Following feedback from a number of recent articles aimed at job seekers, Maurice Carr, Recruitment Partner at BDO Simpson Xavier provides some useful tips for job seekers.
“Until the economic environment improves significantly the competition for jobs will be extremely intense.
“Our advise for people who are looking for a new job revolves around the following tips and a few useful suggestions for consideration in how to use time with a benefit to the broader community.
Competing for the jobs that are there.
The people who will be most successful will;
• Have a strong self awareness of their skills and motivations.
• Have good communication skills
• Be very skilful in targeting the most appropriate roles and employers.
• Have the ability to prepare a CV appropriate to each role to ensure selection for interview.
• Be able to perform consistently to their potential at every interview.
• Be flexible in terms of working arrangements and salary.
• If using advisors be clear about what you want to achieve and be careful who you select to advise you.
What can you do to better yourself while looking for the next role?
It is important that the you use this time to ensure that you are in the best possible position when the opportunities arise.
Possible options.
1. Further training and education – It can be an excellent opportunity to beef up on skills and knowledge but my own preference is for short and focused courses rather than qualifications.
2. Developing a business enterprise – this may be a short term situation to earn some additional income while waiting to return to full time employment.
3. Volunteerism – This is something that is already well established, particularly in sports, Credit Unions and in charities. However, these organisations are always looking for more people and also looking for people with particular skills and talents.
Potential Benefits of volunteerism.
• It provides the opportunity for people to give something back and this can be a very fulfilling and empowering experience.
• It can provide a focus and purpose which keeps the person in the correct frame of mind to re-enter the workplace
• It can provide people with specific skills which will increase your marketability in eg managing people, coaching, organising events or with the Credit Unions experience of working in a particular business sector or on a board of management. This experience can often open a door to new career areas where the outcome is a better career path going forward.
• It provides the opportunity to network.
In our own Outplacement Programmes, we have seen a significant increase in interest in volunteerism from the people we are meeting and we are also promoting it as a means of making the person ultimately more employable.
We have been asking the people who have expressed an interest in volunteerism to highlight any particular areas that they are interested in and where possible linking them up with the relevant organisations and it certainly is one of the more positive developments of the recent downturn in the economy.
