THE HANDY GUIDE TO JOB HUNTING Nechells
Introduction This short booklet provides useful information to help you in your search for work. first thing you should do is identify your skills and experience, and what jobs 1. The you’re interested in Start by working out what skills and experience you have. Then check you’ve got what you need to go for the type of work you want. Get someone to help you do this – it’s useful to get another person’s opinion of you. It could be quite different to how you see yourself. A. For example, you might think you’re really shy, but your friends might think you’re actually a good listener and a very patient person. B. When it comes down to it, to get a job, you need to sell yourself. And to do that you need to know your product (i.e. you), who you’re selling to (i.e. employers) and how you’re going to sell to them.
D. Consider all the types of work that your skills and experience might be relevant for and try to keep an open mind about new job ideas. E. Finally, be realistic – make sure you’re going for jobs you have a reasonable chance of getting. But be careful not to undersell yourself.
C. If you don’t have enough experience or qualifications to do what you want to do, you’ll need to rethink your options. You could either do more training or voluntary work to get the skills or experience you need, or think about another line of work.
2. Set yourself a deadline
When you’re trying to achieve a specific goal, such as getting a job, it can really help to set yourself a deadline. As a guide, give yourself one month for every year since you last worked. So if you last worked three years ago, give yourself three months to find a job. It can also help to break your goal down into manageable chunks – for example, you could aim to get your CV ready in the first week, register with five employment agencies in week two, and so on.
3. Spend at least 16 hours a week job hunting
You need to make sure you’re spending enough time looking for jobs – 16 hours or two days a week is a good amount to aim for. Some people like to treat job hunting almost like a job in itself – setting aside allocated days to focus on it. Weekdays are best.
4. Keep a job hunting diary
Keeping a diary can be really useful too. You can keep a record of who you spoke to, when, closing dates for applications, your interview dates, etc. You might want to use different coloured pens to highlight different results – i.e. use one colour for companies you’ve had interviews with, one colour for those who’ve rejected you, another for those who’ve kept you on file, and so on. You may find that looking through your diary later will encourage and motivate you when you really need it.
5. Apply for jobs It may sound obvious but you need to apply for jobs to get one. Here are some tips on how to go about your search. You can dramatically increase your success rate if you use tactics most people can’t be bothered with or wouldn’t even think about. Write down addresses and phone numbers of companies you’d like to work for. Ten is too few, 200 is too many in one go. Leave space under each address. The Yellow Pages is a good place to start. Have your note pad to hand and phone all the companies on your list. Introduce yourself and explain you’re looking for a new job and that you’re interested in working for their company one day. Ask if it’s ok to send your CV in case they have any suitable vacancies in the future. (Most companies will say yes). Write down the name of the person you speak to and any comments you want to make. Make sure you’re polite, friendly and not at all pushy. Post your CV and covering letter within 24 hours to the person you spoke to. If you can deliver it in person, even better. Three days later, ring the person back and say something like: “Hello, this is …..... We spoke a few days ago and I sent you my CV. I hope you don’t mind, I just wanted to check you’d received it.”
If they’re friendly, ask them if they’ve had a chance to read it and if they think they might have any jobs in the future. Six weeks later, and every two to three months after that, call the companies that seem fairly positive. Explain that you’re still looking for the right job and that you’d like to work for them – otherwise, they may think you’ve found something else. If you’ve done some extra training or got some more work experience, tell them and ask if they’d like an updated CV for their reference. This approach is really effective because: depending on the size of the organisation, it’s likely you’ll be the only person that day to ring and ask about jobs. This will make you stand out. You beat the queue. Many companies look at CVs they’ve got on file when they’re recruiting before they put an expensive advert in the paper. If you’ve rung a couple of times, you’ll stand out from the other CVs just sent in the post. Employers want people to work for them who are really keen and don’t mind going the extra mile. By ringing them, you are beginning to show you’re the sort of person they’re looking for.
up on your interview 6. Brush technique If you need help with this, there are some helpful organisations listed towards the end of this booklet.
If you follow these steps, and apply for advertised positions as well, you should start getting interviews on a regular basis.
7. Review your progress
When you’re involved in something as serious as job hunting you need to review your progress regularly. If you don’t seem to be getting anywhere, can you work out where you might be going wrong? If you don’t try to identify this, and do something about it, you may keep making the same mistakes. Refer to your diary and use your common sense – if you’re only applying for one job a week, you won’t get very far very quickly.
10 Top Tips for a Successful CV Don’t use a standard computer CV template
Structure your CV so it is clear
Many templates are American in style, lack originality and employers can spot them a mile off! Take the time and trouble to create your own CV, keep it up-to-date and have it ready to use for when you need to send it off quickly.
An employer will initially scan a CV and will want to pick out relevant skills and experience. Make sure your content is clearly divided under the following headings: Personal details, Personal profile, Key skills, Employment history, Professional qualifications, Education and qualifications, Hobbies and interests and References.
Research the job role
Make your CV stand out
Find out as much as you can about the organisation and the job role before you send your CV. Note any specific qualifications, skills or experience required. Unless these are essential to the job, don’t be put off applying.
There is no set format for a CV, however an employer will be looking for a CV that is well laid out, easy to read, has clear and complete information and grabs their attention. A CV should be in font size 10-12 and in the same typeface throughout and has no more than 2 A4 pages. Use bold to highlight headings and print it on good quality paper.
Adapt your CV to a specific job
Use accurate and positive phrases and words
You may need to modify your CV to a specific job so that the employer can match your skills and experience to the job advertised. Before you write your CV, take a good look at the job advert, and highlight your relevant key skills, knowledge and experience.
It is important to think about how you will phrase the content of your CV. Words should be strong, positive and uplifting ensuring that all content is honest and interesting. Try to avoid repeating phrases such as ‘I did this’ and ‘I used to be’.
Sell your skills and achievements Make yourself different from the competition by focusing on your skills and achievements. Highlight the ones you are particularly good at and explain how you have used them, and if possible include evidence. Check your presentation and layout First impressions count so it is vital that you check your CV before you send it out. As well as checking your spelling and grammar, make sure that your contact details are correct, that it flows and there are no odd or unexplained gaps in your employment history, and also that it makes sense and is easy to read. Make sure you get it right Your CV is a marketing tool selling you! Spend as much time as you can to get your CV right, it might take a couple of attempts until you are completely happy with it. Even when you have finished your CV, put it to one side and come back to it, read it through very carefully one last time. Include a covering letter It doesn’t matter if you are hand delivering, posting or emailing your CV, you will always need a good covering letter to accompany it. Letters should be short (don’t waffle) but informative and include reference to the job you are applying for.
Organisations that can help Whether you’re looking for full-time or part-time work, training, careers advice or benefit “Better Off” calculations, these organisations can help. Directgov job and skills page http://jobseekers.direct.gov.uk This should be your first daily port of call. All the new positions at the Job Centre are posted here daily in the morning along with links to training schemes and government-funded opportunities. Also available on Sky, Virgin Media, Freeview and Teletext. Gumtree http://birmingham.gumtree.com Hundreds of new jobs daily, many of which don’t appear at job centres. A fair amount of spam to sift through – don’t be fooled by anything that looks too good to be true. This is often the site of choice for firms looking for casual workers, warehousebased jobs, bar staff and labourers. Plenty of vacancies in catering and hotels too. JobRapido http://www.jobrapido.co.uk Very useful source of professional jobs, as well as clerical and teaching/classroom assistant posts. JobRapido works with many employment agencies and can feature more than 1,000 new jobs daily. Fortunately, there is an effective search system in place which can quickly narrow your hunt by location, salary, job-type and hours required. You can subscribe to email alerts to notify you immediately of new jobs in your chosen field and you can post a CV online to attract employers. Several sites offer a similar service, but this is one of the best. Jobs Midlands http://www.jobs-midlands.com The largest job vacancy website in the region with great search options and friendly, simple to navigate pages. Closely linked to local papers, it’s worth subscribing to this site or checking it daily.
Help on the ground The Government’s Enhanced New Deal Scheme has resulted in a great deal of investment in Nechells and its neighbours, with the ward being designated an unemployment blackspot in need of help and investment. There are several new agencies which need to be accessed via a referral from your careers advisor. Seetec Aston Aston Cross Business Park, B6 5RQ Tel: 0121 380 4820 One-2-one personalised careers advice and training with great resources and enthusiastic staff. Access to academic and vocational courses, advice and support. Fourstar Aston Unit 1 Meteor Park, Argyle Street , B7 5TE 0121 322 8950 Fourstar differs from Seetec by having dedicated building space where clients can get hands-on training and experience in such areas as construction, childcare and catering, leading to a recognised qualification. The company also has close ties with local firms and industries and has a high success rate of placing qualified clients with long-term jobs.
Self-referral schemes Prospects Unit 1.07, Faraday Wharf, Holt Street, Aston Science Park, B7 4BB 0121 503 8040 Prospects offers some great opportunities for people who have been out of work for more than 12 months in the Nechells area. One-to-one mentoring, personal action plan, links with support services to help you overcome barriers to work, CV creation, interview practice, exclusive vacancies and post-employment support, make this one of the best and most successful agencies of its type. Access to courses for fork lift truck drivers, childcare and security badge qualifications have made this popular in the area. JHP Employability 3rd Floor, Scala House, 36 Holloway Circus, B1 1EQ 0121 665 6655 Offers exhaustive Response to Redundancy programme with courses in skills needed to re-enter the jobs market, plus retraining opportunities. Your dedicated employment broker will assess your needs, help to fill any gaps in skills or experience and actively speak to prospective employers on your behalf. A highly proactive approach with a high success rate. PeopleServe Chaplin Court, 80 Hurst Street, B5 4TD 0121 666 5150 Established in 1974, the opportunities at PeopleServe are second to none. No minimum unemployment history needed, you can sign up here the day you are out of work. The company excels by having really strong links with employers and offers training and job placement schemes tailored to the individual. PeopleServe has entered into partnerships with many private and third sector organisations, job centres, educational bodies and employers and because it’s well-established, offers a fast-track back into employment. They also specialise in helping clients who are seen as the hardest to help, such as those with disabilities or criminal records.
Pertemps Nechells Baths, Nechells Park Road, B7 5PD 0121 328 9076 Benefits advice, confidence building, CV and interview preparation, gaining recognised qualifications and one-to-one support with backing from Birmingham City Council, Job Centre Plus and the Learning Skills Council. Local access point for the Working Neighbourhoods Fund which offers enhanced support for residents of Nechells. free@last 2 Cattells Grove, Nechells, B7 5RA 0121 327 5959 Free confidential debt and benefit advice. A 12 week back to work programme for young people aged 18-25. Specific support and activities for dads.
free@last has been working in Nechells since 1998. It is run by local people and our focus is purely on the people who live in our community. free@last’s VISION To improve the lives of the children and young people of Nechells. MISSION free@last is committed to providing opportunities, activities, mentoring and support for children and young people in Nechells, and to further their interests by working with their families, other agencies and relevant professionals. VALUES Giving opportunities to all young people in Nechells without distinction. The main priority of free@last is to build positive trusting relationships with local people. Through these friendships people allow us to become involved in their lives and we can provide support for anyone who asks for it. free@last offers a variety of support and projects that provide opportunities for people to come together and learn new skills, have fun and improve their quality of life. Please feel free to drop into the office in Cattells Grove or give us a ring on 0121 327 5959 to see if we can help in anyway.