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Job Hunting Help
There are many physical tools that are needed to carry out your Job Search.
Telephone
Having access to a telephone and answering machine/service is essential in your
Career Search. This will enable potential employers to contact you, and if you
are not available, they will be able to leave a message for you to return their
call.
Address Book
It is very important to keep a note of the names, phone numbers and addresses of
all the people you speak to in your job hunt. This includes people who interview
you. Having an address book is essential as you will need to use it to chase up
applications and know who you have sent your details to.
Diary
With so much going on it is essential that you keep a diary. This will enable
you to track how much time you have spent on an application and plan your days.
You also will be able to schedule your selection events and plan your
preparation for them.
Filing System
You should keep records of all paperwork that an organisation has sent to you
and photocopies of everything you have sent to an organisation. Keep all
paperwork from the same organisation together in one place, so the information
is easily accessible if you are called in for selection events.
Job Application Tracker
The Job Application Tracker is a piece of software that will enable you to do
all the things mentioned above. You are able to put in all the details of the
organisation you have applied to, details of the job and keep track of any
correspondence you have sent to a particular organisation.
Click here for more information.
Company Research
The key questions you need to answer when you are researching companies that you
are going to be applying to are:
1. Will this organisation suit me?
2. Will I suit this organisation?
There are other things you need to find out about a company, which will aide you
in your choice are:
 | The history of the company. |
| Products and Services they offer |
| Their main competitors |
| The challenges they are currently facing |
| Any recent news about the organisation. |
The more research you do into your target organization, the better prepared you
are for the application process and for any selection events. It also shows that
you take your career choice seriously and want to work for the organization.
Job Hunting Techniques
There are a few places that people can find jobs:
Newspaper Advertisements
Newspapers have job advertisement sections on a weekly basis. Libraries often
have daily newspapers in them and increasingly newspapers are also advertising
vacancies on their Website.
Trade Magazine Advertisements
Most Trade Magazines have job advertisements included in them; it may be useful
to have a look through them. Trade Associations usually have a website with a
dedicated area for job vacancies.
Online Job Posting Databases
There is an abundance of websites, which offer the opportunity to complete an
online CV and search and apply for jobs in the database. Typically potential
employers are able to search the database and contact you directly.
Company Websites
Today most organisations have their own websites and often list any job
vacancies they have on their website. These are beneficial for companies, as
they do not have to spend a lot of money advertising positions, but it tends to
be big companies who do this in conjunction with another method for attracting
clients.
Out and About
Many job opportunities can be seen when you are walking around your
neighbourhood, or the town/city where you live. You often find jobs advertised
in local shops and supermarkets, this is particularly true about jobs in retail.
Recruitment Agencies
Recruitment agencies exist to put people into jobs and they are only making
money when they have people working in jobs.
Networking
There have been scores of books written on networking and the best way to do it.
Basically, networking is a term to describe the way we interact with people and
build relationships with them. In job-hunting terms, it is about asking the
people you know, your friends and family for help in your job search. They many
have information that could be useful to your job search.
Speculative Approaches
Making speculative approaches is a very good way of getting a job. Many
employers may be considering taking on an employee, but have not got round to
formalizing the process they want to take, or they may even create a post for
the right applicant.
Job Centres / Careers Centres/ University Careers Offices
These places tend to have Jobs advertised that may not be elsewhere. You do not
have to be unemployed to go into a Job Centre. Job/Careers Centres often have
company brochures and application forms ready for you to take away and complete,
bypassing the need to contact organisations directly.
Create a Job for yourself
Creating a job for yourself basically consists of doing some in-depth research
into the target organisation, finding a niche in the organisation that you could
fill and the sending a proposal for the job to the person who is in charge of
the hiring process.
Just think of yourself as a specialist consultant, offering them your knowledge
and skills to solve a problem that they have. You have to put the problem in a
reasonably good light, so it does not look like you are blackmailing them for a
job.
Become Self-Employed
Today, with the right idea, you do not have to be an employee. It has never been
so inexpensive to start your own business, the start up costs now can consist
of; a computer, modem, Internet Service Provider and a Web hosting Account. This
has resulted in a proliferation of new businesses worldwide offering every
imaginable product and service.
If you want to go down this route, there are many places you can turn to for
help. High-street banks have business advisers and can help you with the
financial side of starting your business. Organisations such as chambers of
commerce or business clubs offer advice to people considering starting up in
business. The Inland Revenue arranges workshops covering aspects of business.
Your local council may be able to give you information about grants that are
available for starting a business, hiring employees etc. Make sure you get
advice from everyone who is offering help and research and plan for all
eventualities.
This information is discussed in detail in the Career Search Manual. Please
click here for more information.
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