How Do I Find The Job I Want?

Before you start your job search, you need to understand what job you are looking for. Finding the job you want means being proactive, and there are certain steps you should consider if you want to be successful.

How to conduct a job search

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Did you know that 70% of jobs are never advertised so it is a good idea to apply to companies and organisations for employment opportunities on a speculative basis as well as respond to advertised vacancies. If you are planning to work in Wales or are a graduate from a Welsh Higher Education Institution, you could use this GO Wales site to find out what opportunities are available. Realworld magazine has excellent information on how to find the job you want and related careers advice. More general advice is available on the Hobsons Graduate Career Centre site.

The more organised you are, the more quickly you will be successful. The hardest part of job-hunting is knowing where to start.

Your first job is to find a job.

Where to find vacancies

Local Job Centre: Check out vacancies in your local job centre. It may help you to focus your job search on a particular geographical area. If you are having problems finding the job you want you could consider a paid work placement either on a temporary or part-time basis as a useful way into work. It will certainly provide you with contacts, work experience, and a wage, and may lead to a permanent position.
Press (local and national): Do some research to find out which jobs are advertised on which days, and make sure you don't miss out on the jobs that are relevant to you. Local newspapers also carry vacancies - for example, if you are looking for work in North Wales, check out your local newspaper. The Western Mail is the main resource for opportunities in Wales.
Agencies: You could also register with recruitment agencies such as Reed. Some of the best careers come from some temping jobs and there is always a lot to learn from any job about what you like and dislike and how you interact with others. You could also look at Jobs in Wales.
Search online: For graduate jobs in Wales, try Totaljobs which lists opportunities across Wales. You could also look at Monster Wales.

Understand job trends - Labour Market Information (LMI)

It will help your job search if you are aware of job trends, locally and nationally. Specific information on job trends in Wales is available through GO Wales. If you are looking for a particular type of work, you may consider focusing your search on a geographical area where there is a shortage of people in that profession. Similarly, identifying job trends may change the way you approach employers, and will certainly help you to sound more informed when contacting them. Further information on employment trends in Wales is also available on Big Wales.

Create contacts - Networking

This is the key job hunting tool of the 21st century and the least understood! 70% of jobs are never advertised and you can develop your networking skills to find them.

Networking is not about using 'old boy' networks or pestering people for work or information, but about building two-way relationships between people.

So what networks can you build on? Don't underestimate your own personal and social network. Networking begins at home! Contacts can be friends, family, tutors and lecturers, career advisors and alumni. The university environment is rich in potential networks. You can use the contacts in your network to find out more about the organisation you are thinking of applying to or about the career you are considering entering. They may be able to provide you with introductions or names, pass your CV to colleagues, or offer information and advice to help you achieve your career goal.

Working overseas

Overseas work offers you the experience of living and working in another culture. Information on working overseas is available from your university careers service or in your local public library. Consider contacting the appropriate embassy or high commission to find out more about the country you are intending to work in.

There are several agencies and publications which advertise international opportunities. Support4Learning lists several websites to explore. The Times Educational Supplement advertises teaching posts, and other UK newspapers would also be useful.

A popular option for overseas work is language teaching, either as an English language assistant in a school. Apply through the British Council. Usually no TEFL qualification is required. To find TEFL courses, try Europa-pages, or Dave's internet cafe which also lists vacancy details and country information.

There are also specialist graduate organisations such as AIESEC or IAESTE which will enable you to work overseas in a wide range of fields, from engineering and technical to administration for a short period of time.

We would also encourage you to visit your University Careers Website. University Careers Websites have a lot of information for their graduates which may help you.