The art of job hunting

The art of job hunting – ensuring your CV is found on job boards

There are so many job boards available to candidates it can be hard to know where to start. Employers and agencies often use different sites so how do you know which one will be the most effective for you?

The first step is to try a few Google searches on the types of jobs and location that you are looking for. This should bring up the job boards that cater for your particular sector and area.

Once you have chosen the right boards turn your attention to your CV, making sure your skills are placed highly. Recruitment agencies conduct hourly searches for new CVs matching their vacancies so the job titles of your previous roles should match the agencies’ terms.

Upload your CV and make sure your contact details are clear. Register for “job alerts” so that the most suitable jobs are emailed to you directly. Widen your search terms – for example, if you are a secretary in Hertfordshire you could also search for “administrator in Bishop’s Stortford” or “office manager in Harlow” and so on.

When you have done a search read through as much of the list as possible; it is not always the case that the jobs further down the list are older and if you apply only for the first one or two you may be missing some great opportunities.

Visit local recruitment agencies’ websites. Most of them have a CV searching facility and a “jobs by email” service specifically for their own jobs, which may never be posted on jobs boards.

When applying for jobs on boards write a brief paragraph about why you are suitable for each job, highlighting your key areas of experience, so that the recruiter is drawn to your application. Each job board will supply templates for this which are easy to use but taking the time to write a relevant paragraph for each application gives you more chance of success. Keep it brief though, an essay may put the recruiter off. Finally, following up each application with a phone call will help you to stand out from the crowd.