Career Search Blog

By rwakefield

 Job hunting can be a long, arduous process and very frustrating. There are always jobs available but, unless you are desperate for an income, you will want to find the perfect job where you can use your skills and experience.

This article gives some advice on how to go about finding the ideal job.

1.Recruitment Agencies Recruitment agencies can be a great help when searching for jobs because they are experts at matching people to vacant positions. Recruitment agencies will send your CV out to relevant employers, arrange interviews for you and keep you up to date on progress. Some recruitment agencies offer services like CV polishing or writing and help with interview techniques. Take advantage of these services if your recruitment agency offers them.

2.Networking If you have friends or family who work for a company you would like to work for, ask them if there are any openings. You may be able to find out about jobs before they are advertised and friends and family may even put in a good word for you. You will also get inside knowledge about the company, the boss, conditions, salary and how interviews are held.

3.Classified section of newspapers and magazines Local and national newspapers advertise job vacancies as do specialist magazines for particular professions. Send your CV off to relevant companies or contact them for an application form. Always follow up applications by phoning the company to check that they have received your application.

Newspapers will also have adverts for local recruitment agencies.

4.Company Websites Although some companies will use recruitment agencies for their staffing requirements, most will have a company website listing current vacancies. Make sure that you check websites regularly for updates and that you follow the set procedure for applying for a job.

5.Job Search websites With these sites you can search for jobs online which meet your criteria and are in a specific area and with a specific salary.

6.Job fairs or exhibitions Go to job fairs or exhibitions with plenty of copies of your CV printed out on good quality A4 paper. Chat to potential employers and give them your CV.

7.The telephone book, Yellow Pages and local business directory Use these directories to find the contact details of potential employers. Phone their personnel departments to ask about current vacancies and, even if they do not have any current vacancies, send your CV in for them to keep on file.

8.Offer to do voluntary work or job experience for a company so that they can get to know you.

The very best thing to do to increase your exposure is to register with a recruitment agency, or a few recruitment agencies, and then do all of the above. If you are motivated and make an effort, you will find a job much quicker than someone who only tries one or two ways of finding a job. Ask your recruitment agency if they have any further tips or advice on job hunting.

Roger Wakefield is a web developer for Agency Central (http://www.agencycentral.co.uk). Agency Central is a directory of recruitment agencies which allows job seekers and employers to search by industry sector and location in order to find the right match.

How to Make Your Resume Stand Out
By Ben Needles

 Whether or not youre planning to look for a new job, you should always keep your resume updated. Get into the habit of updating your accomplishments and skills so that your resume is always ready.

Here are some tips:

1. Group your top skill sets into a summary.
2. Create a professional email address (using your name - no nicknames) to include with your contact information.
3. Use past tense - even when describing your current job.
4. If youre posting your resume online, dont encourage identity theft by including too much personal information.
5. Gear you resume towards the job you want, not the one you have now.
6. List your most recent job first.
7. Check spelling and grammar - dont depend on your spelling errors being caught by spell check.

Your resume should not include every task youve performed in every position; instead it should only include your strongest accomplishments. Though its tempting to add all the details about every job youve had, your resume is only a starting point. Use it to get your foot in the door so that you can get an interview. Once you have an opportunity to speak with the hiring manager, then you can go into more detail.

Since you have to catch the attention of the reader right away, stay away from passive-sounding words when describing your accomplishments and responsibilities. Passive sentences are indirect and dont make much of an impression.

Look at this example of a passive sentence: Participated on product development team. Compare that with this example of an active sentence: Created scripts and tested new product.

In addition to using active words and sentences in your descriptions, you also have to show results. Which description would appeal to you as a hiring manager?

Arranged new product development meetings, or Facilitated meetings for new product development team which led to cost savings due to reduced miscommunication between departments.

If you are a freelancer or temp worker, youll probably work for various companies and hold different positions. Even if you had different titles, the skills and accomplishments will show your versatility in different industries and company cultures.

Keep track of the projects youve worked on, articles and documentation youve written, etc. Set aside samples of your work so that you can include them with your resume, if requested.

When youre changing careers playing up your skills is very important. You may not have direct experience in the area youre changing to, but you can show how the skills youve acquired in the old career can be carried over to the new one. Pick accomplishments that show that you are versatile and can think out of the box. Play up training and learning experiences to show that you can adapt to new environments. The person reading your resume is focused on finding the right person for the job. They wont have the time to think about how to fit your skills into their requirements.

Not sure how to show that your skills can be transferred to a new profession? For instance, if youre a project manager and you want to become an event planner, you could play up your organization skills or your communications skills. You could also play up your ability to simultaneously manage different tasks. Look at the work youve done, then find ways to highlight your strongest accomplishments. The person reading your resume should see right away that you can perform the duties the position requires.

Of course if you know what type of job you want, itll be easier to create your resume. However, if youre not sure what you want to do next - or how to update your resume to reflect your varied skills - consider hiring a professional to help. These days you cant take a chance that your resume will be overlooked. If you present yourself to your best advantage, youll have a better chance of being hired for the job you want.

About the Author (text)

Deborah A. Bailey is a professional coach, writer and founder of Deb Bailey Coaching. She specializes in working with individuals as they move through transitions and experience a life beyond their expectations. Learn more now at http://www.dbaileycoach.com.

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What Are Your Weaknesses?
By Lucy Evans

 With careful preparation, difficult interview questions can present you with an opportunity to shine under pressure. The important thing with all questions is to show a balanced and considered approach. The following examples will show you some of the pitfalls and ways to avoid them.

Lets start with the classic interview question what are your weaknesses?

There are many variations on this question, common ones include tell me a strength and a weakness and what are your three greatest weakness. To fully prepare you should have three strengths and weaknesses prepared. The worst mistake to make with this question is to claim you dont have any weaknesses. This approach is unlikely to impress the interviewer and will present you in a cowardly light. This question may not be as difficult as it first appears. Sit down and consider what your true work related weaknesses are. When you really think about it this is often quite a long list (I know mine is). The next stage is to think what you have done to overcome these weaknesses in your working life.

Let me give you an example. I personally am very task orientated, I like to get stuck in to the main tasks and often used to ignore the more minor responsibilities. I realized that although I completed my core projects, I had forgotten to do the other tasks I needed to do like complete time sheets and tracking reports. I now make lists of all the tasks I have to complete in a day and make it my priority to complete the list above everything else. This has really helped me to multitask more effectively. When choosing a weakness, look for one that is work related where you can demonstrate that you recognised the weakness, and found an effective method of overcoming it.

Examining your strengths can be just as difficult as your weaknesses. The important thing here is not to appear like an ego-maniac. Consider carefully what your strengths are, then consider the supporting evidence you have for these strengths. Always present a considered argument with supporting evidence.

Why are you leaving your current Job?

The purpose of this question is for the interviewer to discover if you are leaving due to any current difficulties. If you are unhappy where you are, whats to say you will not be unhappy in your new job. Avoid at all costs talking about any problems in your current job and especially any problems with your current management. Highlighting problems, even if they are not your fault will give the impression that you are hard to work with or difficult to manage.

Look for the positive aspects of moving job role both for you and your future employer. Emphasize why you want to move and relate them to the specific company and job. Potential answers include seeking a new challenge, looking for somewhere with training and looking for a role with more opportunities for advancement. Consider how your answer relates not only to you, but how it will benefit your new firm. As an example if you are looking for a role with more possibilities for advancement, you need to emphasize how important work is to you and the effort you are prepared to put in in-order to advance.

Lucy works for Graduate Careers London Graduate Scheme

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