NEWS

So, you’re new to job-hunting? Don’t be afraid, be excited!

Published: 5th March 2018 | Author: Kate Howes

Ok, so perhaps you’ve decided you need a new job. Or have already left your job, have been made redundant or simply fancy a change in career. Either way, if you’re job-hunting, it can be a daunting and unfamiliar time. You might be feeling liberated, terrified, worried, relieved, excited or afraid about your situation. We’re here to help…

For those new to job-hunting, the way many companies recruit has changed a lot over the last 10-20 years and it might feel like there’s a whole lot to learn about how to go about securing yourself a new position. We’ve compiled some tips and bits of advice below which should be helpful!

Polish   up   that   CV!

Dust it off and go at it with a fresh perspective and whatever else you do with it, just make sure you’re not under-selling yourself with a lack of information.

Plenty of people still believe in the 2-page myth and yes, if your CV fits onto two pages without any drastic edits then that’s great but if you find yourself cutting lots of your experience etc. out then you’re doing something wrong.There’s nothing wrong with a 3/4/5+ page CV but it’s all about the content and the layout. Is it easy to read, is it concise? Have you waffled on about irrelevant topics or is it all necessary? The layout is key – a lot of information can be more easy on the eye and you’ll find it’ll flow better with effective formatting. Utilise maybe two fonts, the use of bold text, italics, tables or lines to differentiate between sections on your CV and you should find that after a bit of tweaking, your CV is more enticing and easier to read.Get others to read and review it. People you know will be honest, and if you struggle to think of anyone then ask us!

Get   yourself   out   there!

Sign up to job boards, get new vacancy alerts, create a new separate email address for applying for jobs and introduce yourself to recruiters and employers.

Remember it is a two-way street. In a perfect world, everyone would receive specific feedback on every single application they make but sadly it isn’t the way things work 90% of the time. It’s a shame, but understandable. So…be pro-active and polite in requesting updates from recruiters/hiring managers and keep your finger on the pulse about new jobs and applying for those instead of sitting back and waiting for the phone to ring. You can do that, but you’ll find it’s a lot harder and you’ll be limiting your chances of finding the ideal job if you’re not out there actively looking for it!

Don’t be afraid to ask for help and guidance. If you’ve not been to an interview for years, or if you’ve been applying for jobs and aren’t getting anywhere or are worried about your chances – confide in your recruiter. They are there to help make this process easy for everyone and a good recruiter will be honest with you if you’re in need of some practice, or a good CV re-edit, or just if you need some reassuring words of advice.

Try not to get too downhearted. Because these things do take time and an awful lot of perseverance and although it can be a really difficult time, especially if you’ve not got the luxury of being in work whilst looking for something new, a positive attitude makes all the difference. Even if you’re not feeling that great about things, sometimes forcing yourself to put on a bit of an act can do wonders. Don’t be too hard on yourself and as with the above tip, if you’re struggling, ask for help or advice from your recruiter or support network of friends and family.

Hopefully this might be helpful to some of you, but if you have any specific questions about how you can start or manage your job search then do get in touch with us for a chat on 01379 898474.

Keep an eye out as we will aim to offer more tips and advice on our news pages as and when!