5 “old school” tips for the under 25’s job hunt

Recent figures have shown that youth unemployment is at an all time high within the UK. Several matters often stand in the way of a young persons’ job hunt. A lot of people nowadays focus their efforts entirely on the internet rather than embracing other methods alongside the world wide web. We’ve put together some old fashioned hints and tips to help encourage your job search…

1. Dedicate more time – Allowing a couple of hours a day looking through job boards whilst checking your Facebook and Twitter at the same time will not suffice. They say the process of finding a job should be the equivalent of having a full time job – so make sure it is!

2. Apply speculatively to companies – Research has found that 80% of vacancies aren’t even advertised. Advertising vacancies can be an expensive process for companies, so if they can avoid it, most will. Send your CV and a tailored covering letter addressed to the person responsible for recruitment. If you can’t find this out from their corporate website, then call the company and ask.

3. Look elsewhere other than the internet – newspapers, industry publications. If you’re a graduate, attend job fairs and network – especially if your job role is quite specialist.

4. Be open minded – Don’t restrict yourself to one industry. Think about transferrable skills. You may not want to work in that specific industry for the rest of your life, but it might well prove to be a stepping stone in your career to the job you’ve always wanted.

5. Offer your skills for free – if you’re not working, then why not volunteer in a local charitable organisation, or within a company that you’ve always wanted to work for? It will provide you with the opportunity to increase your skills offering, and you never know, it could lead to a permanent job offer!

Sometimes, all it takes is a small adjustment to change the whole dimensions – be open to making changes within your job search strategy. Before you know it, you may be the one offering the advice and in the process, you may learn some valuable lessons through doing this.

Managing your social media presence

Recent research has found that 90% of recruiters and hiring managers have looked at a candidate’s social media profile, and almost half have done it after receiving the application, but before initiating a screening conversation. The research also showed that 69% of recruiters have rejected someone based on their social networking profile. The main reasons were because the candidate had lied about their qualifications, posted inappropriate photos or comments, or had negative comment about a previous employer. 68%, however, were reported to have hired someone because of what they’d seen on their profile. This was often due to the candidate’s profile providing a positive impression of personality and organisational fit, it showed the person was creative or it supported qualifications and had good references.

To help avoid being rejected due to your social media presence, we’ve put together some tips…

• Make sure your privacy settings are set to private unless you want everyone and anyone knowing your business – this includes the potential employers!

• When updating your social media platform, think about what you’re posting and how it may be perceived.

• Bear in mind that even if your profile is private, recruiters will still be able to see your profile picture. Offensive photos are often found to be the main reason for a recruiter rejecting a candidate.

• http://www.reppler.com is a free social media monitoring service which helps users manage their online image. In a nutshell, it checks all your social networks and highlights anything that could be considered a potential issue or risk.

How to get a call back...

So, we’ve all been there, you’ve managed to secure an interview for a job and you think it’s gone really well, but you’ve not heard anything when they said they would ‘get back to you within the next few days’. As each day passes you begin doubting how well the interview really went.

Don’t panic! This situation happens to everyone, so just relax and make sure you follow these steps to try avoid these situations as much as possible…

·         Remember that interviewers have very busy schedule – especially when they’re recruiting. If you haven’t heard, chances are there’s not a decision yet.

·         To avoid this, ask at the end of the interview when you’re likely to hear. If they say ‘within the next few days’ then ask when it will be acceptable for you to follow up if you don’t hear by then.

·         Never assume that they’re going to call you back.

·         If you don’t manage to arrange a certain time then follow them up. Be pro-active, and push for a response – but gently.

·         Unfortunately, waiting is part of the job seeking process. It can be frustrating, but being patient is important – just not too patient!

 

What to cover in a letter?

Including a covering letter with your CV can demonstrate motivation, commitment and initiative. A covering letter gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your writing skills, and an extra chance to state why the recruiter should read your CV.

1. Presentation: Make sure the presentation of your covering letter is of the highest standard. Find out who the letter should be addressed to (if there’s no name on the job advert, then make the effort to ring the company and find out their name). Did you know 60% of covering letters and CV’s are addressed to the wrong person? Make sure you’re in the 40% that are right! Also, put the job title and reference number (if there is one) at the top of your letter, and avoid exceeding one page.

2. Content: Focus on the company rather than yourself. Read the advert thoroughly and try to mimic the terminology used within the advert and supporting information (job description and person specification). Make sure you match the aspects they’ve outlined as their ‘needs’ to your skills.

3. Structure: Open your letter by stating why you are writing, identifying the position you’re applying for and how you heard about the position. Next, explain what interests you about the job, and then focus on how their organisation would benefit if they were to employ you. State what strengths (skills and experience) you have and relate them to the job in question. Describe past achievements, relate them to the vacancy. Finally, refer the reader to your enclosed CV for further information and thank them for their time.

4. Detail: Include detail about the company. Show the reader you have done your research on the company, mention some of the organisation’s specific projects in your covering letter. For example, “An aspect of your organisation that really attracted me was the amount of projects you undertake within the community. The ‘EXAMPLE’ project really impressed me; the whole process seemed incredibly well structured with a clear vision. The results within the community are really inspiring. To see an organisation encourage residents to improve their skills and therefore further their prospects to that extent is very rare - and the thought of being involved in such an organisation is something that really appeals to me.”

5. Why you? Throughout the covering letter, you should be answering the question of ‘Why you?’. The whole purpose of the letter is to convince the recruiter that you are the right person for the job, and therefore they should read your CV and invite you for interview. Emphasis your positive assets, past accomplishments and personal qualities – remember to keep it in line with the potential employers needs.

6. Last few pointers: If you are sending the covering letter in physical format, make sure you print on a high quality paper. If, however, you are sending it digitally, include the covering letter in the main body of the e-mail and attach the CV as a document. Finally, get someone to proof read the letter before you send it off. Everyone makes mistakes – better to be safe than sorry!

Good luck!

Making application forms a breeze!

The vast majority of public sector companies ask candidates to complete an application form, rather than submitting a CV. This is primarily for equality and diversity reasons.

The essence of completing any application form is to express that you have the right skills and qualities for the position. They usually feature a range of different questions; from general questions about your personality and hobbies, to ones that focus on your education and past work experience. There will also be competency based questions. To help you tackle these forms in the best way possible, we’ve put together some advice…

1. When answering the more general questions, such as – “What do you do in your spare time?” – think about what the employer is looking for and how what you write may be perceived. For example, “In my spare time, I enjoy playing team sports and regularly play for a five aside football team” would demonstrate to the employer that not only do you work well in teams – but also that you pay attention to your fitness. Healthy staff = higher attendance rates.

Try to avoid phrases such as - “I enjoy socialising with my friends”. Most people do enjoy socialising with their friends, but chances are a recruiter would read through the lines and perceive you as unreliable.

2. Use questions based on education and past experience as an opportunity to highlight skills that you’ve developed as a result of these. For example, communication, time management, and leadership skills. If you lack similar experience, then be sure to indicate these skills as transferable.

3. Competency based questions – a lot of people struggle with competency based questions. People often over analyse the questions and think there is a right or wrong answer. The recruiter wants to see your ability to problem solve and use your initiative. Use this opportunity to show how you have resolved problems and what the experience has taught you. You should structure your answers using the CAR approach – context, action, result. Describe the context of the situation but try not to go into too much unnecessary detail. Focus on the action - what you did and what skills you used. Then explain the outcome, and what you learnt from the experience.

Here are some examples of competency based questions:

• "Please give an example of how you work in a team/how you have dealt with a difficult problem".
• "If your co-worker has missed a deadline, what would you do?".
• “Please describe a situation when you have used your interpersonal skills to help build relationships with others, shared knowledge and information to achieve the business goals.” 

Make sure you use examples, and focus on your own actions rather than that of a team. Use a variety of situations rather than focusing on one area – for example your studies or your previous job positions. Avoid any negativity and use power words such as "succeed", "committed", and "confident". Finally, remember to stay truthful throughout the whole application process.

Good luck!

Housing Jobs provides organisations with the tools to create a discrimination free recruitment process, including the ability to create on-line application forms and restrict viewing. For more information, or if you're a job seeker seeking a role with an organisation that promotes equality and diversity, please visit www.housingjobs.org.uk