|
Trying to look on the bright side of life if you
are on the hunt for a job right now is a rather
big ask. The news is full of doom and gloom surrounding
the employment market. We were expecting, thanks
to brazen media statements of an economic recovery,
the UK's unemployment rate to fall, but sadly it
has gone the other way. Britain's unemployment figure
now stands at 2.5 million - a fifteen year high
- and this represents 8% of the working age population.
More people are turning to part-time work in an
attempt to plug financial gaps left by the loss
of full-time employment or pay freezes amid an inflation
hike. The number of part-time or self-employed people
increased by 13,000 to reach 1.05 million this last
quarter, which is the highest figure since records
began in 1992.
So if you are looking for a job right now, you
probably want to know what your chances are? Well,
with increasing numbers of people looking for a
job, competition is fiercer than ever so you have
to make yourself stand out from the crowd; first
on paper so you can secure an interview, then face-to-face
so you can land the job you want.
Have your C.V. checked by a careers advisor, maybe
at your university if you are a recent graduate
or make use of online C.V. tools and advice. There
is plenty of it out there that is free or for a
small sum you can get your C.V. checked and edited
by career experts.
Once your C.V. is tip-top get it on as many job
sites as possible. Use websites that allow you to
upload your C.V. so that employers can search it,
don't just rely on recruitment consultants as they
are rather overworked at the moment.
Your covering letter should be targeted to the
specific company and position in question. This
may mean writing 50 letters, but employers can notice
generic, one-size-fits-all formats. You need to
explain why they should employ you specifically
so fit your experience to the language used in the
job spec.
Finally, because today's employment world is not
about loyalty and longevity, support yourself by
opening up a savings
account in case something goes wrong and you
find yourself out of work again in the future. Alliance
& Leicester offer some of the best savings accounts
right now, with attractive interest rates and noteworthy
bonuses.
|
