Careers Basics
A successful job application begins with getting the fundamental elements right. In this section we'll run through some of these key stages to make sure you are on the right track.
Career Basics Lesson #9 Using the internet as a job search tool
The internet is one of the most useful tools at your disposal when it comes to job hunting, but like all tools it only works well if it's used properly. If you're struggling with a seemingly endless list of sites all claiming to be the answer to your career woes, we have compiled a list of quick tips to help you make the most of the World Wide Web.
30 November 2011Career Basics #8: Transferable skills
Transferable skills may sound like unintelligible HR-speak, but they can be the key to opening up a wide variety of jobs or even other sectors that you may not have considered.
01 November 2011Career Basics Lesson #7 - Using recruitment consultancies
There is no question that you are considerably more likely to obtain your job through a recruitment firm. Indeed if you are thinking of putting yourself on the market you would be almost insane not to engage with at least one or two agencies. After all, it doesn't cost you anything.
30 September 2011Career Basics Lesson #6 Speculative Applications
Sending a speculative or unsolicited application may be regarded as a time-consuming and haphazard method of job hunting. But if you're serious about securing a specific job and have a company in mind, there is no reason why you shouldn't try your luck.
09 September 2011Career Basics Lesson #5 - CVs
Your CV is an advert for you and your skills - it is not your life story. It should be a very carefully selected 'greatest hits' of yourexperience and skills arranged in a professional, orderly and logical format. It won't get you a job, but if correctly put together it could get your application progressed to the next level.
29 July 2011Career Basics Lesson #4 - Psychometric Testing
The very term psychometric testing has an intimidating ring to it. No-one enjoys tests and when your future career might depend on them for some people they can be an intimidating prospect. What people tend to worry about most is simply not knowing what to expect. In a nutshell these tests are simply about establishing your suitability for a role based upon a set of established competencies. They help an employer build a profile of your characteristics and personality; how you react in given situations and whether you have the necessary tools to excel.
01 July 2011Career Basics Lesson #3 – The Interview
There is no way of avoiding interviews - no reputable company is going to give you a job without meeting you, so you might as well get on with it. To ensure that an interview goes as smoothly as possible, simply get these steps right and everything else should fall into place.
01 June 2011Career Basics Lesson #2: Assessment Centres
Job-seekers who find themselves being invited to an assessment centre often look upon the day-long event with a sense of dread. However, while it is human nature to worry, the format of assessment centres, where the candidate is assessed over multiple tests, is designed to give candidates opportunities to succeed.
11 May 2011Career Basics Lesson #1 - Covering Letters
Having taken real time and effort in compiling a CV you believe optimises your employability it's pretty important that you don't then blow your chances by sending it along with a sub-standard covering letter. It's a far simpler document to put together than the CV and there's really no reason it shouldn't be straightforward.
11 May 2011
