Ideas on finding new employment

Finding a new position is not always that easy, whether you are a high-flying executive or just starting out in your career.

Here are some ideas of how to find a new job:

1. Word of mouth / networking.

2. Local newspaper (Thursday night edition usually, or Recruitment South on a Saturday).

3. National newspaper (check which paper and day is most appropriate for your line of work).

4. Specialist magazine (e.g The Grocer, Accountancy Age, etc ñ the Library holds copies of most).

5. Recruitment agency (see back page of recruitment section of local press for names or the Yellow Pages).

6. Head-hunters / Search and Selection firm (Most are in London ñ search via the internet).

7. Jobsites on the Internet.

8. Direct approaches to organisations you are interested in ñ look at the business section of local press or business magazines for information on companies which are expanding, or find out from friends/past colleagues.

9. Local radio (unusual, but they do have advertisements occasionally).

10. Job Centre.

Wherever you start, the first thing you will need is a CV targeted towards the role you would like, which you can use to apply for jobs or send to recruitment firms.

Once you have sent your CV with a short covering letter to the recruitment firm (or the company advertising the position if they are managing the campaign themselves), make sure you follow this with a telephone call to make sure they have received it. This goes for whether it is sent via post, fax or email. A call is useful for three reasons; to check they have actually received it, to show you are keen, and also to find out the name of the person who is dealing with the position. You may be able to convince them to interview you even before theyíve seen all the other applicantís details, or at very least your name will be top of their mind when looking through the pile they have received already.

When on the telephone, see if you can find out when they might have a decision on who they are interviewing. If you donít hear by that date, give them another call to find out why. Have you been overlooked? You may still be able to convince them to see you. Remember the person who gets the job isnít always the person with the skills and experience that most closely match the job specification; it is often down to personality fit. Of course you need to show that you do have most of the skills they are looking for, but if there is something that you could be trained to do, then let them know that you are quick and keen to learn, and you might still get the job.

When you meet a recruitment consultant or head-hunter, treat it as a formal job interview. Dress and act as you would if going for the real job. If you can ìsellî your skills and personality to the consultant, they will find it much easier to ìsellî you to their client and get you an interview. The meeting with your consultant also gives you good interview practice ñ if they are experienced and have the time they might give you a couple of tips on how to improve your technique. After your meeting, call your consultant a couple of weeks later to see whether they have had any response to your CV or any new positions come in, then try to stay in contact around once per month. If you call too often all you will be doing is preventing them from getting you a job because they have to answer your calls instead of contacting clients to get you interviews. They will always call you as soon as they have a suitable position or an interview for you.

Some consultancies may suggest mailing your CV to companies on your behalf, but they will probably want you to be registered with them on a sole basis for a few weeks to make sure they are not duplicating work which another consultancy is doing. A word of warning: choose your recruitment companies carefully, and try to register with just 1 or 2 to start with, increasing this to 3 or 4 if they are not getting you any interviews. You donít want your CV appearing 8 times on the desk at a company that has asked several recruitment firms to look for someone to fill their job as you will appear desperate.

The Internet is very useful when looking for a job. You will find job sites where you can complete a form regarding the type of job, location and salary you are seeking, and will then send you an email to let you know whenever a position is advertised that might be of interest ñ I would recommend doing this, but make sure you do still register with the recruitment companies themselves as they will always search their list of registered candidates before they put it on the web, and a good consultant who knows you personally can sometimes get you interviews even if your CV doesnít quite match what the company is looking for, but you have the right sort of personality.

If you are at a senior level in your career already, you will probably already have received calls from head-hunters. These may come at inconvenient times or when you are not actually looking, but it is useful to give them as much information as possible on your career so that if the right role did come up at the right time, at least they would be thinking of you. Donít forget the more senior the position, the fewer the roles are available, so it is a good idea to keep head-hunters on your side. If now is not the right time for you to change roles, perhaps you can think of someone else who might be suitable?

Networking or word of mouth from family and friends is probably the simplest and yet most powerful way of finding a job. You would be surprised how many jobs do not even get advertised because they have gone to someoneís friend or ex colleague. Contact people and let them know you might be looking for a new job. If you are a member of a professional association, make sure you attend events and that you try to meet as many new people there as you can. If you are recommended to a company because you know someone who works there, you are already half way there. Your face probably already fits; all they need to do is check the skills do too.

However you look for your next position, remember to explore all avenues. You may even find your next job via the guy next door!

Written by Julie Harding, director of Career Matters (www.cvmatters.com) in Fareham. Julie has over 6 yearsí recruitment experience from graduate to director level, and has since set up Career Matters to offer professional CV writing and interview guidance. For further information, telephone 0800 458 5578 or email info@cvmatters.com.