jennynavan

Unemployed and looking for work? You're not alone.

With Ireland in the grips of a recession there are many people out of work, whether it's through redundancy or contracts not being renewed, or a graduate just finished college. One thing is for sure, if you're out of work, you're not alone. Working in recruitment I'm faced with it every day but I'm also surrounded by it in my personal life. And what I see is embarrassment, anger, resentment , desperation and fear, in no particular order. At this difficult time, the most important thing is attitude. As hard as it is, staying positive is critical to getting back into the workforce (or entering it for the first time). I've seen candidates turn down opportunities to interview because they can't face any more rejection - unfortunately, rejection is usually part of the job hunt, boom time or recession time. If you're not willing to even try, it's going to be a long wait. Below are a my top 10 tips and hints for job hunting. These are quite general and obviously will vary depending on sector and industry but hopefully they will be of some benefit.

1. Prepare yourself for a long wait: companies tend to be much slower in their recruitment process during recessionary times so the typical hiring process can take a few months now instead of a few weeks, so even if you start interviewing straight away, you may be waiting a few months to secure a new job. Prepare yourself mentally for a wait of a few months and it will help you to stay positive.
2. Keep as much stucture to your day as possible: try and build a routine into your day. Often I hear how unemployed people feel one day blends into another, losing track of time and days and feeling like they are in an endless cycle. If you keep a routine to your day, you are helping to avoid this, and will also find it easier when you are going back to work, early mornings won't be such a shock!
3. Look into taking up a new activity that will add to your CV, use your spare time productively. Whether it's learning to drive, improving your computer skills or doing a course related to your career. Even if you feel you aren't getting anywhere fast with your job hunt, you will feel the achievement of learning something new.
4. If you don't drive, try to learn. This is a great skill to have, but it may also broaden your employment opportunities. You can look at new locations to work in and depending on the industry, it will allow you to work in shift based positions. The more you can do to widen your opportunities, the better.
5. Make sure your CV and Cover Letter are top notch. Most recruitment agencies will be happy to help you with this and there are also paid services out there, where they will write your CV and ensure it is formatted correctly.
6. Register and meet with recruitment agencies. Find out who are the most relevant recruiters in your field, and try to meet with them. They are more likely to remember you in future and call you about jobs if they have spent some time getting to know you and find out what you are interested in.
7. Think outside the box! A lot of companies aren't advertising on jobs boards anymore whether as a result of costs or otherwise. Relying on a jobs board to find a job just isn't going to cut it. Again contact agencies to find out who is recruiting or go directly to companies and find out if they are hiring.
8. Make sure you keep a list of the companies that you are applying to: companies tend not to be impressed if they start receiving your CV every day for the same job, or worse, for extremely different jobs. Apply for the jobs that match your skillset the most and keep track of it.
9. Follow Up: If you don't hear back after a few days, whether its a company or an agency, get in touch with them. Find out if they received your CV and what stage they are at with the recruitment process. Don't hound the recruiter but do give them a gentle reminder about you!
10. Stay Positive: Dont be embarrassed about being out of work, you are not alone. If you know you are doing everything you can be to find work, then keep your chin up. When meeting with recruiters and when interviewing, a positive attitude will shine through - and can't really be faked - so stay positive all along.