Five ways to find the perfect new job

Whether you’ve recently lost your job, you’re feeling stuck in your current position, or you’re ready for the next step in your career adventure, you need an action plan for finding your next role. Let’s face it – most of us aren’t lucky enough to have jobs just land in our laps! It’s all about being proactive.

To that end, let’s take a look at five important things you need to do when seeking a new job.

1. Network online
This is a great first step in the search for your next role. The old adage, ‘It’s all about who you know’ might sound clichéd, but the truth is your connections are a powerful resource that could help you land your next role.

To start the networking process, begin online. LinkedIn is the perfect place for this. Check out the profiles of past colleagues or classmates, or people in your industry with a few mutual connections. Perform a search for people in your ‘target market’ – that is, the sort of people you’d like to find yourself working with or for.

Send connection requests, or even a quick message to strengthen your relationships and further your network. You never know what doors it may open.

2. Network in person
The next step is to take your networking away from the computer and out into the real world. This could involve something small, like grabbing a coffee with someone in your industry you haven’t caught up with in a while. Or, if you’re feeling brave, you might go to a local event where industry professionals will be in attendance, such as a charity event or a conference.

When you attend these events, just make sure you have a stack of business cards handy! Companies like MOO and Vistaprint make it extremely easy to design and print business cards, so you’ve got no excuse! Make sure you have them handy whenever you’re in a networking situation.

3. Make yourself easily contactable
After all this networking, you need to keep your lines of communication open for all those prospective employers who want to get in touch!

Having a professional, easily identifiable email address is a must. Providers like Gmail and Zoho offer free and paid email plans, which often include the use of business and document management tools as well. You can even customise your email domain to really boost the professionalism of your mode of contact.

Believe it or not, some people still prefer a good old-fashioned phone call rather than an email! So it’s best to have a reliable number on which you can be contacted. For job seekers, or even small businesses seeking clients, a provider like eVoice can be the way to go for a professional looking phone number. eVoice offers plans for virtual (local) numbers that can be forwarded to any landline or mobile.

4. Keep up-to-date with job sites
While networking is more important than ever, job sites are still an essential port of call for those seeking their next position. You can’t afford not to be across these! Job boards like Seek, Indeed and Adzuna are all good places to bookmark in your browser.

Most job sites also allow you to upload your resume, allowing you to make information about yourself and your skills readily available to recruiters and companies seeking employees.

5. Use recruitment agencies and headhunters
Not all job openings are advertised on job boards and websites, as many are organised exclusively through recruitment agencies and headhunters. Approaching agencies like Hudson and Hays with details about your skills and experience, as well as the kind of position you’re after, is a good way to increase the opportunities available to you.

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