Summer is here, which may mean that you want to find a job for a few weeks between your studies, or even that you are ready to enter the world of work and get your career started. You may look in the local newspaper or search online for job vacancies (you can check out jobs for school leavers right here on NotGoingtoUni), but there are other things that you can do to enhance your chances of finding work. Whether or not you have experience in the job market, there are a few extra things that you can do to improve your chances of finding the job you want.
A lot of people find work using their contacts – whether they are friends or family members. Your contacts may know about a job before it is even advertised and could even put in a good word for you with the boss. Not only can your contacts help you find opportunities, but they can also make introductions for you, which means you will likely have a slight advantage when it comes to applying or going for an interview too. Don’t forget your online network too – use social media to help you reach out to your contacts and find work too (but make sure that your accounts are suitable for an employer to see!).
It can be very time-consuming looking for vacancies and applying for them – so why not cut down on the workload by letting employers come to you as well? Register with an employment agency and let them do some of the work of finding you a job or post your CV online. Of course, you will want to make sure your C.V. is up to scratch, and may need to stay in regular contact with any employment agencies so they don’t forget you, and you can be sure that they are doing their best to promote and find you work.
A lot of jobs never make it to be advertised to the general public, instead being taken up by people already working for the employer. If you already have a job, or know someone where you want to work, check to see if there are any vacancies being offered internally. Perhaps you could jump the queue and apply early to one of these ‘hidden’ or not-yet-advertised roles?
You may want to work for a particular employer, but find that they don’t have any vacancies at the moment. However, don’t let that put you off. Instead of giving up, why not send in a speculative letter, including your C.V. and saying what sort of work you are looking for and why you want to work for that particular company or employer. Whether they are a large or small company, by showing initiative and interest you may just impress someone enough to get a chance to meet up for a talk. While this more informal chat is not like a job interview, you should still take it seriously as a chance to impress and be remembered, even if there are no vacancies right now. Of course, there is always the chance that you may jump the gun on an upcoming vacancy and be just what the company are looking for!
Looking for work can be disheartening if you find you are getting a lot of refusals to your applications. It is important not to take this personally and try to stay positive and focused. Make sure to match your skills to the job on offer to give yourself the best chance, but don’t get hung up on being turned down for any particular role. Your job search will be much better if you stay positive and upbeat through any setbacks.
