22nd December 2024
Looking for a job - the various methods for finding employment
Once you have an idea of the type of job that you want to do or the chosen field in which you want to work, the next step is to start looking for a career and a position that is right for you.
This task may seem daunting to start off with, but the best thing to do is take your time, be methodical in your approach, make a note of all actions taken, carry out plenty of research and be prepared to spend a good few hours at your telephone, computer and desk.
There is more than one way of searching for and finding a job and it is best to try more than one approach for a better chance of securing a position that is right for you. As well as traditional methods of scouring local newspapers and signing up with local recruitment agencies, we now have the Internet as a powerful job searching and advertising tool at our disposal.
This task may seem daunting to start off with, but the best thing to do is take your time, be methodical in your approach, make a note of all actions taken, carry out plenty of research and be prepared to spend a good few hours at your telephone, computer and desk.
There is more than one way of searching for and finding a job and it is best to try more than one approach for a better chance of securing a position that is right for you. As well as traditional methods of scouring local newspapers and signing up with local recruitment agencies, we now have the Internet as a powerful job searching and advertising tool at our disposal.
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Newspapers
This is probably a good place to start and it is the quickest out of all the methods. Find out on which day of the week your local paper advertises job vacancies and make sure that you pick up a copy as early as possible on that day. If a good position comes up, it may not stay available for very long. Make a list of all of the posts that interest you and give the companies a call or send in your CV, depending on what they ask for. At this point it is a good idea to ensure that your CV is up to date or can be truthfully tailored to suit the requisites of the job advertised.
If you live in London or are willing to relocate for that perfect position, national newspapers will contain all those top jobs at the biggest companies.
If you live in London or are willing to relocate for that perfect position, national newspapers will contain all those top jobs at the biggest companies.
Trade Magazines
To be at the top of your profession you will need to know what's new and who's who, and a good way to keep yourself informed is through reading trade magazines for your line of work. If you specialise in IT then you would be reading magazines such as Computing or PC Plus.
The last section of these types of magazines is always dedicated to job vacancies. It is always a good idea to keep an eye out for any adverts that take your fancy.
Make contact as above (newspapers) and keep a note of who you have contacted and what the response was - if any.
The last section of these types of magazines is always dedicated to job vacancies. It is always a good idea to keep an eye out for any adverts that take your fancy.
Make contact as above (newspapers) and keep a note of who you have contacted and what the response was - if any.
Employment Agencies
Although you could probably do the job of an employment agency yourself these days with the Internet, it is a good idea to visit and sign up with a few in order to save time for yourself.
The recruiter will look at your skills, achievements, previous employment and qualifications and match you up with a position in your chosen field that they deem is right for you.
Don't limit yourself to just one agency, as they will not all hold the same jobs.
The recruiter will look at your skills, achievements, previous employment and qualifications and match you up with a position in your chosen field that they deem is right for you.
Don't limit yourself to just one agency, as they will not all hold the same jobs.
Friends and Family
Tell everyone you know that you are looking for a job. This method of networking is very effective and is often the best way of landing the ideal job or at least getting your foot in the door for an interview. See our section on networking for more information.
Employment Websites
There are literally hundreds of online recruitment agencies nowadays, making it a lot easier to find out which jobs are out there and getting your profile seen.
You can browse through all the listed positions by location, category or type, and then simply register to apply for any that appeal to you.
You can also upload your CV, which then makes it easier for prospective employers to find the best candidate to fill their position. You may even be lucky enough to be headhunted for your next job.
Some sites email you directly when a newly available position that matches your ideal job description is posted.
You can browse through all the listed positions by location, category or type, and then simply register to apply for any that appeal to you.
You can also upload your CV, which then makes it easier for prospective employers to find the best candidate to fill their position. You may even be lucky enough to be headhunted for your next job.
Some sites email you directly when a newly available position that matches your ideal job description is posted.
Contacting companies directly
Another effective way of finding the perfect job is to contact companies that you may like to work for directly by telephone, email or in person.
To stand the best chance of making a good impression and getting ahead of your competitors, make sure that you do some research to find out a little about each company and in particular the name of the Human Resources manager or of the head of the department to whom you would apply for a job.
You can use the Internet to find out all of the relevant information such as email address, telephone numbers and names of the most important people plus some background information on the company itself.
If you send in your CV via email, ensure that you send it to the person in charge of hiring new staff, together with a covering letter explaining the reason for contact.
Similarly, if cold calling or contacting by phone, ask to speak to whoever is in charge of your potential department in person to avoid being fobbed off or told that they will call you back at another time.
As before, keep a record of which companies have been contacted and their response, and follow up all emails with a courtesy call asking whether your CV has been received.
Good luck, that perfect job is out there!!
To stand the best chance of making a good impression and getting ahead of your competitors, make sure that you do some research to find out a little about each company and in particular the name of the Human Resources manager or of the head of the department to whom you would apply for a job.
You can use the Internet to find out all of the relevant information such as email address, telephone numbers and names of the most important people plus some background information on the company itself.
If you send in your CV via email, ensure that you send it to the person in charge of hiring new staff, together with a covering letter explaining the reason for contact.
Similarly, if cold calling or contacting by phone, ask to speak to whoever is in charge of your potential department in person to avoid being fobbed off or told that they will call you back at another time.
As before, keep a record of which companies have been contacted and their response, and follow up all emails with a courtesy call asking whether your CV has been received.
Good luck, that perfect job is out there!!
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