Job Search Guide

Job Search Guide

Welcome to the CVwriting.net Job Search Guide, part of the free
resource available within our career advice section. Here you will find
information and help to maximise your recruitment opportunities
including effective CV distribution and using recruitment agencies. We
also recommend that you take a look at our complimentary Interview Guide and Cover Letter Writing Guide to complete your job hunting toolkit.



The first thing you need to consider is your CV.



You really do need to know how to avoid some of the biggest mistakes
that job seekers make on their CV, which at best might cost them an
interview and at worst could lead to missing a life-changing career
opportunity.



Ask yourself?



Is my CV too short? - This may be a surprise
to you as so much advice is geared towards keeping your CV within one
page in length. Actually, two pages long is about right. If your CV is
only one page with lots of space to spare, even if this is your first
CV, you probably haven't provided enough detail to interest the reader.
Consider fleshing out your skills and experience.



Is my CV too long? - Your CV needs to be a
length that can be scanned easily by a recruiter so that they can pick
out the relevant information in the shortest amount of time. Do not
list everything you have ever done - the recruiter simply will not read
it. They will move on very quickly to the next candidate.



Is my CV targeted? - This means writing a
slightly different CV for each job application. Every employer is
different, which means you need to highlight different skills according
to their requirements.



Have you written in your CV in the ‘third person'?
- This means writing your CV as if you were talking about someone else.
Do not use ‘I', ‘my' or ‘we'. Your CV will sound more objective,
businesslike and professional.



Is the layout of your CV clear and easy to read?
- The employer needs to be able to pick out your skills and experience
within seconds. A cluttered CV with too much text, or a complicated
format with several different fonts is simply too much trouble to read.
Keep it simple.



Once you are happy with your CV and its layout you should then begin
the job hunting and job search process. Here we look at three very
effective methods used to help get the next role, Online Job Boards,
Social Media and and Recruitment Agencies.





Using An Online Job board.



Online recruitment is fast becoming the normal method of job hunting for hundreds of thousands of people every year.



Is online job hunting effective? - The short
answer to this is probably yes however you do need to approach this
method with the right attitude, tools and realistic expectations.



How many "job boards" are there? - There are
literally thousands from the really big players to very small. You will
normally find that the bigger the company the more generalist they are.
If you are looking for a job in a particular niche then using a
specialist job board would probably be more effective.



How do they work? - Basically there are two
parts to the online job board operation. The first part is for them to
get jobs listed on the site so that we can apply. They approach
employers and recruitment agencies direct and charge them to show job
adverts online. This is their bread & butter as the more adverts
they can show the more money they make. The good news is that you also
don't have to pay anything to use their service. The second part is for
us, the job hunters. The job boards need to attract a large number of
applicants to make it attractive to the advertisers i.e. more job
seekers = more applications and this is what the recruiters want.



How do I find a job with the job board? -
There are 2 main ways to go about this, Search - This involves
searching through the jobs listed. Once you have found a role that
interests you simply apply using your CV. Additionally some job boards
offer a very useful service whereby you set up an email alert based on
your requirements i.e. location, salary, hours, type of work etc.
If/when a job is placed online that matches your profile they send you
an e-mail. This is really useful as you can be quick off the mark in
terms of applying for the job. Note if use this option, make sure your
CV is up to date and ready to go. CV posting - This way you register
(post) your CV online with the job board so that the employers and
recruiters can then search through all the CV's online. This way the
employers and recruitment agencies can find you when they have a job
that fits your profile i.e. location, type of work, salary etc etc



Should I register? - This is of course your
decision however with most boards you will be able to see the job
advertisements but you won't be able to send your CV to apply.
Therefore registration becomes essential.



Should I post my CV? - This is a good idea.
This can be an effective method for 2 reasons, employers will be able
to call you if interested and recruitment agencies can ask to get you
on their books. Please bear in mind though that all the details that
you include on your CV will be available to ALL the subscribed
recruiters and agencies. One word of warning however, if you are
looking for a role in a competitive area be prepared for a lot of
agencies calling you on the "off chance" that you might be interested
in something they have.



Would my own web CV be better? - You should
consider this as an option if available to you as you can control who
has access to your CV. The way this works is that you have a unique web
address where your CV is stored thus you only need to give the web
address to the people you want to see it.



What does "Online Job Hunting" really mean?
- In effect it is a very modern way of going about recruitment both for
employer and employees alike. For the employer it means that they can
reach hundreds of suitable applicants relatively cheaply and for us,
the employee, it means that we get access to a huge range of
opportunities.



Should I apply for jobs that I see online?
- That is really up to you however what you have got to lose. It
doesn't really cost very much to apply and you never know you might get
invited for interview.



Do I need to get a good CV for online applications? - Definitely yes. It's exactly the same as applying for jobs offline i.e. the CV should be designed to get you the interview.



Do you recommend any online services? - There are literally hundreds of Job Boards online so it's difficult to make recommendations but our two favourites are CV-library.co.uk and totaljobs.com.





Using Social Media & Networking Sites.



It may be a surprise to you but a large number of jobs in fact never
get advertised but are often filled through other methods including
networking, employee referrals and importantly, recruiters searching
through social media sites.



This gives the idea that using online social networks like LinkedIn,
MySpace or Facebook can be a very effective additional job search tool
however although effective you should use this method with care.



The bad news is that more and more employers
are using the internet, which includes social media sites; to quickly
screen and obtain a "background check" on applicants before the
interview process begins. While you may feel that this is not fair,
this is the way it is!



The good news is that although your personal
posts as well as your online persona can harm your hunt for the perfect
job, you can turn this round and use these same tools to help land a
great position.



Tips to help you maximise your job hunting success using Online Social Networks.

• Make sure that you don't post anything that you wouldn't want a prospective employer to see.


• Consider acquiring an additional and separate "work" based persona that includes your relevant skills etc.


• Clean up your online profile e.g. delete any bad language, lewd jokes or strange photographs.


• Make sure that your profile name and e-mail address are not offensive.

• Create a positive online presence by talking about your industry or
business within your profile. Show that you are genuinely interested in
what you do or what you want to do.

• Use sites like LinkedIn, a social network for professionals, to connect to people with similar interests and skills.

• Use your online friends by telling them you are looking for work. If
you have cleaned up your profile to create a professional image, they
are more likely to recommend you or let you know about any
opportunities they come across.

• Activate your privacy options so you make sure that you only show people what you want to show in your profile


• Enhance your online profile and make it as compelling as possible to employers.


• Don't accept invitations to join the network of someone you don't know.

• Search through some social networking sites. e.g. LinkedIn.
There will probably be lots of contacts from your current and previous
employers, customers, suppliers etc etc. All of these people have the
potential to help you find a new job and possibly act as a reference or
recommend you.





Using Recruitment Agencies.



Many employers will use a recruitment agency to do the work rather than
advertise the jobs themselves. If you do your homework carefully using
an agency can be quite a painless and mutually beneficial approach.



Which recruitment agencies should I choose? You need to make sure that:

• They understand your industry, your current job and the role you are looking for.


• They will be proactive in finding you a job.


• They can advise you on what salary and benefits to expect.


• They have good contacts within your industry. There are specialist agencies for just about every industry,

Overall, make sure that you feel comfortable with the employment agency
you have chosen, as they will be dealing with your personal details.



Will they charge me? It is illegal for a UK
employment agency to charge you for finding a position. The employer
for whom they are recruiting pays the costs. The agency can however
charge for additional services for example creating a CV, supplying
interview question examples etc.



What is their policy relating to the marketing of my skills and my CV?
Make sure that the agency is not going to send your CV to employers
without understanding your requirements. Most reputable recruitment
agencies will have a definite policy on this for example the consultant
should carry out a registration interview at which point they create a
personal profile. YOU should decide which employers will receive your
details and CV.



Candidate testimonials? Ask the consultant
for evidence of satisfied candidates and clients in your industry for
example if you are looking for a job as a design engineer, make sure
they have placed candidates in the engineering or technical arena. This
will also give you a good idea of how experienced the agency and their
consultants are in your chosen field.



Are there any trade bodies or service level agreements? The REC (Recruitment and Employment Confederation)
represents the recruitment industry within the UK. It will help you to
make sure that the agency is a member and conforms to the REC code of
conduct.



Finally, recruitment agencies are in business to make a profit by
placing candidates. You need to make it easy for them to market you.
You should remain in control and avoid being talked into taking
unsuitable jobs. It is always a good idea to build a relationship and
keep regular contact with an agency.



Do not expect the recruitment agency to write a CV for you.
CVwriting.net has a reputation for excellence. Our high quality and
affordable CV builder gives you the advice, help and tips you need to
create the perfect CV.