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Great tips for Jobseekers - Issue 1
Dear Subscriber
Welcome to the first issue of "Great Tips for Jobseekers!"
This will be a regular newsletter, published (roughly) every fortnight for people who wish to take control of their career and get the job they really want.
If you know someone who might find this newsletter interesting please send it on to them so they can subscribe also!
In this issue
- Understanding your needs
- Some CV myths dispelled
- The importance of networking
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Understanding your needs
Many people embark on the job search without first considering what's important. Have your needs and lifestyle changed since the last time you changed job? Are you planning an important lifestyle change in the short or medium term that is likely to have an important impact on your work?
I was recently talking to someone who is returning to work after a career break. One of the options she is considering is setting up a party planning business. I asked her what's important for her in her life outside work. The answer came back:
"I need to have the flexibility to be available for my children before and after school".
Working for oneself does offer a degree of flexibility but you can also be a prisoner to your own business, particularly if you are trying to build customers. In the case of party planning, it's likely that my client would need to be available for consultations in the evening and at week-ends, as many of her customers are busy during weekdays.
It's important to consider your needs when looking at career options. What are the implications of those needs in terms of your availability? How do the jobs you are considering fit in with your needs?
Before you start looking at particular career ideas or opportunities, write a list of the things that are important in your life and how you need to devote time to them. What does this rule out (travel, long hours, being on call, for example)? Do you need predictable work or work that you can do from home?
Your career needs are also important. Do you need a particular working environment: open plan? small team? Does the role itself need to fulfil certain criteria such as offering variety or the opportunity to work directly with clients? What about training? Do you want access to formal training or are you happy learning as you go along? Would a mentor be better for you?
When you are clear about your needs it will be possible to consider work opportunities and easily seen from the job description if your needs are likely to be met. If not, ask the employer before applying.
Some CV myths dispelled
1 The Perfect CV
First things first: There's no such thing as the perfect CV, and there's nobody better able to write your CV than you. So there's a few quid saved immediately if you were thinking of paying someone to write it for you!
The purpose of a CV is not to get you a job, it's to get you an interview. If it does that, it's done its job.
2 A CV must be no more than 2 pages long
A CV does not need to be any particular number of pages. It needs to be readable and appealing. Would you rather read two pages of crammed up, tiny font, or three pages with space that looks comfortable to read? Keep your margins comfortably wide, and your font size no smaller than 11pt. Use a classic font that is known to all PC's - Arial and Times New Roman are safest. You can be sure that these will not distort on someone else's machine into some strange font or gobledegook.
3 A reader spends 60 seconds on each CV
The average amount of time that is spent reading a CV is not 60 seconds as many people think. In fact what happens is that every 30 - 60 seconds the reader decides whether or not to continue reading. That's three or four times per page. So make sure that your CV stays interesting! Don't let the reader get bogged down in detail or they'll be bored and will lose the will to read on. (Are you still with me?!)
4 You shouldn't put your date of birth on the CV
If someone wants to know how old you are they can easily work it out to within two or three years unless you are being deliberately misleading. Never lie on a CV, and never leave gaps. Curriculum Vitae translates as "a running through of my life" and should include the whole of your working life. So should you include your date of birth on the CV? If someone is going to make a decision based on age, there's not much you can do about it (it's not unlawful discriminate on age in the UK....yet). Usually people just want to know how old you are to help them visualise you as they are considering your CV. It may also help you if you have progressed quickly in your career or the employer may be concerned about the social mix of the team she is putting together. On the other hand, it's more ink, and the best CV's have a minimum of ink. Include your DoB or don't, just don't waste time worrying about it!
5 The reader won't be interested in my hobbies
They may not share your hobbies, but there's a good chance that some, especially the "people person", is interested in getting a feel for the kind of person you are. Your hobbies ought ideally to indicate that you like to keep yourself healthy (sport or outdoor activity of some kind), that you like to engage in the community and don't just work, sleep and watch TV so any voluntary work or involvements you have are worth mentioning, and they also want to know that have interests that keep your mind exercised. Try to be interesting, and they may want to engage you on these subjects, if you just put "Cinema, eating out and keep-fit" they'll be very bored by you! What genre of cinema are you into (if you just go for the latest releases like most people don't bother, but if you are a big fan of Fellini, tell us about it). What kinds of cuisine can't you get enough of, and in which ways and how often do you work out?
Future newsletters will consider each of the different elements of the CV, starting next time with the Profile or Summary
The importance of networking
Did you know that more jobs are found through networking with contacts than any other method? That includes direct approaches to companies, advertising or recruitment consultants. Networking is not about some dodgy sales scheme, it's about allowing the people that know, value and trust you, to help you.
Many people are reluctant to network because they are afraid of appearing needy or pressurising. Don't think of it like this. Think about how you would feel if someone asked you for help. If you could help, I'm sure you'd be happy to do so. If you couldn't, you'd say so, politely and with encouragement, wouldn't you?
So make networking one of the tools you use in your job search. Let people around you know what you are looking for and ask them who they know that might be able to give you some advice and guidance. Remember: networking is not about asking for a job, it's about asking for advice and guidance, and more importantly, it's about making yourself available to help others.
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Nick Gendler runs Workjoy Ltd.
Workjoy helps people to get the job they want at the salary they deserve.
www.workjoy.co.uk
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