JOBS & CAREER
Five Steps to a Network of Contacts for Your Job Search
The importance of networking in job searching is often underestimated. Even where individuals know that they should be networking, many do not seem to know where to begin, and just how to build an effective network to help them land that dream job. Building a network need not be difficult though, and following the steps below, anyone can improve the effectiveness of their job search, often landing a better job quicker.
Marks and Spencer jobs are just right for those who are looking for a reliable employment and you might need to download Marks and Spencer application form in order to apply for job vacancies.
1. Build lists of all the people you know
Everyone you know, and are on friendly terms with should be included in your list. Friends, relatives, former co-workers, members of your local sports or community associations, former classmates, neighbours, and even former clients should be listed. For many people this will amount to well over 100 individuals. Even if you do not know individuals particularly well, many will be willing to help if asked.
2. Be systematic in contacting them
Breaking your list of names in distinct groups will help you systemise the process of contacting them. How you do it will be up to you. You might start with people closest to you, or people you are most comfortable with, until you have perfected your pitch and built enough confidence to contact more intimidating individuals. Have a system though, or you will quickly lose track of whom you have spoken to, when you did so, and what the outcome of that conversation was.
3. Presentation is paramount
As long as you job hunting, make sure you present yourself well, since you never know whom a potential employer might be. When you call people to ask for help with your job search, be polite. Have your pitch well honed. Being clear about what sort of role you have, and the qualifications and skills you can bring to the table is half the battle won. Always have a CV and summary letter ready to email, or give anyone you contact.
4. Ask for leads
Telling people that you are unemployed is one thing. As you network, you need to explicitly ask for help. Always ask your contacts directly if they know of any job opening that you might be suited for. Even if they don’t you can ask a few more questions that might produce just such a lead:
* Do you know any openings?
* Do you know someone who might know of such an opening? If so, get the other person’s contact details or ask for an introduction as soon as possible.
* Do you know someone who might know someone who might know about a vacancy I might be interested in?
5. Follow up on all leads.
Even if all you get is a name, and email address or telephone number, follow up on every lead your network sends your way. And do it quickly. The longer you take to follow up on potential jobs, the more likely it is that the vacancy will have been filled by the time you ‘eventually’ contact them.
The five rules above are simple, but essentially cover everything that networking for a job entails. As long as you are diligent, and systematic, you will find out about vacancies through your network that you would never have come across otherwise.
Top tips to create a better CV
Just sending out your CV and waiting for responses from employers, is *not* an effective job searching technique. That said, most employers will ask you for a copy of your CV early in the application process. It is a useful summary, and is a great way of weeding out substandard applicants. Making sure you are armed with a great CV before you start contacting employers, should therefore be a must for any job seeker.
Irrespective of your skills, industry, age or experience, there are a few essentials to remember when creating your CV. By the way Sainsburys jobs offer you a great career as well as a reliable employment. You might need to download Sainsburys application form in order to apply for their vacancies.
Do it yourself
While it is fine to look at example CVs, you must write your own. At the very least, the process of writing your CV will force you to crystallise and organise your thoughts, and will help in other areas of your job search too.
Make it error-free
There should always be enough time to check your CV for errors. When you are satisfied that it contains no errors, ask several other people to check it too. Just using a spell check, even with modern word processors is not enough.
Make it look good
Your CV is your representative in the job market. Make sure it is laid out well, and that it looks good. If you submit paper copies, print them out on clean, good quality paper. How you present your CV is often just as important as what the CV contains.
Be brief
Keep your CV as brief, but still as complete as possible. Most will be 1 or 2 pages long. Remember, any prospective employer will have a lot of CVs to go through for most vacancies. They do not have the time to wade through 5 pages of your finest prose.
Be specific
Rather than general statements like “I am good with people”, use specific action phrases (with number where possible), like “I supervised a team of 5 people in the factory, and improved productivity by 20% in my first year”.
Be honest
Overstating your qualifications and other dishonesty will soon be found out. Whether this is during the interview, or when you are fired a week after starting a role you are not capable of, honesty is the best policy when you prepare your CV.
Be positive
Above all, be positive, and do not be afraid to highlight your strongest skills, or your best accomplishments. Your CV is certainly one place you cannot afford to be humble, have false modesty, or worse yet, display your faults.
Start working on your CV today. Show it to friends and trusted colleagues. Get feedback on weak areas. Improve it continuously. Anyone following the preceding advice should end up with an amazing document to send to potential employers.
Trainee Job Vacancies
HMV jobs are on demand these days as the company is really very reliable employer. You would need to download HMV application form to apply for job vacancies. You can start your career as a trainee and then get promotions and go up to top positions.
Traineeships and apprenticeships offer outstanding career options. The basic idea of a traineeship is to combine actual work experience with structured training opportunities and study. After you have completed your traineeship you will receive a recognized qualification or accreditation in your chosen field.
Training can be on-the-job or a combination of work and study. There are a number of steps that you can follow in order to find a trainee job vacancy that suits you.
Registering your CV – Resumes to main job boards online is always good idea for job seekers. There are major job sites online that are offering cv registrations such as cv-library.co.uk, learnist.org, monster, reed etc.
If you are a fresher then you might want to give it a good start and go for a Traineeship schemes with the retail companies in the UK. HMV is an ideal place to build your perfect career.
Don’t for getting the first job is always is the most difficult one however you can make this a lot easier then it is. Its all about first interview, first covering letter, first CV! If they are all ok made profesionally then there is no reason why not you can find a job when you are young.