Employment & Self Emloyment

Job Search

There are over 15,000 job opportunities in Cheshire and Warrington, including over 2,500 part-time jobs. 

Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership have developed this website allowing you to explore all the apprenticeships, jobs and training courses in the county. It's a really useful site to find out about the local labour market and more about the main sectors that are currently recruiting in the area. 

There are several other job search websites including the Department for Work and Pensions site, Indeed, Monster Jobs, Total Jobs and Adzuna. To look for jobs, but also see a wealth of careers advice, visit Reed's website. 

You can search for jobs locally or nationwide. It is worth searching for jobs on more than one site as not all jobs are advertised on every site. Lots of job sites also give you the opportunity to upload your CV and have employers come to you.

If you are unsure about the job opportunities in your sector, Careermap is a particularly useful resource providing careers advice for a variety of areas. Whether you are interested in a career in healthcare or creative media, the website contains a 'career map' helping to detail the jobs within the sector, and the path you may take to secure each role.

CVs

There are lots of templates and guides online and we have tried to pick out the best resources to support you with putting your CV together. If you have never completed a CV before, have a look at this handy guide to get you started. 

If you need a little bit more support with formatting your CV, a CV builder tool can be useful. Barclay's Lifeskills have a CV Builder that takes you through each section of the CV and once completed, you can download it as a Word or PDF document and then save it somewhere safe. You will need to create an account with Barclay's Lifeskills in order to use the CV builder, but it's free to register. The National Careers Service also has a whole section on their website dedicated to advice about finding a job. and writing a CV.

If you are confident putting your CV together, Prospects have a number of templates you can download to tailor your application for different types of jobs. Reed also have a number of templates which you can download. Click "continue without submitting" to access the templates without inputting your email address if you'd prefer not to share your personal details. 

You can also make an appointment with a Careers Adviser for a CV building session.

Interview Techniques

There is lots of help online for interviews. One of the best tips for interviews is to use the STAR method for competency based questions. You can use the STAR method to structure the examples you give to questions, especially in interviews. You can use it to highlight particular skills and qualities you have that the employer is looking for. You can also use the STAR method in your CV and Application forms.

The National Careers Service has a whole page dedicated to interview preparation and advice. They also have a section for common interview questions and how to answer them. Prospects also has a page dedicated to some of the common interview questions and advice on how to answer them. Indeed offers some advice on the different kinds of interview and what to expect, they also advise on general interview preparation. 

Application Forms

Application forms usually have similar structure and content. You can practice completing written and digital application forms. It is useful to have your CV handy when completing an application form as much of the information you are asked to provide may be on there. 

• The National Careers Service has a guide for how to answer questions in an application form. 

• Youth Employment's guide for Application forms covers some of the basics. 

• Barclays Lifeskills have some fabulous advice for writing great job applications. 

• BBC Bitesize Careers  offers lots of useful advice in relation to Job Applications. 

If you need some help with an application form, you can make an appointment to speak to a Careers Adviser. 

Supporting Statements

Supporting statements are a really important part of the application process. Similar to a covering letter, they are usually part of an application form. It is your chance to show the employer how you meet the points in the personal specification of the job. It's a chance to show off your knowledge, experience and skills to say why you are the best person for the job.  Like the STAR method for interviews, you can use the CAR method (Context, Actions, Results) for supporting statements. 

Here's' a 5 minute guide to using the CAR method and the personal specification for a job to write your supporting statement. 

Covering Letters

Covering letters are a letter that you send along with your CV when applying for a job. It's an introduction tool to help you sell yourself in your application. Statistics show that sending a covering letter with your application can make you more likely to get an interview. 

There are a few different types of covering letters, the main ones being a speculative letter and a general covering letter. 

Speculative letters are usually sent with CVs when a job hasn't been advertised and you are enquiring about possible opportunities with the company.

Covering letters are sent when you are applying for a job that has been advertised, to elaborate on your CV and demonstrate to the employer how you meet the criterion in the personal specification. They are similar in content to a supporting statement but set out in letter form. 

• Prospects have a whole section on covering letters and lots of examples and templates. 

• The National Careers Service has some tips on putting together a good cover letter.

• Reed also have lots of templates you can download without subscribing to their emails. 

Work Experience

Choosing what to do in your career may seem easier if you know what you want to be in the future. Work experience is a chance for you to try out your career ideas and see if they really are suitable for you. It will also help you to improve your employability skills and help you demonstrate to future employers your commitment and enthusiasm for your chosen career. See here for more reasons why you should do an industry placement and the benefits of work experience.

Pearson has some great tips on how to get started with finding work experience. 

Starting work or an apprenticeship 

Starting a job or an apprenticeship can be daunting, there are lots of things you will need to understand about working, such as how you'll be paid and what your contract means and what to do if things aren't going right. UCAS has a great page with an overview of most of the things you need to know before you start work or an apprenticeship. 

ACAS can support you if you are having any problems at work. There is a section for young people outlining the rules for working hours and pay for people under 18 and apprentices. 

For all other advice, ranging from problems at work, time off, working with children, flexible hours, bullying and harassment, pay and benefits etc, see the ACAS website 

Self Employment

Thinking about setting up a business, but not sure where to start? Self employment can be a useful alternative to traditional employment, potentially allowing you to work in an industry that you are passionate about and at times that suit you. Whilst sharing your new business idea with the world can be tricky, thankfully, there are many helpful online resources that can help you get on your feet.

• The Prince's Trust - Support for Starting a Business Scheme can provide training and mentoring support whilst you start to set up your own business, alongside some extra funding and resources to help.

• Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership have produced a range of handy start-up guides that can help you get to grips with business planning, and the financial, legal and marketing aspects of self employment.

• GOV.UK's website covers a range of topics such as registering your new business, writing a business plan, working for yourself, employing staff for the first time, growing your business and how to apply for a start-up loan.

• Indeed have also put together a list of top tips to achieve success as a young person started self employment. Similarly, Youth Employment UK have also produced a list of tips, covering what support is available to start-ups, as well as outlining some of the common challenges faced when starting a business. These tips can be extremely useful in ensuring your business start-up will be a success!