Careers coach Penny Strutton is writing a weekly column for This Is Nottingham with advice for job seekers. This week she looks at how to how to prepare for your job hunt in 2013...
Christmas is everywhere! It's hard to think of anything else! And why should you, with mince pies and mulled wine on tap! My advice would be to enjoy this time immensely; take as much time to relax and revitalise, because if you are job seeking you're going to have to be on form when you hit the ground running in January!
However, if you are going to mull over the prospect of finding a new job over the next few weeks, take a look at my six steps below. They'll help you prepare for a well organised and strategic job hunt in 2013.
Step 1 Prepare: Looking for a job requires commitment and focus. It can be a lengthy process with a few knock backs along the way. Managing your own expectations is important because you need to keep your confidence and motivation on a high.
Step 2 Plan: Putting together a job seeker strategy is important; it keeps you on track and helps you focus. Your plan should include a timeline with a number of milestones along the way. Undergoing a personal review, undertaking market research, writing your CV and networking should all be factored into your plan, plus how you hope to promote yourself and take yourself to market. By making a plan you can tell when you've achieved what you set out to, giving you a jolly good excuse to reward yourself along the way!
Step 3 Review: Before you start applying for a job its important you take a thorough look at yourself. You'll need to identify what it is you're good at, what you enjoy and what you want to avoid. Remember, finding a job is a match making process so knowing who you are and what you are looking for is crucial when finding a job and company that matches your personality and aspirations.
Step 4 Gather your documents: You'll of course need a CV which is professionally written, demonstrates your experience and highlights your achievements. A CV should be tailored for each application, however, you can put a generic CV together which pulls together all your relevant experience, training and achievements which can then be tailored for each application. There's more to your personal brochure than just your CV, in today's market you need to feature on social media sites, so updating your profile on sites such as linked in is just as important.
Step 5 Identify your Network: Job hunting can be very much about who you know, not what you know. Now is the time to identify who is in your network and think about how they can help you connect with potential opportunities. Growing your network at this stage is useful too. Over the next few weeks think about all the social gatherings you may be attending; who could be useful to you? Don't forget to use social media sites to connect with professionals and raise your profile.
Step 6 Taking yourself to Market: once you've completed steps 1-5 you can hit the market; start making applications, writing speculative letters to potential companies and actively networking. Having a polished 30 second commercial can help you succinctly communicate your experience and what you're looking for next.
It's a lengthy process, but hang in there and follow my six steps, you'll soon be preparing for an interview for a job which matches you and your career aspirations! If you need more support my online self-coaching and training programme will help. In the meantime enjoy your Christmas and good luck with your job hunt in 2013!
Christmas is everywhere! It's hard to think of anything else! And why should you, with mince pies and mulled wine on tap! My advice would be to enjoy this time immensely; take as much time to relax and revitalise, because if you are job seeking you're going to have to be on form when you hit the ground running in January!
However, if you are going to mull over the prospect of finding a new job over the next few weeks, take a look at my six steps below. They'll help you prepare for a well organised and strategic job hunt in 2013.
Step 1 Prepare: Looking for a job requires commitment and focus. It can be a lengthy process with a few knock backs along the way. Managing your own expectations is important because you need to keep your confidence and motivation on a high.
Step 2 Plan: Putting together a job seeker strategy is important; it keeps you on track and helps you focus. Your plan should include a timeline with a number of milestones along the way. Undergoing a personal review, undertaking market research, writing your CV and networking should all be factored into your plan, plus how you hope to promote yourself and take yourself to market. By making a plan you can tell when you've achieved what you set out to, giving you a jolly good excuse to reward yourself along the way!
Step 3 Review: Before you start applying for a job its important you take a thorough look at yourself. You'll need to identify what it is you're good at, what you enjoy and what you want to avoid. Remember, finding a job is a match making process so knowing who you are and what you are looking for is crucial when finding a job and company that matches your personality and aspirations.
Step 4 Gather your documents: You'll of course need a CV which is professionally written, demonstrates your experience and highlights your achievements. A CV should be tailored for each application, however, you can put a generic CV together which pulls together all your relevant experience, training and achievements which can then be tailored for each application. There's more to your personal brochure than just your CV, in today's market you need to feature on social media sites, so updating your profile on sites such as linked in is just as important.
Step 5 Identify your Network: Job hunting can be very much about who you know, not what you know. Now is the time to identify who is in your network and think about how they can help you connect with potential opportunities. Growing your network at this stage is useful too. Over the next few weeks think about all the social gatherings you may be attending; who could be useful to you? Don't forget to use social media sites to connect with professionals and raise your profile.
Step 6 Taking yourself to Market: once you've completed steps 1-5 you can hit the market; start making applications, writing speculative letters to potential companies and actively networking. Having a polished 30 second commercial can help you succinctly communicate your experience and what you're looking for next.
It's a lengthy process, but hang in there and follow my six steps, you'll soon be preparing for an interview for a job which matches you and your career aspirations! If you need more support my online self-coaching and training programme will help. In the meantime enjoy your Christmas and good luck with your job hunt in 2013!
