Taking the pain out of your job search – Top 5 job search tips from Job Shop South West
We know that searching and applying for a new position can be stressful – there’s that lack of being in control – often feeling that your future is perhaps in the lap of the gods.
The process can sometimes feel like an emotional roller coaster, whether you are new to the world of work or not. In fact, there’s a school of thought that suggests that stress comes from a lack of confidence, often fueled by lack of practice.
The theory goes that, ironically, the more successful someone is the less frequent they tend to either need or want to find a new position – therefore, they might not be very effective at managing their search.
At Somerset Jobs we know there are many candidates who are suffering from job search anxiety, so we though it wise to put together our top tips – all of which we hope you’ll find helpful and simple to implement.
1. Spend some quiet and focused time thinking and taking stock.
It sounds simple enough, but it’s always wise to take a pause and really drill down to what you are actually looking for – we often hear the phrase ‘I’m after a change’ – but what does that really mean for you?
- Have a think about the ideal employer: what sector are they in, what size of company are they, what will they offer, and where are they based?
- Where do you want to fit into a company’s hierarchy: part of a team, a team leader, managing and training others?
- What are the personal skills you’d like to use in a new role and what are you looking to learn and develop in your new job?
2. Use the information you’ve gathered above to fuel your search.
Once you’ve got a clearer idea of the end destination, put together your own set of keywords that you can use to search online and on social media.
Minimising search frustration was one of our key motivators when we were developing the Somerset Jobs website, so take a look at the left-hand side of our job search page, and see all the different ways you can filter what’s available – including a handy keyword search option.
To make sure you never miss that perfect job, we also have a job alert function where you’ll receive a notification when we list a new opportunity that matches your criteria.
“I like the Somerset Jobs homepage layout, it is easy to navigate and I like the job hunter’s vs employer’s menu at the top. The filter options are very handy with options I haven’t seen before”
3. Use the power of a broad search
A broad search doesn’t mean spending hour upon hour trawling the internet – rather, it’s always useful to make sure that you are using a variety of methods. We all live on Google for so much these days, but don’t limit yourself to using the online job boards and sites in isolation.
There are lots of other places to search – job clubs, social media, facebook groups, virtual and in person job fairs to name but a few.
At Somerset Jobs, we are part of a dedicated network, focused on getting you that new opportunity. With contacts in a wide range of recruitment industry firms and organisations, we work hard to ensure our events details are up to date and easy to locate, and clickable from our website homepage. So, whether it’s recruitment open days, online events, careers and jobs fairs or opportunities to upskill and develop your competencies, keep an eye on our events calendar to see what is happening locally to help you.
“Wonderful to see a website dedicated to local employment opportunities. It looks professional and easy to navigate. Very useful to list upcoming career events – I like the calendar view option of this as well.”
4. Use the power of your network
It may seem obvious, but we do only have one pair of eyes and ears ourselves – so, it’s always worth making sure you are using the help of friends and family, neighbours, and your contacts on social media to help you find that ideal position. Avoid those well-meaning, but fruitless suggestions by sharing your search criteria with them, and keep them up to date on your progress – if nothing else, job search anxiety is lessened by having people rooting for you.
5. Build a new network
Particularly in the post-pandemic landscape, we all know others who are looking for their next job opportunity at the same time as us. Connect with them and keep each other up to speed on the latest news. Know what they are looking for and make sure they understand your needs and desires too.
Peer support is a great way of reducing the stress around searching and applying for work, and the power of having people to ride with you on the roller coaster shouldn’t be under-estimated either.
Use platforms such as LinkedIn to seek out people who work at some of your ideal companies or in your preferred industries – could they offer advice, support, or help to signpost others?
Make use of the new #opentowork feature on your LinkedIn profile, which is a great way to increase your visibility and connect with like minds – and if you would benefit from some support in polishing your profile, search youtube for some great tips and suggestions.
Finally – if you are looking for support, and really would benefit from a friendly conversation, please do get in touch with us direct – we are here to help!
“Somerset Jobs have been very friendly and approachable and incredibly helpful. Thank you!”