A job hunters guide to landing that perfect role.....

Finding your perfect role is by no means easy and the recent recession, redundancies and job cuts have created a highly competitive environment for candidates across all levels and disciplines.


As a leading recruitment solutions provider, networx handle 1000's of applications on behalf of job seekers every week and receive on average 70-100 applications for each role. So what will make your application stand out from the crowd?


Here at networx we have created a number of helpful hints and tips and over the next few weeks will be posting useful information for every stage of your job hunt.


This week we address the key issues to take the time to think about what job you would like and what foundations you need to prepare before you start your Search for jobs!


Stage 1 - Peparing for your hunt!


1. Career Advice  - Career advisors are not just for teenagers. if you are considering a career change or need some support or guidance there are organisations that you can utilise such as Next Step - a publicly funded service which helps adults get the advice they need for future skills, careers, work and life choices.


Alternatively why not utilise the free resources that are available to you on the internet such as this great free e-book which includes inspirational information from the UK's leading career coaches.








2. Identify your Goals – In order to ensure you maximise the results of your job search and spend your time effectively it is important to identify a clear objective. What kind of role are you looking for? What is a potential consideration? What is a definite No? Part time or full time? What is your desired salary? What is your absolute minimum salary?

In addition to the basics you need to consider What key features of a role are of most important to you? i.e. work / home balance, commission/bonus structure, career progression, training opportunities, stability etc These will obviously change as your career progresses and commitments you hold outside of the work place increase or decrease etc so will need to be considered at regular intervals.

If you are currently looking for a job then this is the ideal time to reassess your goals and set new personal objectives.  Whilst there are many resources available online to help you create your objectives, we would suggest just one thing - to make  sure that your objectives are SMART or even SMARTER

3. Up your Skills - Have you considered Home Learning, night school, or do you need to refresh yourself on certain elements that are key to the role you would like to enter. There are increasingly a number of different ways to improve your skill levels a few of which are highlighted below.


ICS Learning is the world's largest and most experienced distance learning organisation. According to the website they have helped over 13 million people and currently have over 130 courses available to choose from 

Learn Direct has become a nationally recognised brand for learning with the largest e-learning network of its kind in the world and offers around 630 different courses covering a range of subjects, including management, IT and Skills for Life at all levels.

In addition to the career advice Next Step offer a search functionality that allows you identify courses that may be suitable by postcode or town

4.Update your CV – The chances are the last time you updated your CV was when you applied for your current role, so you will need to update your CV in relation to the skills and experience you have acquired. If you are applying for a number of vacancies, whilst it can prove time consuming, it is always beneficial to tailor your CV to reflect the requirements of each role. Use the vacancy advert to determine the key skills and characteristics that the company is looking for and make sure these are reflected in your CV and application.


Dont have a CV?
Whilst many organisations are adopting a more application driven process and the reliance on CV's is being reduced, I think it is fair to say that the majority of companies still use the traditional CV in order to gain information in support your application even if it is not a primary factor.


A professional and well produced CV is essential and with the rise of social media there are many alternative platforms that you could utilise. One nice example that we have recently come across is Innovate CV. Not only does it create a modern CV for you but you can also create the bulk of your document simply by logging in using your LinkedIn profile.


5. CV Checking Services  - There are hundreds of CV Checking services available and the costs that they charge vary significantly with some providers charging as much as £2000 for those that operate within a senior role ( i.e £100-200K Salary).

The advice and inside knowledge that these services can provide you however can prove extremely beneficial for some job seekers and can make a difference when applying for jobs. Just the simple art of ensuring you position the right information in the right manner can help you secure an interview.  

Do you believe a CV Checking service has helped you gain employment in the past? If so please share your experiences so that others too can benefit!

6. Clean up your profile – Have you ever considered what your online presence on Facebook portrays to potential employers? Regardless of the platform you use, it is vital to consider the information that can be obtained by recruiters or potential employers.  Whilst privacy settings can help prevent information from being obtained easily it is paramount that you understand that you are essentially putting information in to the public domain and if people want to find information on you, they can!

Have you ever Googled youself?  It can be surprising what comes up! Try It

Its not all bad though…….There are some significant benefits however for potential employers to be able to see this information too. Culture fit is a key driver behind recruiting the right person for the business and what better way to understand this than you in your ‘normal’ environment.  Some would say that this is also a lot more reflective than testing tools.

Like everything, the key to finding your next role in an efficient manner is in the preparation. This blog post is designed to proved you with an insight into some of the options available to you but if you have come across anything that you beleive others can benefit from then please comment.