Spotting A Job Vacancy

Spotting A Job Vacancy

This guide is one in a series that will help you find a job. It contains information about whereto find out about potential vacancies.Understanding the job marketTrying to find a new job can be both exciting and rewarding. It doesn’t need to be hard work ifyou know where to look and how to go about it. Every day hundreds of new vacanciesbecome available. The trick is to find out what’s on offer and respond quickly.Employers recruit in a number of ways, and you may be surprised to learn that only one thirdof vacancies are ever advertised.

Consequently, to be successful at finding a job that suitsyou, you need to use all of the usual channels but also look at other methods of finding outabout vacancies. Most Jobseekers look at newspaper adverts to find vacancies, so do thisbut also go to your local Jobcentre and register with recruitment agencies.Know what you wantBefore you start looking for a job, take a little time to work out what you want and what youcan do. Consider your skills and experience. Doing this will save you a lot of time when youbegin applying for jobs.Remember, you don’t always see your own strengths. Ask your friends, family and previouswork colleagues what they think your strengths are. Even if you’ve never worked before, youwill have qualities that employers will be looking for.

Make a list of what you want, including:• Location• Full time or part time• Temporary or permanent• Hours• Training or opportunities to progress• PayNext, make a list of your qualities:• Skills• Experience• Strengths• Qualifications• PersonalityEmployers place a great emphasis on personality and attitude. If you’ve got a friendlypersonality and a good attitude to work and responsibility make sure you show it.When you review your lists you may feel you’ve set what you want at a higher level than theskills and experience you’ve currently got. This isn’t a problem. In this case make what youwant your goal and look for jobs that will be the starting point for you to develop theexperience and skills you need to grow your career.Check out the options

Once you have identified the type of job you want the next step is to look for suitablevacancies. Let’s look more closely at the three main routes to a job and then at some of theless well known options:• Newspaper adverts: most newspapers, local or national, have jobs sections. Thedaily papers usually have a special jobs day each week when most of the vacanciesappear. Your newsagents will be able to tell you which days these are. Remember,you don’t have to buy the newspaper as the local library will have a reference copyyou can look through.• Jobcentre: Jobcentres display a wide range of vacancies which are updated daily. Ifyou can it’s worth visiting the Jobcentre everyday so you can respond to opportunitiesas soon as they are displayed.•

Jobseekers Direct: if you find it difficult to get to your local Jobcentre then you canuse the telephone job service line. For the cost of a local call, you can contactJobseekers Direct to find out more about current vacancies. In some cases, theymay be able to arrange an interview for you while you’re on the phone.• Recruitment agencies/consultancies: it is worth registering with recruitmentagencies because they are paid a fee by employers for finding suitable candidates fortheir vacancy. Consequently, the quicker they find you a job they quicker they getpaid. They are also a good place for getting advice on finding a job and they mayhelp you to prepare your CV and with interview techniques. It’s worth knowing thatsome agencies specialise in specific industries or skills. Others are more generalist.Shop around to find an agency that covers the type of vacancies you are interestedin.If you are considering temporary work then compare agencies. The rates they payfor the same type of work may differ. A good agency will give you a fair rate of payand treat you well.

Don’t forget that working as a temp is often the foot in the dooryou need to get a full time job. It gives you a chance to show potential employerswhat you can do, so don’t rule out temporary work.• Careers Advisory Services: If you are 16 -19 the Careers Advisory Services willoffer you advice about your career. They will help you identify the right trainingopportunities and provide plenty of support during your search for a job. Theircontact details are:England• The Internet: there are a number of websites that advertise jobs. On most of theseyou can register your details so that companies can view them when they are lookingfor staff. If you don’t have access to the Internet, you can access it at your localLibrary, usually free of charge or for a small fee. Using the internet is really easy; allyou need to do is type ‘Jobs Nigeria’ into a search engineYou can also look at all of the Jobcentre vacancies on line at www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk. All these websites are updated regularly throughout the day.

In addition to the specialist job and careers websites, many companies advertisevacancies on their own websites. It is worth making a list of companies that mighthave a vacancy that is suitable for you and visiting their websites. If they have a jobssection you could visit the site on a regular basis.• Careers and jobs fairs: an increasing number of job fairs are being held that coverlocal jobs for local people of all ages and skills. Employers, particularly larger ones,attend to promote their companies and find potential workers. On the day you will beable to meet employers and also get specialist advice about finding a job. Someemployers may even take applications on the day. The fairs are usually held in hotelsor recreation centres will be advertised in your local newspapers.•

Networking: tell your friends and relatives that you are looking for a job. They mayhear about job opportunities that you can apply for and may even be willing torecommend you to their employer.• Work experience: joining a work experience programme has its benefits. Not onlywill you be learning or developing your skills, you will also be getting valuableexperience by actually doing the job. It also gives you the opportunity to get your footin the door of a company where you can demonstrate your strengths.•

Teletext: some companies choose to advertise their vacancies on the text services.These are updated throughout the day – the page number you need is:Teletext, page 690 (Channel 4).• Notices in shop windows or notice boards: more and more companies, especiallyretailers, are advertising vacancies in this way. As there is no way of knowing whenthese vacancies will be advertised, it’s just a matter of keeping your eyes open andbeing quick to respond.• Promote yourself: this option involves applying for vacancies that may arise within acompany. The ‘anticipating future vacancies’ guide will give you ideas on howto promote yourself.However, start by identifying 10 companies in your area that employ people in thetype of roles you are looking for. Read local business news to see if you can spotany companies that are expanding or moving into the area. They may have a futurestaff requirement so write to these companies, introduce yourself and ask to beconsidered for any vacancies they may have. Attach your CV to the letter; there is aguide in this series that can help you prepare one.It’s always a good idea to phone the company to check if they have received yourdetails. If they have no vacancies available ask them to keep your details on file sothat you can be considered in the future.

Finally, keep records of who you have contacted and their response. If you dohappen to see them advertising a vacancy in the future that may suit you, call thecompany and remind them they have your details.The purpose of this guide was to help you identify the best routes to finding a job.Points to remember:• Understand the job market: only one third of vacancies are ever advertised.• Know what you want: make a list of what you are looking for and match jobvacancies against it.• Know your strengths: list your strengths, skills, experience and qualifications andmatch them against what the employer is looking for.• Use the channels: only one third of vacancies are ever advertised so use all theoptions available to improve your chances of getting a job.• Promote yourself: send your details to companies and ask them to keep them on fileuntil they have a vacancy that you could fill.