A Totally FREE Guide to Help you Find a Job

THE OBVIOUS

Update your CV and LinkedIn profile, so that one mirror and reflects the other.  Ensure all the details are correct and get a friend or relative to read over both for accuracy.  

Don’t sell yourself short, make sure your CV truly reflects the person you are. Having a professional CV will give you the very best chance. We have devised templates that will help you to do that, but that will also help to get your application through automated screening software applications that some companies use.  We also have phrases to describe your Skills & Competencies that you can copy and paste into your CV.

It’s also important that you customise and edit your CV for each job application.  For example, if you are applying for a job in an accounts department, ensure that you include a sentence in the introduction paragraph to outline the relevant experience that you have.  Use the same wording that the recruiter has used in the Job Specification/Ad.  Don’t put in anything that isn't true though, just choose your relevant experience and ensure that they can easily see what you have to offer.

All our CV resources can be found HERE

COVER LETTERS

When applying for jobs always include a Cover Letter unless, of course, you are applying through an online application form.  On a Cover Let,ter you can summarise in a few lines why you are suitable for the job, this will hopefully entice the Recruiter to read your CV and offer you an Interview. You will find more information about Cover Letters HERE

SOCIAL MEDIA

Future employers may research potential candidates online, so be sure to keep your personal social media profiles private except your LinkedIn page.  While you may have lovely photos and videos on Facebook, Insta & Tik Tok, we think it’s better that future employers can’t see what you get up to on a Saturday night with your mates.

MORE ABOUT LINKEDIN

A very professional LinkedIn profile is priceless when it comes to job hunting.  We have prepared a whole section on how to use LinkedIn to your best advantage when looking for a new job. Check out more HERE

TREAT YOUR JOB SEARCH LIKE A JOB 

Take your job search seriously, if you treat it like a job by setting time out each day, you will increase your chances of finding success. In this section we also show you how to set up Job Alerts on JobAlert.ie, so you never miss an opportunity. Read more HERE

USE AS MANY RESOURCES AS POSSIBLE

Check out Job Boards, Agencies, and company websites, there are so many places where you can search for jobs.  Apply as quickly as possible so that your CV is reviewed by the Recruiter as soon as possible.  

KEEPING A LOG

Be sure to keep a log/spreadsheet of all the jobs you have applied for and when.  Also, keep a copy of the Job Specification and Job Ad so that you can use it later.  Sometimes recruiters take Ads down and you will find it difficult to retrieve this information again.

NETWORK / NETWORKING

Use your network, and tell people you are searching. Reaching out to people you know is a very powerful tool when looking for a job. Most people will be more than willing to help and the more people you reach out to, the better your chances are. Check out our section on the importance of Networking and how to do it successfully HERE.

SIGN UP FOR ALERTS

Sign up with all job boards and company career pages for Job Alerts. At JobAlert.ie you can sign up for Job Alerts by putting keywords and locations in the search bar and then setting multiple Job Alerts based on your search criteria. Read more about Job Alerts in this section HERE

NO EXPERIENCE / NO PROBLEM 

Don’t worry if you are just starting, we have lots of tips that will help you to land a job HERE.

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS 

It’s NOT always possible for recruiters to find candidates that have experience or education in a particular field within the same type of working environment, so many recruiters will consider candidates that have transferable skills. These are the skills and experience that people have, that with additional training will allow them to successfully work in another role or industry. So basically it will also help recruiters to find suitable staff. Read more HERE

INTERVIEWS

Preparation is key when it comes to being successful at Interviews.  Make sure you have thoroughly read the Job Specification / Job Ad and if you need clarification on anything get in touch with the recruiter before the interview.  Research the company and the person/s that have invited you to interview – LinkedIn will be a good resource when researching people.  See if you know anyone that works at the company, you may be able to get some advice about the process that the company uses or an idea of what they normally look for. 

Ensure you have lots of examples to explain the relevant skills that you have for the role on offer.  To know what will come up, go through the Job Specification / Job Ad requirements and turn each requirement into a ‘Can you tell us about a time when you ….” question?

So, you will have to describe the situation where you used this skill and explain the action you took and the result.   Real-life examples demonstrate your ability and this is what the interviewers will be looking for.  It’s important to have a good few examples prepared and at the forefront of your mind, so you can quickly answer the questions with ease.

If you do not understand a question or you hit a blank, ask them to repeat the question or explain that you are nervous.  Interviewers respect when candidates are honest and an experienced interviewer will try to put you at ease. Remember nerves are normal!

Rehearse for Interviews, it always helps to do a few mock interviews with friends and family members if they can spare the time.  Just give them a few sample questions to run through with you. Check out our extensive Interview Sections below;

Preparing for Interviews, sample questions and answers included

Second Interviews

AFTER THE INTERVIEW 

When you come out of the interview, put it behind – you tried your best and now you should just continue to focus on the next application or interview.  There is no point in wasting time over-analyzing an interview, except maybe to keep a few notes on what you think you need to improve on, like if you got stuck on something.  You can use this experience to do better next time.  Like with any other skill, the more you do something the easier it becomes.

UNSUCCESSFUL INTERVIEW 

Sometimes it can be difficult to recover from unsuccessful interviews, particularly when you have invested so much time and effort going through the process. No matter how talented you are, remember it’s all a bit of a lottery. In this section, we advise on how to keep strong and keep going. But remember you can always ask for feedback from the Interviewer so that you can learn from the experience.  Read more HERE

BEHAVIOURS THAT LEAD TO SUCCESS

In this section, we list 10behaviorss that require little talent, yet have a huge impact on your job hunt. Check out the list HERE

HOW TO DEAL WITH SELF DOUBT

In a large survey conducted in Ireland, 51% of Irish workers admitted having a lack of confidence when it came to applying for a new job. 42% ‘thought they didn’t have strong enough experience, while 18% ‘stated that they are scared of rejection and failure’. In this section, we look at the barriers this presents and how to deal with them- read the full article HERE

NEGOTIATING A SALARY

Don’t sell yourself short, check out our section on negotiating your salary. Figuring out how to get the best possible salary without jeopardizing the opportunity or coming across as cheeky has got to be one of the most difficult things to do. Read our tips below;

Negotiating Salary for a New Job

Negotiating your Salary while in a Job

CHOOSING A CAREER 

In this section, we look at making career choices. Read more HERE

MAKING A CAREER CHANGE

It’s never too late to make a career change. You'll know yourself when the time is right. Maybe you’re dreading Mondays and at times this dread could be consistent throughout the week. Life’s too short – make changes. In this section we look at 7 steps you can take to successfully change your career path. Read more HERE

FLEXIBLE WORKING ARRANGEMENTS

Now that most people have had a taste of flexible working and working from home, it’s only obvious that some people would like to have some flexibility going forward. In this section, we look at how you can successfully negotiate a solution. Read more HERE

USING OTHER SERVICES 

You should never have to pay for professional advice and support when looking for a Job.  Contact your local Government Job Services, they have a lot of support, and training-killing killing opportunities on offer, particularly now following the impact of Covid on certain industries. Read more about this HERE

Best of Luck with your job search, we hope that we have been of some help to you.

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