Your Next Opportunity
Finding a Job
Looking for a new job can be both exciting and daunting! On one hand you may be dreaming about your next opportunity and on the other you may be overwhelmed with the job-hunting process ahead and worried about when, if or how you’ll land your next career opportunity.
Helpful Hints
Identify Role
We know from experience that breaking down big goals into smaller concrete tasks helps you see that you are making progress and this certainly applies to the job-hunting process.
If you are in a suitable role already but are looking for your next challenge, you can afford to wait for that right position as its unlikely that you’ll secure your new job overnight. Be prepared for the fact your search could take up to 2-3 months.
If you have been unluckily enough to have been made redundant, time may be critical, and you shall need to act more quickly.
The following next steps shall help with both the above scenarios:
Appoint a specialist recruiter- by doing so in the job sector that you work in helps you achieve your goals by making regular networking calls within your contacts each day to key people within the industry, who could help secure you with your next position.
Review social media – LinkedIn helps you identify your ideal role; a recruiter would have good relationships – so speak to them first.
It is our aim to help make the job search challenge feel a little more manageable. We have some guidance and tips for you to assist you along the way to achieving your ultimate goal, your next, exciting career move!
Applying for jobs
CV and Interview Hints and tips
CV
- Keep your CV real – keep it to the point and punchy, employers don’t spend that much time looking at CV’s.
- Include a personal statement – employers want to see how your experience relates to the role.
- Ensure your CV relates to the JD – play back some of the language used in the JD within your own experience on your CV.
- You need to justify any gaps – say if you have been out of work or if you have filled your time volunteering, for example.
- Keep it current – always keep your CV up to date.
- Don’t have any spelling mistakes – employers look for mistakes and this could reflect badly.
Interview
- Be early – first impressions count!
- Tell me about yourself question – give as much information as you can, keep the conversation going, be warm and engaging.
- Don’t be afraid to talk/boast about your strengths – you need to sell yourself, you are right for the role, and you need to demonstrate this to the interviewer.
- Give examples of how you can do the job – you may say you are good at leadership and communication but give examples the employer won’t know this unless you tell them.
- Tell the employer what you’re not good at and how you have learnt from these challenges.
- Knowledge of the company is vital – do your homework that shows interest in the role
And Finally
- Practice, listen, don’t talk too much, be personable and always ask good relevant questions, such as:
- What are your biggest challenges this year?
- Ask the interviewer, why do you enjoy working here?
- The STAR technique is a good process to follow when answering questions.
- Situation – Share the nature of event, project or challenge
- Task – Describe your specific responsibility in the process
- Action – Steps undertaken to move towards an outcome
- Result – End results of your individual involvement
Preparation is everything
Preparation is everything, don’t ever forget the PPP – PPP analogy, Proper Prior Planning – Prevents Poor Performance !!
Brighter People hope that this information is a useful tool and helped you to prepare for your search and ultimate success in obtaining your next career move. Should you require any assistance, or wish to speak with one of our recruiters visit our contact page.