Employment support

Job Boards 

It can be daunting heading into a job search with so many job websites, agencies and vacancies to wade through. Before you begin searching for a new job it's important to have an idea on what kind of role it is that you would want to. Think about your transferable skills and apply this criteria to your job searches.

Use the advanced search option to filter by keyword, location, job title, company, type of job, date posted etc. You can add your CV to job boards and allow them to make it visible. This allows companies and recruiters who may be using their CV search function to be able to view your details and reach out with opportunities. 

Recruitment Agencies 

Registering with recruitment agencies to find new employment can have many benefits and is very simple to do. It is free to register with an agency and sometimes they can offer additional help with assisting you to secure new employment such as CV writing advice and support you with preparing for interviews.

It is beneficial to speak with the agencies direct. Having a conversation with the agency will allow you to share more about yourself, your work experience, skills and the types of roles that you are seeking. As well as helping you seek permanent employment agencies can also take you on their books for temporary assignments, which may help you obtain short (or long) term opportunities whilst you continue your hunt for the right role. Short term assignments can be useful in avoiding gaps in employment and keeping your skills up to date. 

Online Training Courses 

There are a huge amount of free online resources that can be taken advantage of to help you. Online training allows you to fit the training around your lifestyle and commitments allowing you to meet your individual needs for professional development. There are a variety of websites that offer databases of free courses which are all recognised/credible resources. Most of these websites offer short courses from a few hours of learning to a few months of study and cover a huge range of subject areas.

LinkedIn 

LinkedIn is a social network that focuses on professional networking and career development. It can be used for professionals to connect, share, and learn. You can use LinkedIn to display your career history, search for jobs and enhance your professional reputation by posting updates and interacting with other people.

LinkedIn has its own jobs page where you can search for vacancies and receive notifications of vacancies that may be of interest to you.

Many companies maintain their own LinkedIn pages which you can 'follow' to see updates they post as well as jobs they may advertise. Companies also use LinkedIn to search for and connect with potential candidates based on career history and key skills included in LinkedIn profiles. It is therefore important to make sure you regularly update your profile with any new skills or roles you have. 

CV's 

The purpose of a CV is to enable recruiters and employers to easily see what work experience you have gained so far as well as understand your strengths and what you have to offer in relation to the role you are applying for.  A well constructed CV is an excellent way to market and promote yourself to prospective employers.

You may need to tailor your CV to the most important requirements of the role and organisation you are applying for, this can mean having different versions of your CV.

Use a job description, person specification and the internet to research the requirements for the role you are applying for. Highlight the matching skills, experience or transferable skills that match to the role.

If you've been out of work you can bolster your CV by including other things besides your employment history, such as; volunteering, any clubs/teams you belong to, you may be involved in local groups etc. It would also be beneficial to briefly explain during any gaps of employment what it is you have been doing during the time period for example perhaps you have spent some time developing your skills to better enable you to meet the requirements of a role you are seeking.

Cover Letters 

Some organisations may also request a cover letter to be submitted along with your CV application. This can either be attached along with your CV, or incorporated within your CV.

If you have been requested to include a cover letter, then make sure you look carefully at the advert (and if provided) job description as the company will likely want you to call out specific skills or experience. These may be listed as 'essential' or 'must have' within the advert. Make sure that your cover letter contains your name and contact details. Keep it brief but make sure you're showing why you are applying for the role and how you can demonstrate the skills and experience required. It's also good to highlight key achievements that relate to the role you're applying for.

Interview Tips

Preparing for interviews can sometimes feel quite nerve-wracking, but a little preparation time can go a long way. Almost all employers will ask you to explain what you know about the organisation so it is important to research the organisation prior to your interview. Looking on the organisation's website will provide you with sufficient information about what it is they do. Also think about what is about the role that made you want to apply, what you think you can bring to the role but also, how it could help you develop your skills further.

When you're asked questions during a job interview, relay the specific skills and experience you have as well as how you handled the situations you're asked about. A good technique to use is the STAR model which allows you to provide a fully rounded answer of how you contributed to a specific situation.

-Situation (what was the situation you were in)

-Task (what needed doing)

-Action (what did you do)

-Result (what was the outcome)

It may be helpful to take notes with you to your interview. It's important that you only use these to jog your memory and don't read from them during the interview. Also think about any questions you want to ask in the interview, this helps to demonstrate your interest in the organisation.

These tips still translate to if you're being asked to participate in a virtual interview. If you are being interviewed virtually, have all the technology set and ready in advance. Do a trial run to be sure everything is working properly and that you're comfortable with it. Make sure you're in a quiet location with no distractions on the day.