Close  

Are you 13-19? If so, Connexions Direct can offer you the information and advice you need to make the decisions and choices to further your career and lifestyle. Including advice on education, careers, housing, money, health and relationships. You can chat online or call a Connexions Advisor.

Web link Connexions-Direct Website

 Close.

Close  

This can often seem a daunting task, however if you have promoted yourself well, know what you are looking for and are ready to go it is actually very easy - the main key is to ensure your search is relevant and you track potential jobs, jobs applied for etc.


Traditionally local and national newspapers were the primary source for jobs - these are still a viable option however there is a time and a cost without guaranteeing a result. Do not dismiss the sort of localised advertising you get in your area - for example I got my first job from a card in a newsagents window, within 8 months of starting I was managing my own clients with budgets of over £1 million - the only hint with answering this sort of advertising is make sure you do your research on the company first.


Networking with your friends and family is often the best route in getting a job as you will be put forward with a recommendation straight off.


Recruitment Agents have the benefit of paying clients (employers) at their fingertips, however you are obliged to visit their offices, take tests and go through an interview before you will be considered for any role they may have. This process can take up to 2 hours and when registering with a number of agencies can be repetitive and very time consuming - particularly if you are working full time. A further point to consider is the amount they charge their clients (not only introduction fees but a cap off either the annual amount you get paid or your hourly rate), having a middle man could mean you are losing out on your earning potential.


The internet has superseded all the traditional forms of job searching, however with over 4 million listings when you type in "job" to google, it can be like finding a needle in a haystack. You can narrow this down by doing a role or / and industry specific job board search registering your CV with them and searching the jobs they have online. The only down side with this is that often advertised jobs will be via agencies and you will still be obliged to go the agency's office take the tests again and do the interview again before getting in front of an employer.


Utlimately don't put all your eggs in one basket, be open minded but specific with your search - remember our motto "effective...efficient...employment".


Assist UK provides a unique online solution that puts you in direct contact with your future employer at no cost.

Web link Assist Community

 Close.

Close  

One of the hardest things when job searching is actually knowing where you want to go now. Learn Direct provide a free advisory service to help point you in the right direction.

Web link Learn Direct

 Close.

Close  

If you want to get seen you need to promote yourself and be open to all the opportunities out there.

Firstly it is important to consider how you are viewed in your immediate network of friends, colleagues and family - when did you last contact some of them, when did you last help them out i.e. moving house or a chat over a coffee. Put yourself out for others and you will build the right reputation and open doors to other people who can help you when you need it.

Most of us are on a social networking site nowadays - independant of what we think of them they can be both a hindrance and a help to promoting ourselves. Potential employers can search for you online, what content is there about you? On the flip side you can use these networking tools to promote your skills, character and goals whilst building up a huge network of contacts, here at Assist our online discussion forum gives you the chance to do this, another site to consider is LinkedIn which is a professional networking environment with more than 20 million members. Make use of these tools.

Web link LinkedIn

 Close.

Close  

The interview is your chance to promote yourself on a face to face basis, after your application has caught their attention. Naturally interviews can be a nervous experience, nerves are a good thing - it means you are bothered about getting this job, here are a few basic tips to help you on your way:

Try to remain as calm as possible, be prepared and know how the interview will be structured (i.e. whether you have to do any tests before or after the actual interview) this will ensure you don't have any nasty surprises. If you fidget when nervous, clasp your hands in front of you - if you sit on your hands it will look like you are still at primary school. Avoid the likes of caffiene which will increase your sense of nerves and not calm you.

As obvious as this may be - turn up to your interview on time plan your journey - do a run through if you have to, and give yourself some contingency time, arrive 5 - 10 minutes beforehand, this also has the added advantage of giving you time to accustom yourself to the environment.

Don't smoke before the interview or eat anything which is likely to strongly smell (garlic) - you want the interviewer to be interested in you and your skills not to be distracted by smells (that includes strong perfumes or colognes)

Dress appropriately, this includes being conservative with your suit choice (no mini-skirts or shorts please), limit the jewellry, ensure hair is well groomed, nails are not grubby, too long or chewed! If you are unsure of the appropriate dress code call the HR department and ask.

Always take copies of your CVs and any further supporting documents. When you meet your interviewer make eye contact (not aggressively though) and have a firm and brief handshake - don't turn it into a muscle man competition, or offer up a wet fish, or shake it like a polaroid picture for 3 minutes!

Take a seat when it is offered to you, sit upright and keep them engaged, this includes holding your head up, remember to clasp your hands if you fidget - naturally most of us gesticulate when talking, this is fine provided it doesn't look like you are orchestrating a Bach Symphony.

When answering questions, avoid yes and no answers, do not criticise old employers, work practices or competitors - you are not a politician, you are here to promote yourself not belittle others. Be professional in your answers but not too stiff upper lipped as they want to know about you, it is good to be able to show them you have a sense of humour and that you can communicate with humans as well as computers. Our below link provides you with some common interview questions.

If succesful you will be invited back for a further interview and if successful from there the job offer. After the first interview follow up with a letter or email to your interviewer saying thank you - pleasure to meet you and look forward to hearing from you - again this just puts you at the forefront of their mind. If you are unsuccesful still write a letter or email expressing thanks, your regrets in not getting the job, ask if they could advise you on how to improve and for them to consider you for the future - you may be pleasantly surprised.

Finally - make sure you go to the loo before going in for the interview!

Web link Common Interview Questions

 Close.

Close  

Psychometric tests are quite common for recruiting purposes and not just as a personnel development tool. It is likely that you will come across these in your job search (agencies commonly use them). Practice Tests give you an overview of what psychometric testing entails and some practice tests which you can take and save the results to produce to potential employers. Although they may not accept the results you provide (as they may want to see it adjudicated objectively) it shows pro-activity and intuition.

Web link Psychometric Tests

 Close.

Close  

You can get free CV's from thousands of online sites, build your own, different tips and advice, format styles and more it can make your head spin. It doesn't need to be complicated, keep it simple.

As a first step remember that this is your advertising tool, like a banner or a newspaper advert this is your way of selling yourself. Be individual (basically be yourself because you are individual) and focus on who your audience is. These CV templates from cvtips.com are for guidance only, copying and pasting and filling in the gaps of a standard template will not necessarily make you stand out from the crowd!

When job hunting look at drawing up a selection of CVs.
The full generic CV
The one page snapshot CV
The employer specific CV
The alternative CV (this could be in the form of audio, powerpoint or even video)

Make sure you double, no, triple check and get someone else to check the grammar, spellings and consistent layout of your CV. The following sub-headings should be included in your CV:
Personal information
Education and Training
Work Experience (or any other projects undertaken that would enhance your application i.e. travelling)
Employment History (ensure this is sequential and chronological)
Hobbies or/and Interests
References (this can be in the form of an open CV - i.e. a photocopy attached to your CV, or a closed CV where you provide the name and contact details of your referer on your CV for your potential employer to contact directly)

When submitting your CV concentrate on presentation, maybe look at getting it bound or laminated use a good quality paper, an old friend of mine chose some paper that was just a little wider than normal A4 so when piled on the employers desk it stood out! If posting always send first class, faxing (unless requested) isn't recommended as you lose the quality of the CV. Often applications are online - in which case fill in the gaps on the form by copying and pasting from your CV, or email across as an attachment (make sure the file is compatible, it will look particularly good if you can PDF the document.) Follow up with a phone call, this shows an efficiency and desire for the job, so if your CV was posted follow up 2 - 3 days later, if emailed call the next working day, just another technique to help you stand out.

However you submit the CV, do so with a covering letter. Keep this short, accurate and direct, look for the one line clincher which will make them want to read your CV, and make sure the letter is laid out correctly (www.letterwritingguide.com can help you with this.)

Feel free to discuss your queries, thoughts, suggestions on CV writing and applications in our forum.

Web link CV templates (cvtips.com)

Web link Letter Writing Guide

 Close.