Ultimate Job Search

Master the Art of Finding Your Ideal Job, Getting an Interview and Networking

Lynn Williams

• Publisher: Kogan Page
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9781398602175
• eBook ISBN: 9781398602182
• Edition: 6
• Topic: Personal Development
• Subtopic: Careers

Finding the right job can be a job in itself - but this one-stop-shop guide will take you through every step. Covering everything from looking for jobs online to making a fantastic impression at interview, Ultimate Job Search is everything the ambitious job hunter needs. Take the stress out of job-seeking with comprehensive advice on:
-Designing your job-search strategy
-Building an online profile
-Writing a stand-out cv/resume
-Sample cover letters to help you sound both authentic and impressive
-Giving a winning interview performance
-Dealing with rejections and offersNow in its 6th edition, Ultimate Job Search now contains new and up-to-date advice on the changing face of technology in job seeking; avoiding scams and other traps; developing resilience; and the future of work. Let this invaluable guide help you on your way to your next dream job. About the Ultimate series...
The Ultimate series contains practical advice on essential job search skills to give you the best chance of getting the job you want. Taking you all the way from starting your job search to completing an interview, it includes guidance on CV or resume and cover letter writing, practice questions for passing aptitude, psychometric and IQ tests, and reliable advice for interviewing.

01

First things first

Applying for a job can seem very daunting, but the actual process can be broken down into several easy stages. To make a good, convincing application, the basic things you have to do are:

1. Find out what skills, qualities and abilities the job requires.
2. Match those skills, qualities and abilities with your own.
3. Prepare examples of how, when and where you have demonstrated them in the past.
4. Present those skills, qualities and abilities clearly and confidently both in writing and verbally.
5. Demonstrate in your presentation, appearance and behaviour the personal qualities required.

Whether you are planning your long-term career, looking for your first job, answering advertised vacancies or applying on spec through your network, the fundamental process is the same. The aim of a job application, from CV to interview, is to convince an employer that you can do the job. If you follow all the steps outlined above, every­one you contact should be able to grasp immediately that you understand exactly what the job requires and that you have the skills, qualities and experience to do it.

Preparing for your job search

To go through these steps requires thought, planning and groundwork. As a bonus, though, the confidence and assurance that you gain from preparing thoroughly will help you enormously, especially when it comes to keeping calm and performing confidently at the interview.

1. Find out what skills, qualities and abilities the job requires

There are several ways of finding out what’s needed in a job, and the more familiar you become with these requirements, the better. Knowledge is power, especially when you are applying for jobs. You can get all the information you need from:

• job advertisements;
• job specifications and descriptions;
• your own knowledge and experience;
• the knowledge and experience of others.

Job advertisements

A well-written job posting will tell you the skills, qualifications and experience needed for the job. Look at a variety of postings for the sort of job you want, online or in newspapers or journals. By studying a number of them, you will get a clearer idea of the standard requirements, and the range of skills and experience required. You will also notice things that are out of the ordinary, and see where your own unique skills and experience can be of use. Look at as many as possible. As you are not at this stage actually applying for them, practical considerations need not count:

• Do a country-wide internet search, don’t just stick to your local area.
• If the site will let you, go back through previous postings.
• Look at company websites ‘Careers with us’ pages.
• Look at job and recruitment sites.

Pick out the significant features. Look for:

• specific skills;
• qualifications and training;
• personal qualities and characteristics;
• knowledge areas;
• areas of experience;
• responsibilities;
• abilities.

Make a list of these key requirements and add any other points. If the ad mentions a company car, for example, assume a full, clean driving licence would be necessary.

Add to the list as you find out more. Put a mark by characteristics that come up frequently: they are important qualities desired by a wide range of employers. This way, you can get a clear, well-rounded picture of the job you want. See page 20 for more advice on job postings.

Job specifications and job descriptions

A job specification is the list of requirements – skills, experience, personal qualities and so on – that define a particular job. It contains much more detail than a job ad, and advertisements are often based on job specifications. Job descriptions are very similar: the terms are often interchangeable, but job descriptions sometimes contain more detail about actual duties and responsibilities.

You can ask companies for copies of job specifications or descriptions, and they can also be accessed from online job search sites and employers’ ­websites.

As with job postings, go through them picking out the significant features to build an even more detailed picture of what the job requires.

Your own knowledge and experience

If you are already doing a similar job, you will have a thorough knowledge of the duties and responsibilities entailed and the skills you need to perform them. Explore your experience, thinking back over what you have done: your everyday duties, the challenges you have faced and what you have achieved. Note down the skills you have developed, and draw up your own job description based on your own know-how.

The knowledge and experience of others

If the job is new to you – it’s your first job or you are planning a career change – talk to people who have some knowledge and experience of it. They will be able to give you lots of information, including the personal angle.

People rarely mind being approached, as long as they have time, and will often be flattered to be asked for their opinion, especially if you make it clear that you are asking for information and advice rather than fishing for a job.

By using the methods above, you can build up a clear, well-rounded picture of what employers are looking for, and what the ideal candidate will have. The next step is to assess how well you fit the picture.

2. Match those skills, qualities and abilities with your own

Make a complete list of what’s required for the job: the skills, qualifications, qualities and characteristics necessary to fulfil the role to perfection. Now look at your own skills and experience. Consider everything that has helped you develop useful attributes, including:

• your current job;
• jobs you have had in the past;
• unpaid positions such as work experience, voluntary work, community work and sports teams;
• hobbies and interests, including travel;
• your personal life.

List the skills, qualifications and experience you have, and match them to the job requirements. See page 19.

What if there are skills and abilities you don’t have?

Check all your experience. Although skills acquired in the workplace are valuable, there is nothing to stop you including anything that has helped you develop the skills required.

Can you offer something similar? Different qualifications or training may cover some of the same ground, or you could offer experience in place of academic qualifications. If your experience is in a different but related field, note down the similarities.

Can training or work experience provide the missing skills? Are you willing to do it in your own time, possibly at your own expense, or is training available in your current position? Could you take on extra responsibilities or duties to give you the experience you need?

What if you have skills or experience that aren’t relevant?

Can you make them relevant? How could they be of use in the job you want to do? Consider thoroughly before discarding them from your CV. They could be ‘added extras’ that make you an attractive candidate. On the other hand, don’t clutter your application with irrelevancies that stop the key points from standing out loud and clear.

3. Prepare examples of how, when and where you have demonstrated them in the past

Study your list of skills and write down details of actual occasions when you have used each one.

It’s vital you write it down. It’s easy to overlook things if you just think to yourself ‘I’ve done this’ or ‘I can do that’....

Table of contents

• Introduction
• 1 First things first
• 2 The highly employable candidate
• 3 Making a start
• 4 The skills they want from everyone
• 5 Your CV
• 6 CV problems
• 7 CVs with special considerations
• 8 CVs for specific jobs
• 9 Application forms
• 10 Covering letters
• 11 Telephone calls
• 12 The job search
• 13 Your online job search
• 14 Job search strategies
• 15 Interviews: making a great impression
• 16 Answering interview questions
• 17 Questions for specific jobs
• 18 Questions for school and college leavers
• 19 Interviews and more
• 20 Offers and rejections
• Index