How Are You Looking for Work?

How Are You Looking for Work?

Looking for a job is similar to driving a car. If you haven't done it for a while it is very easy to forget how to actually do it and how to notice when you are doing something wrong. With more people looking for jobs than there are jobs available and competition being tougher than it has ever been before, many of us are finding it extremely difficult to even figure out where to begin looking for suitable jobs. Today we will look at 5 of the best ways to look for work and give you some tips to maximise your opportunities through them.

Network Online

One of the best ways to look for work these days is to network online. There are many websites and agencies out there who are solely focused on finding the best jobs available and advertising them. Websites like Reed and Monster have a proven track record when it comes to successfully finding people jobs. All you need to do is upload your CV to their database and if any applicable jobs come up, you can send off a CV or the agency may do so on your behalf. Social media is another avenue to try within this point. Why not look into the many benefits of creating a LinkedIn account if you haven't got one already? (MAYUR'S LINKEDIN ARTICLE HASN'T BEEN PUBLISHED YET SO I CAN'T LINK IT ATM)

Ask Friends and Family

Sometimes it isn't what you know, but who you know that is the deciding factor between landing a job or not. Speak with your friends and family. Let them know you are looking for work in a specific field and ask them to contact you if they hear of anything being available. Many companies have an in-house policy with which they operate where vacancies can be advertised to employees' friends and family before they will think about advertising them to the greater world. A good amount of these jobs do not even end up being advertised as they are filled through recommendations and suggestions by current employees who can vouch for someone looking for work.

Go in Person

Although many jobs are advertised online or through word of mouth, there are still those which are being advertised exclusively within the place where the job is located. 'Help Wanted' window signs are still very much popular in the retail and customer service industries, and due to the large volume of applications that people receive online, some places prefer to advertise their jobs on a smaller scale. Visit local shops and keep an eye out for any vacancies that you may see in windows or on notice boards.

Call in Advance

Depending on your desired sector, it may be possible to call up companies or agencies and ask for information on potential vacancies over the phone. One of the benefits of calling up agencies and seeing if they have any fresh vacancies is that you may be able to get first pick on a new job that they have yet to put up online. Doing this will save you having to go down in person and potentially have a wasted journey. They will also appreciate your eagerness with this method and may potentially go out of their way to call you if they find something suitable.

Send off Some CV's

If it isn't broken don't fix it, and there is nothing broken at all with the good old fashioned method of sending off a CV or two (or twenty) to some companies. Find out some email addresses of managers/high profile people within a specific company and send them an email with your CV attached. You can also do the same thing but with postal addresses. Find the details of the company, print off your CV and send it to them in the post. Maybe they don't have any vacancies at the moment and will keep your information on file, maybe they do have some vacancies and will forward your details for consideration? You won't know until you try. By following these simple but effective tips you should find that your methods of looking for work greatly increase and therefore your potential chances of landing a job will increase as well.