Job search advice
How To Find A Job
Starting the search for a new job can be daunting. Here are some practical suggestions on how to begin your job search and maximize the chances of finding your next dream role.
Register with Connect Recruitment
Registering with Connect Recruitment service allows you to receive relevant jobs via email as soon as they are available.
Search the Internet
General Job Boards such as Seek and Trade me allows you to search through hundreds of roles by industry, location, salary and/or job type. You can also register with these sites to receive free daily emails full of potential jobs that match your specified criteria.
Scan Newspapers
Although a more traditional way to find a job, national and regional based newspapers are still a good source of advertised vacancies. They are also an excellent resource for finding out news and information about your preferred companies, as well as industry trends and developments.
Use Your Existing Networks
One of the best resources available to a job seeker is the people they know. When you are looking for a job, you should let the people around you know you are on the market looking for work. Speak to people such as friends and family, colleagues, past co-workers and bosses. Tell them about your qualifications and the type of job you are looking for.
Some ideas for key questions you can ask are:
- Do you know how I can begin working in x company?
- Can you recommend people for me to talk to?
- Do you know of anyone who employs people with skills like mine?
You may want to pass on your CV as a reference or direct them to your profile on your LinkedIn site if you have a profile set up. If you do not have one set up I suggest you get one as it is an excellent networking website.
Finding Your Ideal Job
Taking the time to match your skills, personality and aspirations to a potential job is crucial in finding a role that will suit you. Working in a job you love greatly increases your chances of long-term career success and satisfaction, so it’s important to make the right decision.
Consider the following key factors when deciding if a job will suit you.
Your Personality and Skills
Your job should be compatible with your attitude, beliefs and personality. It should make use of your key strengths and abilities, but also give you the opportunity to gain new skills and knowledge in the areas you want to develop. If the job suits you, the work will be likely to interest and stimulate you over the next few years.
Salary and Conditions
The salary should provide fair compensation for your skills and experience. Find out how performance is measured and how often it is reviewed. It’s also important to ensure that company policies align with the conditions that are important to you, such as leave provisions and flexible working arrangements.
Company Profile and Culture
For a job to suit you, the company values must align with your own. Find out the quality of leadership, and the company’s financial position and plans for the future. Ask if you will be required to work autonomously or closely within a team and decide if this style of working suits you.
Career Progression
A key indicator of job satisfaction is the opportunity for growth. Ensure the job has clear prospects for career development. You can do this by asking if the employer provides a professional training and development program.
For more advice on deciding if a job will suit you, speak to your Connect Recruitment consultant. Their detailed business knowledge will help you determine if the role/company is the right fit for you and a positive step in your career progression.
Creating a Career Plan
Career planning is essential to achieving success in your chosen career. Whether you are aiming to be a bookkeeper in a small business or the finance director of a multi-national corporation, you must know in which direction you are headed and what is required of you to achieve your goal.
Plans are formulated on a regular basis to control direction, make the best use of resources and measure progress or results.
Think of your career plan along the lines of a business plan. The key issues to cover are:
- What are my long-term career objectives?
- What will I want to get out of my job in the next five years or so?
- Do I need to study? If so, what for?
- What are my individual priorities?
A succinct, detailed career plan is one of the most useful tools you can use to identify where you are now, where you want to be, and how to get there. Here are five key steps to help you create your own career plan.
Step 1: Self Evaluation
To discover what you really want to do, try answering these fundamental questions about your personality, preferences and values in your career plan:
- What motivates me and what do I enjoy doing?
- What are my personal attributes and lifestyle priorities?
- What do my family and friends see as my strengths and weaknesses?
- What are the five key things I am looking for in a job?
Step 2: Skills Analysis
As well as your personal preferences, your existing skills are an important indicator of the direction in which you could head. Reflect on your skill set with the following questions:
- What qualifications and experience do I have?
- What are my key strengths, transferable skills and specific skills?
- What are my biggest achievements to date?
- What are my weaknesses and areas for development?
Step 3: Setting Your Direction
Based on your key interests, attributes, skills and experience, you can now start to formulate ideas on the type of roles/industries that will suit you best. Try brainstorming as part of your career plan:
- The broad industries that really appeal to you
- The types of roles that would suit you best
- How these options match your personal preferences
- Key skills that may need development
Step 4: Committing to a Timeframe
Now that you have an idea of where you want to go, it’s time to work out how you can get there. Ask yourself the following questions to help break down your goals into smaller, more manageable milestones for your career plan:
- What do I want to achieve within the next six, twelve, eighteen months?
- How and when will I achieve my training and education goals?
- How and when will I gain the additional skills and experience I need?
- How can I expand my network, and by when?
Step 5: Review Your Career Plan
Having established your goals and how to achieve them, you will now have a clear pathway in which to head. It’s important to monitor the progress of your career plan at least every six months, to ensure that you are on track to meet your goals. Re-evaluating your career plan and goals allows you to make adjustments based on changing economic and personal circumstances.