As we all know, the job market is incredibly competitive at the moment. Although things are said to be getting better, most job seekers, from university leavers to experienced businesspeople, have still struggled to adapt in recent years to an environment in which unpaid internships are often expected and the number of applications for a job is many times the number of vacancies available.
Although some of us oldies can remember the age when it was possible to more or less walk into a job and where it was enough just to want it, unfortunately prospects for the unemployed have become incredibly bleak.
For those who may have recently become unemployed, after years of work, the task of jobseeking in today’s economic climate is a daunting one. If this describes you, you may be surprised by how difficult it can be to adjust and how different the quest for work is from the last time you underwent it.
Start with your CV. As this is the first way in which a recruiter will become in any way acquainted with you, you will have to make sure it stands out from the dozens of applications that will almost certainly accompany it.
Focus where you can on achievements rather than duties, and provide solid figures and facts when describing your accomplishments. Your job description and colleagues might be able to help you here if you’re somewhat stuck. Don’t forget to include valuable extra qualifications and diplomas, such as from sales training courses.
It’s also vital that you get online. Like almost everything else, in the past few years, job hunting has moved onto the web in a big way. That’s not to say that face-to-face networking has gone away – that’s not the case at all – but you’re less likely to find a plethora of vacancies in your local paper or trade magazines and the like.
An increasingly common practice is for employers to check Twitter and Facebook accounts of anyone they’re considering taking on. It’s a good idea to have them to demonstrate you have nothing to hide, and also to make sure they are ’employer proofed’ – that any unsavoury content is either hidden to non-friends or expunged completely.
The most important social network to get on though is LinkedIn. This is basically Facebook for work, and provides some amazing networking opportunities. You can apply for vacancies advertised through the site quickly and easily once you’ve set up your profile, so it’s not just about appearances – LinkedIn is a complete jobhunting tool.
When it comes to networking, you’ll not just keep in touch with new connections but will be able to re-establish contact with old colleagues and professional acquaintances. Once the word’s out that you’re looking for work, it will be a really big boost to get you to the next step of your career.
Though the economic strife of the last five years has made it much harder than it used to be (or should be) to land your ideal job, the ability to advertise your presence through online channels does a lot to make up for it. Depending on how you work and your industry, you might even find it easier to find work than you would ten or twenty years ago – just as soon as you get to grips with the changes in the landscape.
Jobs And Careers Advice 