Looking for a job can be a daunting task and even more so when you feel under pressure as you are not currently working or earning money. It can feel like a bomb slowly ticking away and if it explodes it will take with it all your hard-earned gains.
Being unemployed can be one of most ego-smashing things a person could ever experience. It can be seen as ‘rejection’ and people can end up in a very unhappy place. We at e-recruitment buddy don’t want that to happen to any jobseeker so we decided to bring together some of our top tips to help you through this stage of your career. Prior to actually applying for jobs there are several processes to go through.
ONE: Read this highly practical 4-point-plan. You need space to think, take the time to review your career and start planning! Let the fact that you’ve been made redundant be an ‘opportunity’ rather than the worst thing that can happen. Step back – take stock – don’t fall into a period of ‘desperation’, it wont help your cause.
TWO: The last stage of Janet Davies’ above plan includes having a good quality CV ready for approaching potential employers. Your Curriculum Vitae is a crucial selling/marketing tool when applying for jobs and in today's employer-driven recruitment market it is vital that you take time to prepare it. Clients can literally ‘cherry pick’ the best candidates against their criteria and if your best points are hidden, or even worse not on your CV (!) then you will be rejected. If you need any assistance with this, then our sister company http://www.e-cv-buddy.co.uk/.
THREE: Don’t do it ALONE. Pool upon your family, partner, friends, ex-work colleagues and neighbours!! Talk to them about how you are feeling, get their input on how they see you and discuss your thoughts of what route you want to take your career. Perhaps even get yourself a job-search ‘buddy’ (I would probably choose my hubby), that you speak with at least once a week about what jobs you’ve applied for, what you’ve done in your job search activities and any interviews you have lined up. Your job-search buddy can give you a sense of purpose and achievement.
FOUR: Clean up your online profile before you start applying for jobs. Have you ever googled an employer before an interview? Yes of course - the issue now is that companies are researching potential candidates to gain information about them prior to short-listing for an interview. This can be advantageous but often not – it’s well known & documented that social networking sites, blogs & forums are easily searchable and may throw up something that strikes you off the short-list. Be wary of what you and your friends post online – ‘un-tag’ yourself from any photo’s you think may jeopardise your career!! We know that employers need to use this information with care to avoid any hint of discrimination in their decision-making, but in many cases it wont stop them. Also – get yourself a dedicated job-searching email address - you need to give a professional impression from first contact. An email received from lazybones@hotmail may not be the best approach!
FIVE: Time to start applying for Jobs – before you start … don’t apply for jobs that you don’t actually want or that you don’t have the skills to do. I know that may sound daft but many people believe that catapulting their CV into cyber-space will somehow land on the desk of their next employer – it won’t! Be completely focussed in your job-search; target employers that you want to work for, register with agencies that actually have jobs on their books that match what you are looking for and register with job-boards specific to your industry & skill-set. Always follow-up on applications.
SIX: For more in-depth tips covering everything from LinkedIn to Twitter to aid in your job search, we at e-recruitment buddy recommend that you download a free copy of Andy Headworth’s ‘50 Top Tips for Job Seekers Guide’
Don’t let your job-search be chaotic, stressful, depressing or negative in any way – give it some structure, plan exactly what you are looking for and go for it via every route available to you. Be positive and when you secure a job give yourself a huge pat on the back!!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Dispatches: Struggling Executives in the Recession
Did anyone tune into Channel 4 on Monday evening and watch the ‘not particularly enlightening’ dispatches program? It did predominantly focus on a select number of medium-high earners (60-90k bracket), along with a few Graduates (Adam and Thomas!) and how people are struggling to secure a job in this tough economic climate.
I didn’t particularly learn anything from the program, it just made me shout at the telly and now I want to vent a few of my frustrations in this blog.
One of the job seekers they followed was Matt Webb, ex Marketing Director* of Hamleys, made redundant some months ago. He did seem particularly down-trodden but was still managing to spend 5-6 hours per day searching for a new job, mainly online. He said that he’d applied for c30 jobs over the last few weeks with not one response ? I do have a degree of sympathy from him. However – it is no surprise that he was struggling to maintain his 1k monthly mortgage, 12k per annum private school fees for 7 year old Darcy and all his other bills. I do believe he used the words “to take Darcy out of her school, it would be a nightmare.” I could get shot down in flames for saying this but pleeeaaasssseee give me strength!! You may have been earning shed loads of money but now you don’t, the lifestyle you have/had cannot be maintained – ‘a nightmare’ would be having no roof over your head, no food to eat and having to walk 50 miles in bare feet to get fresh water – OK, a bit extreme, but downsize, get your children to a state school, go & work stacking shelves at night in Asda, get your wife to work for Avon or offer an Ironing service in the local area – do whatever it takes to keep some income rolling. Oh … and give up the fags!!!
With just under 2.5 million people currently unemployed and seeking work, finding a job will be the hardest job you’ve ever had to do!! Keeping an income in whichever way you can and being ahead of the game when applying for jobs – it’s 24/7 with no rest until you’ve secured a new job. It’s a whole new blog post to cover top tips for job-seekers but the number one tip would be to make your CV the best document your possess! For any help regarding this do visit our sister site, http://www.e-cv-buddy.co.uk/
* From our research Matt was officially ‘Head of Marketing’ @ Hamleys, but only appointed in that position following the departure of its marketing director Stella Hartley in August 2008. The press release said “Webb is very new to the company and it is too early to comment on the role. We will announce our marketing roadmap for 2009 and our advertising strategies in the coming months." It was also reported in March 2009 by MarketingWeek that Hamleys had parted company with Matt Webb after just 5months. Odd – as I got the impression he had been there for 12 years?
P.S; If anyone wishes to discuss opportunities with Matt Webb, his LinkedIn profile can be found here; http://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwebb1
I didn’t particularly learn anything from the program, it just made me shout at the telly and now I want to vent a few of my frustrations in this blog.
One of the job seekers they followed was Matt Webb, ex Marketing Director* of Hamleys, made redundant some months ago. He did seem particularly down-trodden but was still managing to spend 5-6 hours per day searching for a new job, mainly online. He said that he’d applied for c30 jobs over the last few weeks with not one response ? I do have a degree of sympathy from him. However – it is no surprise that he was struggling to maintain his 1k monthly mortgage, 12k per annum private school fees for 7 year old Darcy and all his other bills. I do believe he used the words “to take Darcy out of her school, it would be a nightmare.” I could get shot down in flames for saying this but pleeeaaasssseee give me strength!! You may have been earning shed loads of money but now you don’t, the lifestyle you have/had cannot be maintained – ‘a nightmare’ would be having no roof over your head, no food to eat and having to walk 50 miles in bare feet to get fresh water – OK, a bit extreme, but downsize, get your children to a state school, go & work stacking shelves at night in Asda, get your wife to work for Avon or offer an Ironing service in the local area – do whatever it takes to keep some income rolling. Oh … and give up the fags!!!
With just under 2.5 million people currently unemployed and seeking work, finding a job will be the hardest job you’ve ever had to do!! Keeping an income in whichever way you can and being ahead of the game when applying for jobs – it’s 24/7 with no rest until you’ve secured a new job. It’s a whole new blog post to cover top tips for job-seekers but the number one tip would be to make your CV the best document your possess! For any help regarding this do visit our sister site, http://www.e-cv-buddy.co.uk/
* From our research Matt was officially ‘Head of Marketing’ @ Hamleys, but only appointed in that position following the departure of its marketing director Stella Hartley in August 2008. The press release said “Webb is very new to the company and it is too early to comment on the role. We will announce our marketing roadmap for 2009 and our advertising strategies in the coming months." It was also reported in March 2009 by MarketingWeek that Hamleys had parted company with Matt Webb after just 5months. Odd – as I got the impression he had been there for 12 years?
P.S; If anyone wishes to discuss opportunities with Matt Webb, his LinkedIn profile can be found here; http://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwebb1
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