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Job Hunting

// February 2nd, 2009 // Personal

One of the main problems with being made redundant is that, eventually, one has to start seeking alternative employment.

This leads to the pain and fear involved in pulling out your CV and dusting it off before having to fill out a raft of applications (the majority of which simply transpose the information from your CV into a format that has no doubt been determined by virtue of some seriously hard work in a HR department somewhere) and then the waiting… oh my goodness the waiting.

Anyway, I’ve got a couple of tips for anyone who’s looking for a job at the moment to hopefully ease the pain:

1. Make sure you have multiple versions of your CV – this may sound like madness to most people but think about the positions you’re applying to. Now think about the work experience you have and the qualifications. Now re work your CV so that the relevant skills and qualifications are given precedence. For example, I’ve applied for both a sys admin position and a developer position. My work experience under the same job is drastically different for each position. The Sys admin application gets a raft of info on my skills in clustering and server admin skills, the development application has much more focus on my development skills. Both receive a footnote about the other skills. Common sense if you look at it this way. Your CV should NEVER just be sat in a folder somewhere. It needs to be tweaked and customised for each and every role you apply for. Oh and save these versions somewhere safe – multiple roles may come up with the same requirements and rather than haveing to start from scratch you can simply start with your “Development” CV and tweak it from there




2. Ensure you have a template for a covering letter and envelopes – again may sound silly but a good template that prints the address in the right place will save you hours of hassle and make it much more likely that you’ll send in that application. Get yourself some window envelopes with auto adhesive. Make it as easy as possible for you to get your CV out there.




3. Get a second number – if, like me, you find yourself jumping at the phone on every ring only to find yourself disappointed by the call from your Mum, school friend or Double Glazing Salesman, grab your self a pay as you go SIM card and a spare mobile – give this number out and you effectively have a hire me hotline that cost you very little. No risk of missed calls and the distinction in ring tones means you’ll be more relaxed when the call does come in.




4. Scan application forms for completing in Word – no one likes hand writing these days and odds are good that your best script is not going to be as good as Arial. So scan in paper application forms, drop them into Word or Photoshop and complete them on the computer. Then print them again and send it in. You can copy and paste from your CV, spell check and correct if needed, and, should the applications “get lost” you can print another in no time.




5. Stick to your working routine – this one is really hard to manage but try and stick to a working week. Monday – Friday make sure you are up and ready to “work” by 08:30, give yourself tasks to complete whether it be applying for positions, chasing applications or even extending your skill base by training online. Work a full day, complete with lunch hour and then finish at 17:30. Don’t let your partner or family nag you into work that you would traditionally have done out of work hours just because “you’re at home with noting to do” you DO have something to do – applying for jobs and this can be a full time occupation in it’s own right. Equally, give your self time at the weekends to relax and unwind – very few companies are going to call you on Saturday morning so use that time to spend with family and loved ones – go for walks, do some exercise and chill out in preparation for the next working week.




6. Don’t hide – we’ve all been there – the no job, little money scenario where it’s tempting to stick your head in a hole fashioned from lie-ins and day time TV. And sure, for a week or so it’s permissible. But then get yourself up, showered and out there, lunch with friends, email, Facebook, do whatever you can to maintain your social network as job opportunity can come from the most surprising people and a personal recommendation is not going to come your way if you’re stuck into the Gilmore Girls every day

I hope this helps someone. If you have any tips for job hunters then please drop them in the comments box below.