Steps to a New Job

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1 Update and Organise your CV

LOOK BACK What have you done? Look at how your job or responsibilities have changed over the last year. This includes those all-important (but easy to overlook) transferrable skills. All the skills and experiences you acquired may be useful in your new CV. Did you take a sabbatical, did you run a charity campaign, did you learn a language, and were you given new responsibilities at work? Analyse all of these things and highlight them in your new CV – especially if they show career development and ambition.

REMOVING/KEEPING CONTENTYou CV should be concise and compelling. It is there to make employers want to meet you; to get another look at you. We all know how recruiters and employers only spend a few seconds scanning a pile of CVs so the first thing that has to go is waffle. Get rid of anything that doesn't have a direct bearing on the jobs you are seeking or which doesn't tell the reader something about you and your qualities. Equally importantly. Don't be sentimental about keeping the old material.

Sometimes you have to let something go which you think is good. The guide here is to ask yourself “is this good ‘thing' really relevant to the job or career I am going for?” In other words try to keep your CV relevant at all times.

You only have so much room on a CV – usually it's one or two very well-written, compelling pages. Everything on there needs to be tightly edited and earn its place on your CV. Obviously, if you only have a few skills and experiences you have to ‘point them up' but avoid repetition as this looks clumsy and desperate.

HELPFUL LINKS

CV QUIZ

PHRASES TO AVOID

AWESOME WORDS

CV TEMPLATES

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LAYOUTYou've got the content and you've edited your words carefully to make them interesting and powerful. So what about layout? A poorly laid out CV, with information is a visual turn-off. Not only that but having a poor layout means that your reader has to go looking for information about you. So no matter how good your story, your CV is hard to read and takes time to digest - time which, unfortunately, most employers won't take.

If you are unsure how to layout a CV, take a look at some of Monster's CV templates which can really help you get your information in order.

Remember, Monster also has cover letter templates which show you in a few clear words how to write the perfect cover letter to accompany your CV.

TIME FOR A TEST DRIVESend your CV to some friends, colleagues or even old college tutors for some brutally honest feedback. Try and segment it into categories and see what worked and what didn’t.

• Did it grab you?• Was it interesting?• Did it take too long to get to the point?• Was the information easy to read?• Was the information relevant?• Did your CV reflect your best points?• What was the tone of the CV - confident/over confident/arrogant?

HELPFUL LINKS

CV QUIZ

PHRASES TO AVOID

AWESOME WORDS

CV TEMPLATES

We mentioned a few things you may want to dig deeper on:

- Do employers actually read cover letters?

- Good CV writing

- Defining your USPs

- Upload a CV on Monster

- Browse our CV Advice

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2 Plan your Job Search

HELPFUL LINKS

INDUSTRY ADVICE

STAYING MOTIVATED

HIDDEN VACANCIES

INDUSTRY CV TEMPLATES

PLAN LIKE A PROJECTIf you want your job search to be successful you should treat it as a project. The key elements of successful projects are:

Setting goals - Detail the job, the company, the location, the salary, the working hours or anything else that might be important to you.

Setting schedules - It's impossible to know exactly how long your job search is going to take, but you certainly don't want it to last forever. Set a few milestones, such as having your CV completed within one week, having contacted ten recruitment agents within two weeks and having been to five job interviews within a month.

Gathering resources - You're not going to need many resources to conduct a job search, but you will need some. Regular access to the Internet to check responses to applications is one.

Acting quickly - if you see a vacancy you want, don't sit twiddling your thumbs, get your application over to them Obviously don't skip the important step of tailoring and your CV.

Adjusting often - if your job search isn't going to plan, don't just keep knocking on the same old doors. Be prepared to switch strategies and try different avenues towards employment.

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HELPFUL LINKSMAKE A CHECK-LIST

• Why do I want a job?• What type of company do I want to work for?• Where will the jobs I want be advertised?• Do I have the skills I need to do the job I want?

EXPLORE ADDITIONAL AVENUESAs well as uploading your CV and conducting and online job search, be prepared to cast your net further to attract the widest audience possible.

Attending career fairs is an efficient investment of time and effort during your job search because you can directly approach a great number of employers in one day, handing out your CV to company representatives .

If the companies you're targeting aren't at the fairs, don't worry, get in touch with them directly to make a prospective application. Find out the name of the hiring manager and get in touch with them directly, explaining why you think you're worth a chance at their company.

PATIENCE WITH A DOSE OF PERSISTENCEIt's easy to get discouraged if you don't get interviews right away but it's important to remain positive.

Keep track of all your applications, all your contacts and all your communications so you know at the drop of a hat exactly where you are with each. If you don’t hear back after a week, ask them how the process is coming along and if you can provide any more information that would help them make a decision.

Often in life, opportunities, like buses, all come along at the same time. You may find that two or even three openings will come your way after a period of getting no responses at all.

INDUSTRY ADVICE

STAYING MOTIVATED

HIDDEN VACANCIES

INDUSTRY CV TEMPLATES

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3 Interview PrepHELPFUL LINKS

VIRTUAL JOB INTERVIEW

ANSWERING QUESTIONS

CALMING NERVES

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

ONLINE SEARCHThe company’s website is the best place to start. It shows the company as it would like to be seen and the products and services they offer. You’ll get a feel for the corporate style, culture and tone of voice. Check out the annual report and look for a press or company news page.

As you filter all this information, consider how the role you’re applying for relates to the company’s mission. You may also be able to use the site’s search facility to discover more about the person or people who will be interviewing you.

INDUSTRY SOURCESIt’s not just information about the company you need – you should also have a good background knowledge of the industry so you can impress at the interview. Browse through business publications and websites to see what they are writing about your potential employer and their industry. Go through top stories by market trends on sites like BBC and the Guardian. Google News is also excellent at aggregating multiple sources to bring you relevant stories.

If you’re already in the same industry as your potential employer, it may be possible to discreetly ask colleagues or your suppliers if they know anything about the company you’re interested in.

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HELPFUL LINKSPREP TIMEThis is the bit most people forget to give enough time to, so don’t get caught out. Just like when you’re going into an exam, feel confident that you can field any question they throw at you, and try to feel as good about yourself as you can. It shines through.

Here are a few top tips:

• Have a mock interview with a friend • Be sure you know the time, date, location and interviewer names• Decide how you will get there and anticipate delays• Prepare wardrobe the night before• Take only the essentials with you • Ready all CVs, certificates and references the night before

GRAB A HIGHLIGHTERSit down with your CV and make notes, just as if you were preparing for an exam. Study your work record and what you have achieved. How do you see yourself? What have you done? What ambitions do you have? Make notes and prepare and rehearse sound bites about yourself. Do this out loud, even if it makes you feel weird.

Try to relate specific areas of your CV back to the job description. It will make it clear to the interviewer why they should hire you.

Remember, one of the most common interview questions is “Tell me about yourself.” Prepare a balanced and succinct answer to this question, not a life history. Keep it business like and don’t stray into personal feelings or family relationships. Avoid anything to do with politics or religion like the plague.

VIRTUAL JOB INTERVIEW

ANSWERING QUESTIONS

CALMING NERVES

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

We mentioned a few things you may want to dig deeper on:

- Top 5 interview tips

- Phone interviews

- Second interviews

- Assessment centres

- Browse our interview advice

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4In the WorkplaceHELPFUL LINKS

NETWORKING

HANDLING DAY ONE

YOUR NEW BOSS

OFFICE ROMANCE

INTEGRATE INTO A NEW TEAMAfter you've survived day one in a new job, you're next task is to make sure you become a valuable member of the team.

Get off on the right foot and it's going to be peaches and cream - foul it up and you could find yourself back on the job market sooner than you thought. No newcomer is bigger than a happy and efficient team, even if you came in with top billing and a salary to match. It's your job to get on with them and fit into their way of working, not the other way round.

GET TO KNOW THEM It may be useful to try and get some information about your new colleagues during the process of accepting a job offer. As ever, information is power.

Try and find out how long each team member has been at the company, what positions they've held, where they've worked in the past and what are some of their interests. You never know, even your higher ups could share your love for music and movies - making that “click” instantaenous.

You may also want to know if there are any romantic links between any members of the team so you don't put your foot in it.

Socialise and build your reputation without over-doing it. You’re still the new guy and it will take some time for everyone to warm up to you.

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HELPFUL LINKSKNOW YOUR LIMITSNo one goes into a new job aiming to fail, but it's easy to make life difficult for yourself if you don't keep an eye out for a few common errors.

Top of the list is going in with too many expectations. Be realistic in what you aim to achieve, especially in the early months, and don't set yourself up for a fall. By the same token, if your new boss expects unrealistic results from you, address the issue quickly before it becomes a problem.

Don't be tempted to think you have all the answers. You may be coming in to sort out a problem, but take your time to get to know the operation properly first before making a snap judgement. You also don’t want to come across as an arrogant “know-it-all”.

NETWORKING

HANDLING DAY ONE

YOUR NEW BOSS

OFFICE ROMANCE

We mentioned a few things you may want to dig deeper on:

- Socialising at work

- Managing your time at work

- Make your journey to work more enjoyable

- Resolve conflict with a colleague

- Browse our work-place advice

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