|
|
|
Job Searching Tips
From The Student RoomTSR Wiki > Careers > Job Searching Tips It can be a daunting and confusing world to trying to get a job, and sometimes you can feel like there is no hope of ever getting some money together to pay the bills or get that first step onto the career ladder, but don't worry! There's a whole wealth of information right here which has been complied using some of our TSR Member's very own forum advice to increase your confidence and put a pound in your pocket.
Friends and FamilyHey, dude.....you know your uncle has that pizza place? Would he happen to have any vacancies by any chance? If you are lucky, you will most likely be able to be a friend of a friend who will give you work experience. Some jobs are based on networking, in which X person knows a friend of a friend who has a vacancy and you might be just lucky enough to get it. You can be lucky in these respects and some of you may most likely get your first job this way. But as for the most of us (or the few of us, I dunno) you most likely won't have suitable links or will end up having to find a job on your own. But don't fret! Continue on to step 2. Looking For YourselfBasic Lost Wanderer SearchingHi, would you happen to have any vacancies by any chance? Okay, so no luck with friends or family. Looks like you're gonna have to head out and look around town. Keep an eye out for "Recruiting" ads in shops and such. If there is one, go in and ask about the job, and if needs be, bring in a CV. Just keep an eye out for job vacancies advertised in shop windows. Most of the time you won't be able to find these, so move onto step 3. The dreaded Job CentreHi, need any help? So. No network and no shop window ads. What's a jobseeker to do? Well, for one, go to Google Maps and find your nearest "Job Centre Plus". They usually open at about 8ish in the morning and close about 4 in the afternoon. At least my local one does. If you've got an NI number (someone clarify this for me) you can register for Jobseeker's Allowance which will provide you with a bit of cash while you're looking for work. But don't take the Jobseeker's Allowance as an excuse to slack off. In some cases you'll be able to get a "New Deal For Young People" although I'm not too sure on this. Ignore the chavs arguing with the workers about how much they're getting for sponging off the state and if you're lucky they should have these little machines with touchscreens. Go up to one and either click on "New Jobs Today" or "Detailed Job Search" and just go through, select the type of work you want, the type of hours, etc. Usually this will throw up a few jobs. Sometimes you can just select "New Jobs Today". When you find one you like, or many that you like, you can press the "Print" button. This'll print out a little receipt-like object which you should keep as it has the reference number which will come in useful. Print out as little or as much as you like, and if you are confused, ask one of the people at the desk thing for help. Now take this to one of the people at the desks and ask about it, and they will most of the time ask you a few questions, and give you a piece of paper about the job and all the details, where you should apply to, etc. Sometimes they'll direct you to the phones, all you gotta do is press the "A" button for Jobseeker Direct, and be prepared to give them your NI number (which if you're 16 you should have, if not, go and ask them about it) and your address and your name and all that. They'll send you an application form in the post which you fill out and bring or send back. Also if you don't want to use the phones there, the little receipt thing will give you a telephone number to contact Jobseeker Direct. The number will most likely be 0845 6060 234. The lines are open 8.00am-6.00pm on weekdays and 9.00am-1.00pm on Saturdays. Remember to give them the reference number (They're usually in the format "ABC/12345", yours will differ, for instance one of mine is "WBA/9187") They also have a site where you can search for work: http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk Nonetheless, go there, find a few jobs, apply. See what happens. THE INTERNETZ!!!OK, so you're bored of staring into shop windows like a dejected hungry dog staring into the butchers, and the Job Centre is driving you mad with useless jobs. What next? Why, the internet of course. Now, before I start, be prepared to search a lot. And to fill out lots of forms and re-write your CV and up your CV to this site and that site. Hey, these jobs aren't gonna find themselves. Now this list is compiled from links found in this thread, so give kudos to them. Special thanks to January Victim for making them into this list (which I've edited around a bit because I'm evil hahahahahah). General "Upload Your CV and Search Us" Jobseeking Websites http://www.jobcentreplus.org.uk - Aforementioned JobCentrePlus website Jobsites aimed at Students http://www.e4s.co.uk Specific Areas Of Work Retail http://www.inretail.co.uk - Retail Office Work http://www.officerecruit.com/index.shtml - Office Work Catering http://www.caterer.com - Catering. N.B: BlackHawk reported being headhunted by 3 employers the day after he registered on here so go take a look if catering is your thing. Tutoring http://uk.tutor.ac - If you feel confident in tutoring a subject a kids who need to brush up on their revision, go here. As said by twattytim: "Takes a little while (and sweet talk buttering up the parents) to get jobs offered, but worth the effort, especially at 20 quid an hour..." Freelancing http://www.getafreelancer.com/ Useful if you do Freelance work or know the odd bit of code/photoshop and can get someone interested Chain Stores - (N.B. If you can, it's best to be hired by a large famous chain store) http://www.asda.com - N.B. ASDA may be one to keep an eye on Don't just stop here, look at all the sites of the local bigname stores in your area. BHS, C&A, GAME, Morrison's, Waterstones, whatever you want. Find their site and find a link like "Jobs" or "Careers" and....well you know the rest. Region-specific http://www.mertonlocaljobs.co.uk/ Also check to see if your local shopping centre is hiring, i.e. http://www.metrocentre-gateshead.co.uk/ Recruitment Agencies - Register your details and up a CV and these people will look for you. http://www.barkerross.co.uk/ Useful sites (You'll see these later on) http://doctorjob.com/ - also contains some VERY useful info http://www.prospects.ac.uk/ - Useful for graduate career planning too. And while you're at it...Search for "Recruitment Agencies" in your area while you're doing all this. Go in, hand in your CV, complete their forms, and they'll also look for you. OK, so I found a vacancy, what next?It depends really. Before I get started I want you to read this. Some General AdviceI enclose some useful advice from BisuitFuelled's topic. The second point really gets my goat. When I, and pretty much everyone I know, apply for a job, I spend a long time researching places where I'd like to work, get their contact details, phone them, and ask: 1) Are they hiring? 2) Do they accept CVs, or application forms only? 3) If I need an application form, how can I get one? I then give CVs to the ones who don't use app forms, download/collect application forms, and fill them out, before handing them in. After about 3 working days, phone back to check up on the progress - this shows you're keen, and not just dumping CVs in every letterbox in town. You'll either find you're progressing to the next application stage (interview etc.), that they haven't processed the app, they are waiting on more applicants, or you've been rejected. And that's it. You'll end up with a job if you pick the right employers for your skills, and convey your strengths to them in your application. Oh, one way to ABSOLUTELY make sure you DON'T get a job with an employer - hand in a generic CV. With every CV you hand in, you will be writing an additional cover letter, tailored to that particular company, to show that you have a specific interest in working with them - even if you don't. Handing out dozens of non-specific CVs is an excellent way of getting a lot of rejection letters, or simply ignored by an employer. If you can't be bothered to put your heart and soul into finding a job, then you have no right to moan - there are people out there (such as myself) who put in the hours when applying for a job, and we are the ones who get hired, because putting in the effort in an application shines through to any prospective employer. Laziness shines through even more. Applying for the job -or- "What the hell is a cover letter?"OK, so having read the above and inwardly digested it, you should be thinking about applying for each of those vacancies. You should already have a CV done, if not go to [this] bit of the TSR wiki. Now the next bit is the pain in the ass. For every CV you send out to X company or Y company, you should send out a "Cover Letter". Basically this is a formal letter you write to the Employer going "dear so and so, I found your job here, I am good (employ me plz), yadda yadda, lets talk some time, yours sincerely, Mr. Bloggs" For every company you write to you will most likely have to write a cover letter so might as well get writing and printing. Also, change your CV accordingly too. If your CV shows that you have experience in business, then when you apply to a business job, make sure that stands out. Anyways, there is some very useful advice, templates, etc. to making a cover letter here (and some good CV tips): Have a look there and you'll most likely get a decent cover letter out of it. Also See | 
|
