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Starting the Jobseeking Process
Employment in the UK remains high, but jobhunting can still be a tough process. Jobsite finds out how jobseekers can boost their chances of success.
With around one in five UK employees actively jobhunting, there’s plenty of competition if you’re looking for work. But what is it that makes some jobseekers find work quickly, while others jobhunt with little success? Experts suggest highly successful jobseekers tend to have a very clear idea of the sectors and roles that interest them, and also use statistically more effective methods to hunt for jobs.
According to figures from Badenoch & Clark, 20% of UK employees are jobhunting at present. It’s a competitive climate, and more than ever before jobseekers need to show employers they’ll be with a company for the long-haul – which means showing a strong interest in a particular line of work.
“When I take on new employees, the number one thing I look for is whether they have a personal interest in the role – above and beyond location or making money,” says Jane Grey, a recruiter for a UK banking chain. “If it’s clear to me they’ll enjoy what they’re doing, then I’m much more assured they won’t leave the organisation after six months for a totally different job.”
Adrian Beddow, spokesperson for Learn Direct, agrees: “We find people are more successful in their jobhunt if they aim for something they’re interested in. Part of our aim at Learn Direct is to identify this interest.” According to Beddow, jobhunters who’ve already completed training or have already gained skills with a previous or current employer needn’t necessarily be bound to those experiences. “People can always retrain for new skills. Being interested in a career path is much more important. However, jobseekers should carry out research to gain an awareness of the competitiveness of the specific role they’re aiming for in the area of the country they want to work. If there are few positions and lots of competition, jobseekers might want to consider similar, related positions as a way to side-step into the industry they’re interested in.”
Jobsite partners with companies that offer online training in a number of areas, including IT.
How can jobseekers pinpoint their key career interests? “Taking the time to think things over is important,” says Beddow. “Learn Direct offer free-of-charge advice, and will talk to jobseekers for anything between 15 minutes and an hour. Also, talking through your ideas with friends & family is a good idea, as is simply taking time out to think over the things you’ve always been interested in.”
You can also invest in one-on-one careers advice with a professional careers coach, who can use a number of methods, including personality testing, to determine the sectors and roles that might suit your personality.
Successful jobhunters are clear about the work they’re interested in, but they also know how to look for that work. Some jobhunting methods are much more effective than others. According to Richard N. Bolles in his best-selling jobhunting book: What Colour is Your Parachute? the most statistically successful way to jobhunt is to ask for job leads from friends, family, people in your community and staff at careers centres. The second most successful jobhunting method is to cold call employers of interest and ask about possible vacancies. But whatever you do, try to avoid the common route of replying to job advertisements in local newspapers or professional trade publications. Bolles’s research indicates these methods of jobhunting have around a 7% success rate: so for every hundred jobseekers, only seven will win work through this method. Jobhunt using this method and you’ll be pitting yourself against the maximum amount of competition and significantly lowering your odds of winning an interview.
“I spent two years applying for job after job,” says Alan Beck, a trainee accountant in London. “I applied for a number of graduate training schemes and trundled through the applications, and sometimes the interview process, but I didn’t win work and I was starting to think it was impossible. Then a friend of mine let me know there were trainee vacancies coming up at her company. Because of that tip off, I applied early and was one of the first to be interviewed. Also, because there was someone at the organisation who was a friend and could verify that I was a trustworthy employee I think this swung things for me. I won the position, and I’m still there today.”
When you’ve found your ideal position, read Jobsite’s advice about writing your CV and covering letter, and success at interview.
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