Firstly, you need to write a good CV. Get someone to have a look at your CV (ideally your school / college careers adviser) as they can help you tailor your CV to the organisations you’re applying to. You will probably end up with multiple CVs – employers want a CV that is specific to them, not a generic one that has been sent to 20 other employers.
Once you’ve got a killer CV, take a few approaches to your job hunt:
- Apply for advertised jobs.
- Speculative applications – where you send your CV although the employer may not be advertising vacancies at the moment. Visiting shops, restaurants, cafes, hairdressers etc. smartly dressed with your CV ready is a good approach. Prepare an introduction to say when you first walk in, to ensure you don’t get tongue tied!
- Tell everyone you know you’re looking for work. Everyone has friends, family, colleagues, and neighbours, who all know lots of different people. They may have heard about a job from their network, or think of you if they hear about one (as they will know you are looking for work).
Where to look for advertised vacancies:
- Local newspapers
- Individual company websites you’re interested in. Don’t underestimate the power of social media here – lots of smaller employers advertise their vacancies this way.
- monster.co.uk
- indeed.co.uk
- reed.co.uk
- gov.uk/jobsearch
If you’re also considering unpaid voluntary work, www.do-it.org is a great website for searching for thousands of volunteering opportunities, in a range of sectors.
GOOD LUCK!!
Considering University? 