Posts Tagged ‘unemployment’

Job-hunting in the 21st Century…

As the unemployment rate surges past the 2.2 million mark and the recession rages on through the Spring months, it’s time to start thinking about all the possibilities you have to look for new jobs.

Gone are the times where your only options to find a new job were either through the newspaper or at the local Job Centre.  Those days are long behind us…

Today we can turn to more modern and effective methods of job hunting that simply didn’t exist at the start of the century.  For a start, there are fewer jobs and more graduates - do the math…there’s a problem there.

Blog

Bogging can drive you crazy if you aren’t doing it.  Sometimes it’s the only thing people talk about and you can really feel as though you’re missing out.  That’s because you might just be missing out…

Start a blog if you want to find a new job.  Don’t just go on and on about any old subject - pick a subject you’re knowledgeable about and get to it.  Create a series of articles that not only go into detail about the subject but that someone would be able to use as a resource.

Facebook

You may not associate job searching with social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn or BrightFuse, all this has changed as these sites are managing to bring opportunities to the masses along with your friend’s pictures of their drunken antics.

Facebook is a great example of how we can create more modern CVs that can be accessed by anyone around the world - use the education and work history fields to act in the same way as your CV but you will save a small forest by filling out the sections online.

Furthermore you can join professional networks through the social networking site and you can even talk to friends in the same industry you are looking to enter who might be able to find you a job.

Twitter

The evolution social networking sites has taken has brought us to Twitter, the home of the mini-blog.  Everyone seems to have tried Twitter, whether they liked it or not is a different story!  Whether you like Twitter or not, it doesn’t matter - it’s a great tool to find jobs.

You can tweet about looking for a new job and then people can stumble on your tweet - you can also go further by linking your tweets with your personal website which will show the world what you can do.

Virtual Career Fairs

This option needs little explanation as the name kind of gives the whole thing away - if you like to socialise and go to career fairs but you can’t be bothered to leave your house then this is for you.  Talk about useful and lazy at the same time…

Looking for a job?

Are you looking for a job and have found some of our advice useful?  Are you planning on acting on out advice?  Let us know…

Ask or you won’t know…

Asking questions doesn’t make you look like an idiot as it used to back in the 50s - today by asking questions you can actually boost your career!  But don’t get silly, not every question is a career helper.

You should be asking serious questions that show you are professionally mature and are clearly thinking about the job.  But what questions should you ask?  Let’s find out…

How is my success measured?

If you are working hard, and you care about the people at the top of the ladder noticing then you need to find out how your success is measured.  If you have no idea then you might start working hard, but if you start to think that no one is interested then you will start to lag.

What is my career path?

This question has two different outcomes - on the one hand it shows that you are looking to the future and you’re focused on doing well in the long-term at the company.  However on the other hand you have to make sure that you don’t look like you’re constantly hungry to get to the top no matter in which company you get there.

How do you like to communicate?

It is important to ask for feedback on work so you can know whether you are on the right track or not.  However do you know if your boss likes to communicate daily, weekly, monthly?  Perhaps they want to discuss every project at the beginning and end?  You need to find out by asking…

How can I develop my career?

This is a great question to ask that will show your boss that you want to develop your skills and progress in the business - they will most probably be ready to give you some advice and a lot of the time it will be good advice so listen up - they didn’t become your boss by knowing nothing!

What is prioritised?

It is important to understand what the boss deems a priority before you make the decision yourself and then make a mistake.  Simply ask and you will be told.  It is important to know how to prioritise your work so you can efficiently manage your time, allowing you to work more effectively.

How can I help?

Offering to help is a great way of showing your boss that you are willing to go above and beyond what is being asked of you - when it comes to handing out promotions you will be at the forefront of your manager’s mind.  However, make sure you aren’t putting important work aside to suck up to the boss - only offer if you are available.

Asking questions?

Are you planning on asking your boss any of these questions?  Do you think these will help you progress at work and get your boss thinking you are better than the rest?  Let us know…

Forget The Recession - Excel In Your Career

When your job is potentially on the line and the economy is taking one swift beating after another, it makes sense to spend some time thinking long and hard about measures you can take to strengthen your stance within your business.

Instead of feeling scared and nervous about the future of your job, let’s instead take a look at how you can make sure you are a needed employee that can’t be cut when the times get tight.  Instead of being asked to leave why not find out what you do to be asked to stay for more money…

Ask For Help

Who knows better about success than people that are successful?  Email whoever you can who is in a position of success and ask them for advice.  Ask them what advice they could give to someone trying to advance in their career and if you’re feeling good about yourself why not ask if they would be willing to mentor you?  What have you got to lose…

It’s like a job application - a lot of people will ignore you, but some will take in what you’ve got to say and will want to respond and help you out - despite what a lot of people think the world is not entirely made up of greedy people looking out for number one!  People have been known to help other people!

Volunteer

There are so many benefits involved in volunteering - you’re helping the community, or whoever is involved, and you are also benefiting your own CV.  When you’re a student you’re often told that volunteering can help you get the legendary “edge” over the other applicants, but when you already have a job volunteering can be equally as helpful!

Volunteering can get you recognised by the bosses above you who will be looking at your level for people who they would want to progress within the business.  When they see that you volunteer you will shine compared to everyone else.

Opinion Matters

Don’t be afraid of your opinion, even if it goes against the grain.  If you are asked for your opinion then give it, even if you think it isn’t what the majority of people would think.  You are an individual entitled to your opinion and you are being asked for it.

If you feel strongly about something and you aren’t asked for your opinion then you should feel free to stand up for your beliefs as well!  Learn how to present your ideas and opinions in a professional way rather than giving your opinion in an emotional mess of words.  You will get noticed and you will be respected.

Want to get ahead?

Are you stuck in a rut and you want to climb the career ladder?  Have you found our advice useful?  Leave us a comment and let us know…

Will you still be in a job by the summer?

Let’s be honest - the economic times aren’t exactly reinforcing us with confidence when it comes to employment.  With over 2 million left out in the cold without a job you can’t help but wonder if you were indeed next to face the axe…

But don’t panic just yet - for all you know you don’t have anything to worry about but if you are having a bit of a hysterical attack worrying about your job then read on to discover what signs you should be keeping your eyes peeled for;

Out Of The Loop

If you’re finding that you’re suddenly the last one in the office to find out the latest news then you might be on the way out.  If you’ve stopped being consulted or included in decisions regarding your work then you should start re-printing your CVs.

Struggling Market

Companies that are thriving won’t be keen to take the recession as an opportunity to get rid of employees so if you’re in this position then take a relaxing breath because you are probably safe.  If, on the other hand, your business is struggling to stay afloat through the recession then you had better start making contingency plans.

Smaller Budgets

Before turning to making redundancies, your company may start cutting back on expenses - although this is great news for you because you’ll still be in a job, it’s also bad news because you may be next at the cutting board.  However don’t run to the job centre just yet because a smaller budget doesn’t mean the company will move on to employees next.

Explaining Your Work

If the upper echelons are starting to take a bit of an interest in how you do your work, how far along you are and basically what they would need to know if you were to leave next week then perhaps your job isn’t entirely secure.  If the guys at the top are planning to get rid of you they’ll want to know what has to happen when you vacate your position.

No Work

This is probably the biggest sign that you won’t be one with employment much longer - if your workload goes from heavy to feather in the same week then you can be pretty sure that you aren’t going to be staying with the business much longer.  If anything a lighter workload can mean your business isn’t getting much work thrown their way which means they aren’t going to be able to afford to keep you on - the other possibility is your employers are slowly delegating your jobs to other people…bad times!

No Work All Play?

Are you worried about your job?  Have you noticed a few of these signs at your own job?  The biggest thing to remember is not to panic - whatever happens it’s not the end of the world and recessions don’t last forever!