Finding a job

Think about why you are applying

Are you applying for a part time job during your college course or are you leaving your college course and looking for your next step on your career journey? You may even be applying for an apprenticeship! In any situation it is important that you are creating your best application.

If you are looking to progress from college into the industry you are interested in, take some time to reflect. Think about what you have learned at college. Ask yourself:

What are the key skills that link to the industry?
How has your knowledge developed?
What can you offer a company in your chosen industry?

Also, if you are applying close to home, you want to think about what companies there are locally. If you are applying further away, you will want to think how you will travel to work. Taking time to think about this first will help you when you come to job searching.

Job searching

You want to make sure you are setting time aside to apply for job roles. It is good to think about what days and how much time you will dedicate to this so you give yourself that accountability.
Sign up to job sites. Then you will get alerts from them when new job roles are posted in the industry you are interested in. You can easily use the settings to tailor for the job role and distance you are willing to travel. Some useful job sites are: Indeed, Findajob, Findapprenticeship,
You can also go directly to companies. Think about some of the employers who spoke to you about their careers during your college course or who you met at job fairs. Take notes of the employers and email them with you CV to see if they have any positions.
Research companies in the industry you would like to start your career in. Look on their websites to see if they are hiring.
LinkedIn is similar to a social network but all based on careers, you can create a professional network, create a profile to share your skills and see job posts from companies who are hiring. It is also a great way to keep up to date with the latest news in the industry you are interested in.
Job fairs and networking events are also great ways to build up your professional network. Why is it important to build up a professional network? It helps you to hear about different career opportunities and also a great way to work collaboratively. Job fairs will also be a chance for you to meet people from different organisations and companies and to hear about different opportunities they may have.

These are just a few tips to help you with job hunting to help you progress into your dream career. Remember to take that time to reflect on the career activities that have helped you with your professional development here at SNC, this will help you when creating your CV and answering questions in your interview.

What if I don't have enough experience?

You might think you don’t have enough experience or relevant experience to put on your CV, however, you will have many transferable skills that employers like to see. Also, remember you can show your passion for the role you are applying for as employers love to see this!

On your CV, focus on the skills and experiences you do have. This can be skills you learned in your free time or at college, projects you have worked on, sporting hobbies, volunteering experience, etc. All these will have helped you to develop transferable skills such as team work, time management, working as a team etc. Remember to look at your ePASS work to help you with this.
Work on yourself, take part in your personal development sessions which provide you with valuable life skills, take part in extra curricula activities, undergo work placements. The Epass+ platform can help you to develop your skills and knowledge through their short CPD accredited courses!
Keep applying. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get an interview, it can take time.

finding out MORE

There is lots more information on hunting for jobs on the EPass+ platform, as well as on researching employers and thinking about career choices.

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