Finding A New Job

A question our Office Support recruiter, Emma, is frequently asked by her candidates is "What More Can I Do To Find A Job?"

It's a question that reflects how much people care about their job search, and how anxious they are feeling right now.

You are probably doing all the right things:

• tailoring your applications
• doing your research
• preparing for interviews.

When answering "What More Can I Do To Find A Job?" Emma has to discover what the person has already done, such as CV writing, application technique, interview performance and strengths awareness. We will cover all of these in future videos but for now, Emma shares constructive actions you can take to further your job search, deal with the feelings of anxiety and show you a clearer route to success.

The Comparison Trap

Don't compare your situation to anyone else's. If a friend secures a new role quickly and you don't - that's not a reflection on you as a person. No job success = No judgement! No matter how important your job is to you, you are so much more than your job.

Self Care

Recognise that in Office Support there are literally hundreds of people applying for a role. Competition is huge. Finding ways to take care of yourself and stay resilient are really important. We've all got things we like to do that make us feel better, try to make time for those things and don't feel guilty about it.

Ask TO Help

There's a few aspects to this. If you are in work, chances are your line manager is not a mind reader. Let them know you'd like to take on something new, it may be that you can gain additional experience that will be very valuable to you with your current employer. If that's not the case, offer your help. Volunteer your time, shadow someone in their job, work for a charity or help a micro business.

Ask FOR Help

People are more willing to help each other than ever. Whether it is on Linkedin, Facebook or in your own extended network of contacts, find the person who knows how to do what you want to learn and ask if they'll help you. They could become your teacher, mentor, coach, biggest supporter or they might introduce you to options for learning that you haven't even considered yet. If you ask in the right manner, most people will try to help you in some way.

Make Time To Really Think About Your Working Life

Thinking about what you really want from your working life is tough because you have to ask yourself some difficult questions - and where do you start? People have changed jobs completely, forced by the last few months to reassess what they are good at and what they want to do. It takes time and a lot of reflection but what you might find useful is to start here:

Money

What is your baseline for income, how much do you need to cover all the bills?

Strengths

If you are not sure what your strengths are (and that's totally normal!) ask people who you trust "When am I at my best?" or "What is it you think I'm really good at?". There are also loads of strengths test you can take online or you might be interested in our psychometric assessment.

What is it that you love about the work that you do - write that down too.

Possibilities

What is it you enjoy out with work, is there anything that you wish was more than a hobby or an interest, is there a way to transition into it being a job?

Who

Who would you really like to work for? Identify the companies, or the individuals (thinking dream boss here!) and introduce yourself.

Skills

What would you love to be able to do, is it time to reskill or upskill?

With all this information written down it may clear your mind, give you a better idea about what you want to do and help you feel more in control of your job search.