Brand new year, brand new job?

Are you in need of a career change this new year?

Dave Waller, representing the Jobcentres across East Riding, wants to share with you his top tips for finding work in 2017. Getting a new job is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions people make, but don’t get lost in the crowd – there are plenty of ways to make you stand out when applying for work.

1. Firstly, make sure you’re looking in the right place for jobs – you can use the internet, newspapers, recruitment agencies and Jobcentreplus centres across the country.
2. LinkedIn has a big recruitment section – have you got an account? If not then consider it. It’s free, and a great way to demonstrate who you are and what experience you have.
3. You don’t have to be receiving state benefits to use Universal Jobmatch, the government-run jobs website – you just need to create an account. There are up to one million live adverts at any one time, and an average of 4.5 million job searches every day.
4. When writing your CV, think about what you’ve learnt from previous jobs or what you’ve learnt in school or college. Include examples to show your experience.
5. If you’re worried about your age, don’t include it on your CV. There’s no requirement to do so.
6. Even if you’re short of experience in the workplace, there are key skills that employers look for that anyone can demonstrate including being able to communicate well with other people, evidence of team work and IT skills – you can have developed these through hobbies or at home.
7. Some companies will ask for a covering letter. You should use this as a way to sell yourself and explain why you’re right for the job. Also, it’s worth getting someone to check it for spelling and grammar mistakes – it’s not enough to rely on a computer spellcheck.
8. Make sure you research the organisation, to see what work they are currently doing and to find out their latest news. Showing you have an understanding of the industry will also set you apart from other interviewees.
9. Dressing smartly, being on time and asking at least one question about the role you’ve applied for are also good ways to impress interviewers.

Anyone currently claiming working age benefits including Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support and Universal Credit, can contact their local Jobcentre on 0345 604 371 for further help and advice.

Our Goole has teamed up with Jobcentreplus to bring you all of the latest local job opportunities. This month we’ve launched a brand new job tab on our website that we’ll be updating daily with vacancies across Goole, Howden, Selby, Hull and the surrounding areas.

Visit www.ourgoole.co.uk/local-jobs or like Our Goole Job Board on Facebook to see all of the opportunities available.