. Copy the interviewer’s body language as this creates rapport

79. Never interrupt the interviewer

80. Ask the interviewer to repeat any questions you don’t understand

81. Be prepared for a panel interview

82. Look at all interviewers when answering a question on a panel interview

83. In customer service roles be prepared for a group interview

84. During group interviews, listen to others and give your own ideas

85. Practice numeracy, literacy and ITC test as many employers use these during the interview process

86. Visualise yourself being positive in the interview before the interview, creating self-confidence

87. Thank the interviewer for the interview

88. Shake hands before you leave the interview

89. Be prepared for a follow-up interview and be prepared to re-answer the same questions

90. Apply for a job you know you will gain an interview in even if you do not want this job, use this interview to get rid of “first interview nervous” and to practice answering interview questions

need to complete a mock interview with a careers advisor?

After the interview                                                                                                           

91. Reflect on your interview-what went well, what should I improve?

92. Write down your good answers, as preparation for your next interview

93. Follow all interviews up with a phone call if you do not hear about the outcome of the interview

94. When not successful, gain feedback from the interviewer

95. Act on the feedback given by the interviewer

96. Complete a new mock interview, now you know what questions you will be asked

97. Continue to job search until you find your ideal job role

98. Once in employment gain any relevant industry qualifications on offer

99. Gain a positive work identity (be known for being a good worker not the joker)

100. Always look forward and aim for promotions, set yourself job goals

101. Continue to network and gain relevant employment contacts

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How to gain an Interview from a job fair

Gain an interview from a job fair

Job fairs are held throughout the UK, being organised by recruitment and job advertisement companies as well as local councils and public service companies. Job fairs can be held for both general job roles or targeted to a specific sector.

First find out which company/sectors are attending, if even one company for the industry you are interested in is attending, then it is worth going.

Before you go to a job fair ensure you know which career and job role you are interested in. Many people gain career ideas by meeting with a qualified career advisor.

How to prepare for a job fair?

1. First, the impression you make at the job fair counts, often the same person who interviews you for a job position, will also attend the jobs fair. We all know that First impressions count.

2. Research the company you are interested in like you would for an interview. Companies are always impressed if you know something about the company’s history.

3. Check and update your CV, if you’re unsure how good your CV is, have your CV reviewed by professionals. You need to take a targeted CV to the job fair.

4. Dress smart, people make instant presumptions on your appearance.

5. Most importantly, prepare a 60-second introduction you can use with employers. Don’t make it sound too scripted, but it should quickly explain why you are attending the job fair and what you are looking for.

Example: “ Hello, my name is Dave Smith, I currently work at (Company Name) I am interested in applying for a position as a (job role) within your company, I have 3 years experience working in this field and feel that I would fit in well with your company”

How to act during the job fair.

1. Timing is everything, job fairs can be very busy and when you speak to an employer you want them to listen to your excellent prepared introduction. Wait until the employer is free and head over and introduce yourself.

2. Carry all your documents and CVs in a smart case; remember people judge you on appearances.

3. If an employer is busy talking to an employer on a different stand as they sometimes have inside information regarding the employer you really want a position with. Need careers advice?

4. Shake hands with the employer and be prepared to answer question regarding your skills and experience, like any informal or formal interviews prepare questions to ask the employer.

5. Discuss the application process and ask the employer what type of examples/skills they like to see on the application form. This way you know your application form will be targeted to each individual employer.

6. Finally, thank the employer; shake hands and move on to the next employer’s stand. Need a new CV

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I can’t get an interview

Struggling to get an interview?

Many job hunters become frustrated after applying for large numbers of job advertisements, only never to receive an interview.

As a careers advisor, I would always check how the job hunter had applied for these vacancies.

As an example you may in the main, be applying for jobs using your CV, if your CV does not gain you interviews it will either be because:

  • Your CV is not targeted to the industry you are applying for
  • The CV you use is more then 2 pages, so the employer is not reading the whole of your CV
  • You have not sent a Cover Letter with your CV; in some cases, employers see this as essential, while other employers don’t.

If you’re unsure how good your CV is, have your CV reviewed for free.

If you have a good 2 page targeted CV, with the text split up by headings and bullet points and you always send an individual tailored covering letter. Basically, your CV is great and sell’s your strengths to the fullest.

If this is the case you may need to re-look at the job positions you are applying for, as some job hunters apply for jobs out of their ability.

• Are you applying for job you feel has a large salary, compared to your ability to fulfill the role?
• Do the job roles you apply for ask for skills and experiences you do not have?

It is always good to aim high and follow your dream, as I always believe everyone can achieve their goal-sometimes you first need to overcome a couple of small barriers.

If you don’t have a career goal, you can use a career coach to help you move forward.

If your job goal is set high, you need to ask yourself if you first need to apply for a vacancy a level below your career goal? And use this as a stepping stone towards your dream career.

How to check if you are applying for job at the right level.

Pick 4-5 job adverts you have applied for and highlight with a highlighter the common skills, experiences and qualifications needed for all the job adverts. you now need to be honest with yourself, you may already know you would be a dedicated worker but if the advert is asking for a certain qualification or a certain number of years experience as an essential requirement – do you have what the employers are asking for? Be honest, as we want to increase the amount of interview you receive.

If the answer is yes, you do have the essential requirements, then you need to re-look at your CV or application forms review them.

If you answered no:

You can apply for any job and hope that your other strengths will out way the criteria you do not have, but if you have already applied for a large number of similar vacancies with a good CV or application form and you do not make it through to the interview round, if you want a different result, do something different, you may now need to re-look at the positions or salary you are applying for (the higher the salary the more strict the employer will be when it comes to flexibility around the essential criteria)

Still apply for jobs in the same industry, jobs that suit your skills and abilities and use this experience to make you more employable for future industry job roles on a higher scale.

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Employment Opportunities

Job hunting is only hard when you don’t know how to find the job vacancies and employment opportunities. If you want to quickly increase the amount of job opportunities you can find:

1. First, use job search engines – the Internet is an important tool for job hunters. You can quickly find hundreds and thousands of job adverts by entering your job title and location into a job search engine. TIP * try inserting different job titles, as search engines are word sensitive.

2. Company WebPages – You won’t find many employers without a company webpage, in most cases companies will save money on job advertisements by advertising their own jobs on their own website. To find company recruitment WebPages, quickly Google “the company name” and “recruitment”

3. Speculative Applications – Don’t just wait for companies to advertise vacancies, show them you are interested in them and send a speculative letter along with your CV. Research has shown there is a 40% success rate using this approach. If you need to create a CV, use a CV writing service.