New Year Resolutions – Is “Get a Job” on your list?

Is one of your New Year Resolutions to get a job?

Are you thinking you’ll put off doing anything about it until … after the exams… after Easter… after you Graduate… a “tomorrow” that never comes? Sure, you might still achieve your goal with that attitude, but you’re much more likely to be successful if you follow these tips:

1. Be specific – As with all resolutions, avoid making vague statements, think about short-term, achievable, behavioural goals that will lead you to being successful in your overall goal/resolution.
2. Schedule time – It’s important to schedule time each week to focus on your career goals/job hunting, in the same way that you should schedule your study and social time. This helps to provide balance and remove stress.
3. Know yourself – Ask yourself what you really want out of your career. For help with this check out Prospects Career Planner & Target Jobs Careers Report
4. Identify your skills – Sometimes it can be difficult to articulate our skills and experiences. Download our skills reflection tools to help.
5. Network – A great way to set yourself apart from the crowd and discover the hidden job market.
6. Use social media wisely – Your social media presence can make or break your job hunt. Check out our top tips for using social media for your career.
7. Volunteer – A great way to show employers how dedicated and hardworking you are.
8. Attend Careers & Employability Service Workshops – Watch out for our new calendar of events on our Weekly Update emails or here: http://www.uws.prospects.ac.uk/

Good luck for 2015!

On the 5th Day of Christmas…

On the 5th Day of Christmas…

UWS CES brings to you…

FIVE Golden Rules…

The 5 New Rules of Job Search

Recruiting practices have changed with the growth of social media and also with the tough job market we have been experiencing. This article provides some ideas on how you can  ensure you are up-to-date with recruitment trends to help you to stand out from the crowd. (Don’t assume this article is not for you due to your age!)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-p-joyce/job-search-tips_b_4777598.html

On the 3rd Day of Christmas…

On the 3rd Day of Christmas…

UWS CES brings to you…

3 R’s of Job Hunting

In school we learned the 3 Rs of Reading, wRriting and aRithmetic. For job-hunters it’s Research, Relevancy and Resiliency:

Research

As a job-hunter you need to research and determine:

• what are your marketable skills;
• which industries/companies you should target that use those skills;
• what are the specific needs of each company in your target market;
• who’s in a key position to hire you in those companies
• what’s the best way to approach them?

Relevancy

Your skills need to fit an employer’s needs. You need to demonstrate that you can solve the employer’s hot buttons [their corporate weaknesses – this could be sales, market development, research ops]. Remember it’s not about you it’s about THEM!   Employers’ initially only want to know three things about you:

• Can you make them money?
• Can you save them money? and/or
• Can you increase their efficiencies?

As global competitiveness increases, employers will be looking for all three of the above. You need to clearly express your relevancy – “Value” – to an employer.

Resiliency

Resiliency is the ability to spring back from disappointment and keep moving forward. This is a quality which keeps you focused on your goals and driving forward on a daily basis.

Adopt a positive mind set no matter what. (Watch out for Day 6 for more on this!)

 

Adapted from Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters.