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Searching for a Job

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Tests & What to Expect

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Additional Interview Stages

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Selling Yourself on Paper

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Interviews

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The Offer Process

When searching for a Job, where to begin?

Whatever the reason you’re thinking about a new job, there are certain things every jobseeker should be doing. Whether you’re currently unemployed and very proactive with your job search or simply want to see what job opportunities are out there, follow our definitive guide to job searching and you’ll be well on your way to a great new career.

Recruitment Agencies

Look online to find either local or national recruitment agencies which specialise or deal with the kinds of jobs you’re looking for. Registration is usually a very simple process which consists of sending a copy of your CV by email. Then these recruitment consultants will phone you for further information or ask you to visit their offices so they can meet you in person.

Most agencies will always register you whether they have a live role or not if you are relevant to their specialism. If you apply for a job online sometimes you may not hear back from agency due to the sheer number of applications some jobs can receive.

If an agency does have a relevant position they will register you, meet face to face if possible and send you as a part of their process and support you through the stages you are selected for.

Online job boards

Type your desired job title, industry or discipline into an internet search engine and you will usually be presented with a seemingly endless list of job boards offering the kind of jobs you’re looking for. Some of these will be ‘generalist’ boards which display jobs from all sectors & employers. You will probably also come across ‘niche’ job boards which will only deal with vacancies in a particular sector e.g. Property or discipline e.g. Marketing. It’s worth looking at both to make sure you don’t miss a great opportunity.

You can browse jobs on these websites & apply directly by uploading your CV and contact details. It’s also worth registering with job boards where you’ve found good job leads. Once registered, most websites will allow you to save your job searches and set up jobs by email, whereby you will receive an email containing relevant jobs directly to your inbox, as often as you like. In this way you can be among the first to apply for new vacancies posted on these websites.

Networking Events

Conferences and networking events are a great way of meeting like minded individuals within your industry and picking up on job leads through word of mouth. If you’ve recently been made redundant or are unemployed, such events are also a good way of boosting your confidence, maintaining links with the industry and making new contacts. These days there are networking events for almost every industry and these are generally held several times a year.

Social Networking

All employers and recruiters now use social media as a means of reaching out to jobseekers. For the purposes of job searching, LinkedIn is the most valuable social network. It’s quick and easy to set up a profile on LinkedIn – you don’t need to be a computer whizz! Having a complete LinkedIn profile with keywords relevant to your job discipline and industry increases your chances of being headhunted by recruiters. It’s also beneficial to add your contact details like email address and phone number.

Twitter and Facebook can also be used for picking up job leads. Identify companies you would like to work for and ‘Like’ or ‘Follow’ their company pages on these networks as most companies will post new job vacancies in their news feed. However, caution must be exercised in relation to Facebook and Twitter. If you have a profile on either of these sites, recruiters can find out a lot about you online before they have even spoken to you and you don’t want their first impression of you to be negative. Ensure that you apply top level privacy settings to your profile so that only those people you’re connected to can see your posts and information.

Redundancy & how to bounce back

Redundancy can be seen as a challenge or an opportunity. It might be a tough blow but real positives can be taken from the situation.

Redundancy: Opening the door to new opportunities

Redundancies have become increasingly common in today’s unpredictable economic climate. It usually has very little to do with inadequate job performance and more to do with the financial decisions made by the board of an organisation. As difficult as it may seem, the best thing to do at the time is to treat the situation as an opportunity and maintain a positive outlook as best you can. Do not worry about employers being cynical to hiring someone who has been made redundant.

It’s important to remain motivated and use your free time wisely while you are unemployed or working out your notice. Put out a plan to obtain training or courses to develop your skills, knowledge and expertise. It is a constructive way to use your time and can be relatively inexpensive. You can contact your council and request details on courses which could augment your work experience and skills. Employers and recruiters will never judge you for being made redundant if you have a positive show of constructive use of time since leaving your last role.

Networking is essential. Always maintain a positive approach and get yourself in front of employers and networks. Aim to build internal and external contacts to progress your career.

Your Employer’s Responsibilities

If your employer makes your job role redundant, they have certain responsibilities to you as an employee and it’s important that you’re aware of these. If you are working out your notice, they should grant you time off (within reason) for job interviews and should be flexible if you’re lucky enough to land a new job before the end of your notice period. They should also perform all the expected duties of a previous employer such as supplying employment references as requested.

If you experience problems during the redundancy process, try to resolve these with your employer in the first instance. It is a good practice to keep a paper trail of issues. Hence, submit your requests in writing & also ask for a written response. If you feel your employer is treating you unfairly or isn’t carrying out their responsibilities then speak to your trade union representative or contact the Citizen’s Advice Bureau on 08444 111 444.

Try looking through our Career Advice section for tips on your job search.

Changing career direction

Are you stuck in a job that isn’t for you?

Making a career change is a significant move. If you feel that you are getting to a point where you are considering a change of career, here are tips from our recruiters at Quest.

You can start by making a list of all the things you like and dislike about your current role. Then, work on selecting the ones that are specific to the company you currently work for and the ones which could be improved by a change of sector. You will probably find that the former list will be longer – in this instance it’s worth looking for new jobs within the same discipline and sector. But, if you find that the latter list is longer, it might be time to explore new opportunities in a broader sense.

Many skills and disciplines are transferable between sectors but ask yourself why you want to make the switch before you do so. If you’re looking to change job discipline i.e. from Sales to Marketing, be prepared that in order to make the move you might have to take a step down either in terms of responsibility or salary.

If you do make the decision to switch sectors, try not to fixate on any one in particular. You stand a better chance of finding a new role if you keep your search quite broad in the first stages.

Talk to a recruitment agency to discuss options for a career move, as they will give you honest and impartial advice on what types of roles would suit your experience.

Quest’s recruitment consultants have vast experience within Retail, FMCG, Fashion, Digital and Hospitality sectors. Feel free to contact us anytime at our Dubai or London office!