Tips and Tricks for a Job Search

Before you Start

Work out what you absolutely must make to pay bills and live life a bit beyond that. Make this your minimum consideration, like a literal red line, and then keep that in mind; ideally look for a bit more.

Keep it Broad

It’s nice to be picky if you’re not in a rush, but if you want out, you want out. The more you go for, the more you’ll hear back from.

Get a Presence Online

If you haven’t got LinkedIn- it’s worth having even if you’re not going to spend time on it looking for jobs, as occasionally people will just reach out and offer jobs to you without you doing anything. It’s also a very good place to actually search for jobs as most companies now post on there before going to job boards as it’s often easier for the HR team / managers.

There are a lot of Job Boards – Use Them

Reed, CV-Library & TotalJobs (and probably others) all allow you to upload your CV onto their database, and managers can search the back end for people when they hire. It’s worth being on these if you’re not already as you might just get a call or an email out of the blue with a request for an interview.

Indeed – is a bit weird, it looks like there is loads on there, but as an aggregator it just pulls those from the actual website and sometimes you’ll find duplicates etc. It’s good to browse on, but rather than apply through Indeed, go to the end companies own website and apply there, or via LinkedIn, just in case.

Recruiters are your Friend!

It’s common knowledge that they get money if you get the job, so they will want to place you! This is especially useful if you want to work in a specific area, do a quick google search for that area in your location – I.e. administrative recruitment Portsmouth, call in and speak to someone and say that you want to work in that area, ask if they have any roles live at the moment and send them your CV.

Don’t be afraid to ask how you could amend your CV to suit that area, they’ll have seen thousands and know what their clients tend to look for. Good ones will help you make these changes.

Often Forgotten

Be sure to regularly check the local University and Council career pages- these are both updated often and usually have a wide range of jobs.

Unless you’re keeping it a secret that you’re searching, tell your friends that you’re looking, they might know of a role that isn’t on your radar, and a personal recommendation goes a long way.

Before Clicking Apply

Double check your CV, is the contact information correct? Are there any spelling mistakes? (happy to give actual CV advice but there’s a lot to cover on that and it varies a lot for each role and person)

Getting an Interview Request

Prepare for the interview even if you’re unsure about it, it should help you decide. If you’re still unsure, just go to it!

The reason being is that it is a lot better to pull out of a process if you know that you don’t want to work there based on a good understanding of what is potentially on offer rather than maybe missing out on the dream work environment, or a great relationship with your manager.

Ahead of an Interview

Have another look at the job advert, and the job description etc., make sure you remember why you applied and what you think you can bring to the role. Also remember to browse the company website, look at their Glassdoor page, check out the managers on LinkedIn (you could have something in common to talk about). If it’s a big company, Google their name and click ‘News’; there might be some recent successes to bring up, or stories that could put you off!

Interview Etiquette

If you think an interview has gone well and you are enthusiastic about the role, feel free to say that! Saying at the end that “I’ve really enjoyed meeting you and learning more about this, I look forward to hearing from you soon!” is a nice way to end things and can give a good indication of your interest in the role! But be genuine, if it wasn’t great and you don’t want it, there’s no need to lie.

Say Thanks

Following up with an email is a perfectly good alternative, or an addition, too. Something like “It was great to meet with X earlier today and I wanted to pass on my thanks for the time taken to meet with me and explain a bit more about the role and the company.” – again if you’re keen and interested, include something about that, and if you’re not, you can use this as an opportunity to fairly politely remove yourself from the process after learning enough to be sure!

Don't Give Up

There is a lot that goes into a job search and it can be daunting, but keep your head up and keep trucking on until you get there! Good luck!