Where to look for work

Where to look for work

Sometimes the amount of options available to you online can be overwhelming. This is a list of some of the most useful resources that can help you in finding work:

• Where To Look For Jobs

  Indeed

  Total Jobs

  Simply Hired

  Monster

  If you put 'school leaver' into the search bar on these websites, you will find opportunities that are more relevant for your age group.

• Further Websites That Can Help

  LinkedIn. You may have heard this one mentioned before. This platform allows you to create a profile and make 'connections' with local businesses and other LinkedIn users. A beginners guide to LinkedIn can be found here. 

It might be good to set aside some time per week to check these sites. This way you are kept consistently informed on new postings when they appear.

Though the job search these days is primarily achieved online, there are certain part-time roles where you may want to seek the opportunities in person.

You could talk to your neighbours and local residents about assisting them with day-to-day jobs, cleaning or gardening for example. You could check in with local businesses and offer to distribute leaflets for them (and even create the leaflets if you are design-savvy!). Certain roles may be more likely found on community noticeboards and Facebook groups, such as baby-sitting, dog-walking or shopping for the elderly. 

So it is important to have an idea of what kind of work you are looking for. Complete these sliding scales and you can see which of these areas interest you the most.

Sliding scales feedback

Knowing what you are looking for may change your approach on how to find work. You can find more suggestions on the E4S website here.

Interviews

Once you have started applying for work, either online or in-person, it is only a matter of time before an employer invites you to an interview.

This can be a daunting experience for some. They want to find out if you are right for the role, but also whether the role is right for you. It is important to remember that your employers will understand that you may be nervous, and that it may be your first interview. 

Having said that, it is always useful to prepare for an interview. If you go into it with the aim of 'winging it', the employer will be able to tell. Considering the questions you may get asked and planning some answers is one of the best methods of preparation.

Though before that, you must consider what you are going to wear to your interview. Looking presentable and smart is an important factor.

Feedback

Some of the answers you may have come up with could be; showing that you are taking the opportunity seriously and putting effort in, because many roles require you to wear a uniform or displaying professionalism.

Imagine you are attending an interview got your favourite local food and drink place. Below, we have provided some of the more common questions you may be asked and a text box to help you revise answers.

Things to think about

Knowing a little bit about the company and preparing some questions to ask them could also help win them over, as it shows curiosity and initiative.

Remember that the employer already has your CV. They know quite a lot about you. To prepare for when you are asked the dreaded ‘tell me about yourself’ question, write a statement that summarises the key aspects of your CV, including one strength and one interest. This is one of the questions where how you deliver your answer that is equally important, so being prepared is essential.

Try it now.

Strengths and Skills

For more detail and guidance on how to answer these questions, plus a whole load more, check out  article on the Total Jobs website here.

When thinking of answers to these questions, consider your strengths and how you might apply them to the given job. For example, if you are interviewing for a position at Tesco’s, how might a positive demeanour improve the customer or your co-workers experience? The term soft skills is used to describe skills that will be useful in all jobs, things such as time management and problem solving. 

What soft skills do you feel you could confidently present in an interview?

Below are a series of statements, complete the sliding scales on how much you agree with the given statement.

Your next steps

You can now look at where you have scored high and consider how you can prove this on your CV and in an interview. Or you can look at where you have scored low and consider how you might improve in these areas.

These answers may also govern what kind of part-time role is best for you. If you have scored high in decision making, perhaps hospitality is a good route. If you have scored low in the last statement, retail employers may feel you are not a good fit.

Alternatively, if you have recorded low numbers in all these scales, it may be that you simply lack the belief in your own abilities. If this is the case, try our activity on confidence building here.

Wrap-Up

Remember, there are an enormous amount of resources available online to find work and prepare for an interview. If you haven’t already, check out the first part of this series where we talk you through building a CV. Our next segment is for when you have your job offer and provides advice on how to prepare for your first day.