Just like anything in life, the key to successful job hunting is to prepare, prepare, prepare! You'll need to have a strategy you simply can't fly blind when it comes to your career.
Decide upon the job you want by researching industries, trades and professions that best suit your interests, talents and personality.
So, let's get you started!
I's the person (ie. the recruiter or hiring manager) who gets you the job, but it's your application that gets you the interview. Prepare a professional looking resume and cover letter that can be emailed, printed or mailed.
Do everything you can to help your CV stand out, from including volunteer work, a brief summary about what you're looking for, to highlighting your sporting and academic achievements.
If you are concerned you don't have this information to add to your resume or cover letter, it would defintely be worth getting out there and gaining some volunteer experience or join a sporting team!
It's really about standing out from the crowd and showing a potential employer what YOU can bring to their organisation!
Download our easy to use resume templates for a head start
We get it, this can be a frustrating process! Many jobs are filled before they are advertised, there may be limited jobs going in your area and there are often hundreds of applicants applying for the same job roles which can make the job hunting process a little challenging!
But most importantly, don't give up as perseverance is key!
It is definitely worth utilising all methods of job hunting when it comes to finding your dream job. Some employers like it old school and advertise their job vacancies in the local newspaper. It is also worth talking to your personal network like family friends or working friends who may have heard of some opportunities where they work or in nearby businesses. Your connections can be very useful when it comes to finding work.
There are multiple online platforms to submit your resume. This gives you a chance to search for a range of roles that suit your interests and match your strongest skills.
Be sure to check out the Skillsroad Jobs Board for a range of casual, part-time, full-time roles, apprenticeships and traineeships. If you can't find any vacant roles in your area have a look online across other jobs boards, as some employers tend to post to multiple platforms.
One way to approach employers is to "cold canvass".
Basically, this means approaching an employer at their workplace about the possibility of working for them. Seems scary, we know… but on the plus side, it means you can target a business you want to work for instead of waiting for a job to become available.
Be sure to take a resume and cover letter with you. An employer may follow up at a later date if they don’t have a vacancy immediately.
Trust us, it’s as simple as it sounds!
Calling a business that has not advertised any vacant jobs to check in and see if there are any jobs available can prove to be very productive.
Group Training Organisations (GTO's) employ both apprentices and trainees and hire them out to different businesses on a short or long-term basis.
This approach enables smaller businesses to take on apprentices and trainees, even though in some cases they cannot provide apprentices and trainees with the broad range of skills needed to complete their training.
GTO's place apprentices and trainees with a range of small and large host businesses who provide on-the-job training.
For a list of GTO's in your area, visit Group Training Australia.
Last tip! Just because your dream job isn’t open right now, doesn't mean you shouldn’t be doing everything you can to make sure you’re a perfect match for when it is available.