The job market is not exactly rich with options for young people at the moment. This is a direct result of the widespread cuts that are affecting all kinds of industries. Young people are finding it harder to get into the jobs they want to be in and many are struggling for employment of any kind.
As a result, there are plenty of people out there working part time jobs to bring in a bit of money because full time work is hard to come by. If you find that you’ve got a lot of time on your hands because you can’t get as many hours at work as you would like, then you need a suitable distraction and surely the best distractions are those that give you a chance of winning some money.
If you play tombola bingo in your spare time then you can get involved in free games with cash prizes. Any winnings is a real bonus when you’re short of a bit of cash and you can enter games for larger jackpots whenever you feel lady luck smiling down on you. Here are some more important things that you should keep in your mind if you are really serious about earning extra money.
The following things need to be considered:
Tailoring your C.V.
When you’re looking for a new job, the most important thing you need to ensure is that your C.V. is up to scratch.
If your C.V. is in need of a serious overhaul, it’s always a good idea to get a professional to take a look at it to make sure that it portrays you and your skills in the best light possible.
However, if you find yourself applying for several different jobs, simply sending the same C.V. out just won’t cut it, and you should make slight tweaks to your C.V. depending on the skills and requirements of the specific role for which you are applying.
Making these tweaks shouldn’t take up a great deal of your time, and could make all the difference between a successful and unsuccessful application.
Are recruitment agencies worth your time?
When you’re desperately seeking a new job, exploring all of the options which are available to you is vital, and you can’t fail to have noticed the scores of recruitment agencies which are around at the moment.
For many, recruitment agencies are a little like marmite- you either love them or hate them, and if you’ve had a bad experience with an agency in the past, it may have deterred you from venturing down that avenue again.
There are some extremely good agencies around though, and provided you and the agency have a very clear idea of what you expect from each other, they could be your route to your dream job.
Conducting some online research and looking at reviews before signing with an agency can help you to avoid a bad experience.
Signs that you could be ready for a change of career
Many of us dread the alarm going off on a Monday morning, and whilst the prospect of a long and busy week ahead can be a little depressing- especially after a particularly fun weekend- if you find yourself dreading work on a daily basis, it could be time to move on.
If you feel that your job is having a negative impact on the rest of your life, job hunting should be high on your agenda, as there really is nothing to be gained from sticking things out and making yourself more miserable.
Another sign that your current job might not be for you is if you can’t see a future with the company and you don’t see any room for career progression.
Make online job hunting your only choice
With the internet such an integral part of everyday life, it comes as no surprise that many people who are seeking new employment solely use the internet rather than using ‘traditional’ mediums such as newspapers or the local job center
Taking a trip to the job center can be very inconvenient, and the choice and caliber of jobs on offer is often very limited. Forking out on costly newspapers is also not a viable option for many people.
However, with the internet, everything you need to conduct a thorough job search is accessible at just the click of a mouse, and you can browse through jobs at your own leisure and from the comfort of your own armchair.
It’s no surprise then that online job hunting is fast becoming the only choice for so many jobseekers today.
Don’t rush into your next career move
There are times when we all feel that a change of career might be in our best interests- particularly on a Monday morning- but it’s extremely important not to make a rash decision when it comes to your future.
With unemployment figures still at an all-time high in many areas of the UK, it’s fair to say that the job market isn’t exactly booming at the moment, and making a spur of the moment decision to hand in your notice and head for pastures new could be a decision which you later come to regret.
Take the time to thoroughly assess your financial situation, skills and career aspirations, and however unsatisfied you may feel in your current role, don’t feel that you have to hurry.
How networking can advance your career
You may not realize it yet, but there’s more ways to get the job of your dreams than just doing a good interview.
The thing to understand is that while networking on its own may not get you a job, it can introduce you to crucial job opportunities you might have missed on the standard job-seeking route. This is because networking is a way of making valuable contacts in your chosen industry, which also has other career-growing benefits. It can, for example:
- Help you advance up the career ladder if you already have a job
• Improve your job performance (in terms of being more prepared for projects and meetings with clients)
• Help you understand more about the industry you work in
How to network
The first thing to remember with networking is that everyone you meet has the potential to be a valuable career contact, from colleagues and clients to family members and friends of friends. To be prepared for any networking opportunity, consider getting some business cards and carrying them with you at all times.
Once you’ve started meeting people, it is also important to maintain your network of contacts. Although this may take up some of your time, it will help you to understand the usefulness of the people you know and ultimately help you progress in your chosen career.
CV Summary – like the back of a book
Your summary should be perfect. It is a very important part of your CV – the personal summary. This is a brief description at the top of your CV that succinctly outlines you, your skills and your experience. For example, this might say:
I am an experienced retail salesperson with a history of operating successfully in busy High Street stores. I combine a friendly and welcoming approach with customers with a fastidious approach to stock control.
This operates in a similar way to the summary that you find on the back of a book. A brief few words that tries to encapsulate something much more complex, but at the same time trying to catch the reader’s eye. If an employer is trawling through several dozen CVs, the summary could be the one thing that gets you into the interview!
Lies, Wrong Information or Statistics
Avoid lies and false information.
Recent information shows that the unemployment figures are at last starting to show signs of leveling out. In fact, this goes against projections from the beginning of the year that predicted almost half a million more people being out of work than there actually are.
Although this still makes grim reading, it does indicate that the increase in numbers of unemployed is starting to slow. When combined with the recent news that the UK has finally come out of recession, things could be starting to look up for the UK jobs market.
The Importance of Being Earnest
To understand this even more, Let us consider the following example:
I was recently having a drink with a friend when he told me that he had recently started in a new job. I was delighted for him, until he told me that he might be out on his ear within a few weeks of starting. The problem was that my friend was desperate to land a job in a career that required experience. Of course, this did not stop him, and when asked in the interview what experience he had, he launched into a well-practiced lie regarding his experience.
Now six weeks into the new role, one thing is becoming increasingly clear. My friend is way out of this depth. Questions are being asked and problems are starting to mount. The moral of this tale is this….don’t lie! Everyone tends to exaggerate achievements and experience when applying for a role, but watch you don’t land yourself in it.
You need to stop lying and be earnest and modest in your behavior. This grooms up your personality and makes your job hunting procedure way easier than before.
Having a look at the above mentioned ways, you can have a better job and can impress the recruiters in a better way.
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