Part 23 of our job searching tips.


ASK GOOD QUESTIONS.

Asking some questions at a job interview is a good idea. This takes the pressure off you for a bit because the interviewer will often take up on the opportunity to talk about themselves and their work.

Start by asking questions about the role, who will you report to, what the package includes, what are the hours etc. Try to ask insightful questions that show you’ve thought carefully about the job you’re applying for and the company.

Make a list, but you dont have to ask them all.

They may also at the end of the interview ask if you have any questions, ist always good to have at least one.

A good fall back question if you have nothing else is to ask, what do you think is the biggest challenge of the role. 

Part 22 of our job searching tips.

DRESS APPROPRIATELY.

You should always look smart and clean when you go to an interview. select clothes that are appropriate to the role you have applied for. A rule of thumb would be to go up one step from what you would normally wear for that role every day. so if you are applying for a warehouse job you might not wear jeans but also not a suit.

Don’t look like you’re trying too hard but do look like you care about your appearance and about the company.

More importantly is that you are clean and neat to give the right impression.

Part 21 of our job searching tips.

FILM IT!

If you managed to get someone to give you a mock interview you should already benefit from the role play, But to get even more out of the experience, you should film it. use a camcorder if you have one or simply use your phone.

You’ll see for yourself exactly how you come across when you watch it back.

Look out for physical and verbal issues so you can learn to counter them.

You’ll be surprised at how much and how quickly you improve.

Get some standard interview questions and make sure you knwo how to answer them.

https://www.wikijob.co.uk/content/interview-advice/interview-questions/common-interview-questions

Part 20 of our job searching tips.
GET HELP WITH YOUR INTERVIEW SKILLS.
Get a friend, ideally one who hires people, to give you a mock interview or two. Get them to be very honest about how you come across and what you could do better.
Also, see the great interview tips on
https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/get-a-job/interview-advice
If you improve your interview technique you can really increase your chances of getting a job.

Part 19 of our job searching tips.

KEEP A RECORD.

You can easily lose track with who you’ve applied to, who you’ve spoken to and what stage you’re at with various applications.

Keep a record if you can – perhaps a spreadsheet or just a list in a notebook to remind you which jobs you’ve already applied for so that you don’t double up.

If you apply online keep the response emails in a separate folder so you can easily find then and follow up.

If you are using individual tailored CVs then make sure you know which one you used for each position.

Part 18 of our job searching tips.

REMEMBER THEY COULD CALL YOU.

If you’ve put your mobile number on your CV (and we recommend that you do) then you could get a call from a potential employer at any time.

Any calls you’re unsure of, assume it’s important and answer brightly and positively.

Also, check your answer phone message: make sure it’s sensible!

Part 17 of our job searching tips.

FOLLOW UP ON JOB APPLICATIONS BY PHONE.

Follow up with a phone call If you possibly can, try to speak to the person you are applying to. Don’t be a nuisance but just ask politely if they’ve received your application (they might not have – it could be caught in their spam filter). If they haven’t, you could offer to send it again. This is a great way to show that you’re keen, and have a professional telephone manner.

Part 16 of our job searching tips.

APPLY FOR JOBS ABOVE YOUR CURRENT LEVEL.

Don’t feel limited by the most recent job you’ve had. If you see job vacancies that would be a bit of a promotion for you, apply for them anyway. There’s no harm in it. And you may just be what the employer is looking for. 

Part 15 of our job searching tips.

APPLY FOR JOBS YOU’RE OVERQUALIFIED FOR.

If you have been searching for a while and not been successful consider looking at job vacancies that might be beneath you.

It may be worth taking a lower position in a company in order to get into other jobs later on. (The hidden job market, i.e. jobs that never get advertised) Once your in the company and show what you can do you can look for more suitable jobs.

It may also be that the HR person is also looking for someone just like you for another position that hasn't been advertised at all.

Part 14 of our job searching tips.

CUSTOMISE YOUR CV AND COVERING LETTER.

If your application doesn’t refer to the individual job spec it will probably be chucked straight in the bin.

This doesn’t mean you need to start each job application from scratch.

Just make sure you customise your CV for the job you’re applying for – and make sure that your covering letter is fully rewritten slightly to fit the job advert – and you will hugely increase your chances of getting a great job.

Don't forget to save each different version and keep a record of which one you sent for which job. There is nothing worst than getting an interview and not knowing what you sent them. 

Part 13 of our job searching tips.

GO FOR QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY.

Once you’ve got the basics done like a good CV, proper spelling and covering letter, it’s a numbers game, don't get despondent if you don't get replies.

But it is better to be selective about the jobs you apply for, a few carefully chosen job applications are better than hundreds of random ones. You will need to apply for lots of jobs but don’t go for a scatter gun approach. Target your applications. That said, the more targeted applications you do, the better! 

Part 12 of our job searching tips.

MAKE SURE YOUR QUALIFICATIONS ARE UP-TO-DATE.

you need to make sure your qualifications up-to-date and correctly referenced in your CV. Remember may expire and need to be re taken. For example do you need a new CRB check? Is your First Aid certificate current? Are you sure of your knowledge of the mortgage market or the latest legal rulings in your field of corporate law? If you can afford it, now is a very good time to take the latest courses and exams to keep up.

If you have been made redundant you are legally entitled to time off for job hunting and also for training. Speak to your employer. 

Part 11 of our job searching tips.

TALK TO YOUR PROSPECTIVE REFEREES.

If you want to add references to your application, talk to them and tell them you are applying for jobs and ask their permission to use them as a referee, even if you know they will be fine with it. You want them to think even more favorably of you, and to respond to companies quickly. They may also be able to let you know if they hear of any opportunities.

Part 10 of our job searching tips.

GET THE NAME OF THE INDIVIDUAL YOU SHOULD APPLY TO DIRECTLY.

Your success rate increases greatly when you write to the correct person. it gives your application a more personal feel, and you will need the name later to be able to follow up.

PS, see point 9 about spelling, if you get their name wrong your done. 

Part 9 of our job searching tips.

WATCH YOUR SPELLING AND GRAMMAR.

You would be amazed by the number of people who don’t spellcheck their job applications. Always, always, always check! Don’t just trust technology either – get someone else to check your application and CV.

Part 8 of our job searching tips.

REMEMBER TO SELL YOURSELF.

Modesty can be an attractive trait, but a job application defiantly isn’t the place for it. You’re selling yourself to someone else, so make sure they know about all the things you’ve done and achieved or they’ll never know how perfect you are for the job! Its a fine line between bragging and boasting and highlighting your strengths, but there’s nothing wrong with painting yourself in the best possible light you can.

Get someone else to read your CV though as give feedback.

Part 7 of our job searching tips.

SET UP YOUR OWN BLOG AND WRITE ABOUT YOUR AREA OF WORK.

writing your own blog It might seem like a big task, but it’s free to do (try www.Blogger.com to set up your blog in minutes for nothing), it gets your creative juices flowing and people searching for information in your field. It’s all part of getting yourself noticed.

It can also be a great thing to show off to potential employers, as it demonstrates your enthusiasm for working in that particular industry and will make your CV stand out.

If that's too daunting then there are many places where you can job other blogs and post guest articles and features, even posting questions on LinkedIn groups is an option. 

Part 6 of our job searching tips.

RESEARCH PAY RATES FOR THE JOB YOU WANT.

Go to www.Payscale.com and you can find out what you should be being paid for the job you have now and for the job you want. You should have an idea of what to expect, so you will know if an offer is a good one or not.

Part 5 of our job searching tips.

GET EXTRA SKILLS FOR FREE.

There are lots of free courses you can take online, from learning languages to tech skills. The BBC website has plenty of free online language courses including French, Spanish, Greek and even Japanese.

Try these other links:
https://www.vision2learn.com/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/adults/
http://www.open.edu/openlearn/

Apart from the new skill itself, learning extra little bits shows that you’re adaptable and up-to-date – its just what your new employer will be looking for.

Part 4 of our job searching tips.

NETWORK.

Even though we are a job Board, we understand we are only part of the job search process, We can’t stress enough just how important it is to network. Far, far more jobs are picked up in teh hidden job market through personal contacts and recommendations than through job ads. Social and business networking sites are increasingly the way to get yourself out there now, so make sure you sign up to the main ones.

Join LinkedIn, link up with lots of people and check out the jobs section every day. Go on to Twitter, follow useful people and companies in your sphere. Let it be known that you’re available and post tweets that are fun and useful so that you get followed and likely to be re-tweeted.

Do the same on Facebook – build up your network and ask about opportunities.

Remember though – employers are increasingly checking profiles on social networking sites, so make sure yours is clean and professional. Lots of inappropriate comments or drunken photos even comments about a current or potential employer are the quickest way to ruin your chances.

Of course, networking in person is still valuable – get out to business networking evenings and look on all social occasions as possible networking opportunities.

Part 3 of our job searching tips.

PUT YOURSELF ON A GOOD JOB SITE.

There are a lot of sites to choose from including the official jobcentre website DirectGov.

Obviously, we would recommend our site as we are an aggregator, We are constantly adding more sites but we don't have them all yet so check for job sites dedicated to certain professions – so whether you’re a secretary or a salesperson, check whether there’s a specialist job listings site out there.

Part 2 of our job searching tips.

GET HELP WITH YOUR CV.

There are loads of websites that offer help with writing a killer CV. The BBC website’s CV help also has some good tips, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15573447 There are even some sites with CV templates, CV samples and examples of bad CV formats.

Remember to use sites in your country – as some employers can find the CV style of other countries a bit irritating. Also remember to refresh your online CV regularly to make sure you’re at the top of the list!

Better still conciser using a career consultant to help you. it will be money well spent.

We are starting a series of short simple tips for helping you to get a job. We hope you find them useful.

Part 1 of our job searching tips.

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A PROFESSIONAL-LOOKING EMAIL ADDRESS.

Your e-mail needs to be something like ‘[email protected]’, rather than something jokey like ‘[email protected]’. After all, you need potential employers to take you seriously.