I need a job, where do I start?

If you’re unsure on where to start and the steps you can take to gain a job, this article will help guide you into making the right decisions for your career.

Looking for a job takes time and patience. Whether you’ve left school and you’re looking for your first job, or you’re a professional with a wealth of experience looking for something different, there’s a lot to consider.  

 and the effects of the Covid 19 pandemic has caused 25% of young people to struggle to find meaningful work. While a significant proportion of the population are unemployed, there is help available to get people back into suitable work.

If you’re unsure on where to start and the steps you can take to gain a job, this article will help guide you into making the right decisions for your career. 

You need a job but you don’t know what you want to do 

If you need a job but don’t know what you want to do, don’t worry! Sometimes just getting a job, no matter what industry it’s in,  is the first step you need to take. Once you’ve gained some experience it can help you navigate your career path better and build some skills whilst you figure out what you want to do. 

Just because you’ve chosen or fell into a role, it doesn’t mean it has to be your career forever. Loads of people completely change career paths every day and that’s perfectly okay. For example, on average 32% of workers between 25 and 44 are considering changing careers and 29% have made a career change, highlighting that it’s quite common for people to change their job role. 

There are also a variety of types of jobs you can take on, such as: 

  • Part-time work 

  • Full-time work 

  • Temporary contracts 

  • Permanent contracts  

If you feel as though you need to have a career path in mind to help you find a role, it may be useful to work with a career coach or advisor, although it’s not necessary. Working with a mentor has many benefits, such as: 

  • They help you understand yourself from a work perspective.  

  • They help you identify the right role for you. 

  • They can help you stay focused on a clear career path. 

  • They provide an external viewpoint on your situation. 

  • They can help you set a job search strategy. 

  • They can help make the stress of not having a job seem a little less stressful. 

You need a job and you can start right away 

One of the great things about being unemployed is that there are jobs where you can start immediately, which is an added bonus for a recruiter as they can hire straight away.  

Temporary roles are also a great way to start working quickly and gain some experience, even if it’s only for a short period of time.  

While temporary work only offers experience for a period of time, it has many benefits, such as: 

  • Giving networking opportunities - While you haven’t gained a permanent role, taking on temporary work can help you build a network that could help you find a permanent role in the future. 

  • You can gain new skills and experience - When you take on new jobs, you’ll always learn new skills and obtain experience that you can carry forward into future roles.  

  • It helps you get your foot in the door - Getting any type of job can help you get your foot in the door. As we all know, it’s hard to get a job without experience, therefore taking on temporary work can help you start your career path. 

  • It helps you keep your CV up to date - Temporary roles can help you fill in any skills gap you may have from taking a career gap, as well as helping you highlight your skills and experience within your CV. 

  • It can help you figure out what career you want to delve into - You can obtain temporary roles within a range of industries meaning you can make a career decision based on the role of industry you enjoyed working in most.  

You need a job and you’re disabled or have a health condition 

If you have a disability and are looking for a job, you may feel anxious about getting back into work. 

Central London Works helps those with a health condition, a disability or those who have been out of work for a long time find a job, by working with a range of health professionals, employment specialists and local community organisations. Working with these professionals can help you overcome any challenges you’re facing and find the right job at the right time.   

Finding the right job should also include working for a Disability Confident Employer that understands the importance of making reasonable adjustments.  

Research from the Family Resources Survey shows that 22% of the UK population had a disability in the financial year of 2020/21, highlighting the importance of companies putting in more effort into making their workplace more accessible for employees with disabilities.  

So, what makes an employer Disability Confident? 

  • They provide an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. 

  • They make reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, so that those with disabilities have the best opportunity to showcase why they deserve the job. 

  • They support employees and make reasonable adjustments during employment.  

You need a job but you have no experience  

Whilst it can be easier to get a role when you’ve got experience, it isn’t essential. There are many opportunities that can help you get your foot in the door without requiring any experience, such as: 

  • Volunteering 

  • Internships 

  • Apprenticeships 

Woman facing laptop and typing

Each of the above are great ways to gain practical experience that can help you land future roles, but how can they benefit you? 

The benefits of volunteering

Volunteering has many positive aspects, including: 

  • It connects you to others - Volunteering allows you to connect with your local community helping you build relationships and make a real difference to people’s lives.  

  • It can help improve your social and communication skills - It’s a great way to improve your interpersonal skills, as you’ll be interacting with people throughout the whole process. 

    The benefits of internships

    Internships have a lot of pro’s including: 

  • They help you build professional relationships - Internships can introduce you to a variety of people in the business in different levels and departments that could help you find a role in the future. 

  • They boost your resume - They allow you to learn transferable skills, helping to boost your CV significantly. 

  • They have the potential to boost your salary earnings - This isn’t guaranteed but, depending on the length and skills acquired during an internship, they could help you negotiate a higher salary due to your experience. 

  • They can help you refine your career goals - They can help you figure out what industry you want to go into through understanding whether you enjoyed it or not. You may be guided through things like tasks or departments you enjoyed working on the most. 

The benefits of apprenticeships

Apprenticeships help you get first hand experience and are available for those over 16 years old. Benefits include: 

  • Providing support systems and learning aids - Apprenticeships tend to offer a higher level of support than regular jobs do, as employers give you the opportunity to progress through your career. 

  • Gaining hands-on experience - As an apprenticeship tends to be a mix of exams and real world experience, you’ll gain a lot of knowledge and skills that will guide you throughout your career, whether it’s in the same industry or not. 

  • You get paid to learn - They give you the opportunity to earn a basic salary while learning! 

  • Gain industry recognised qualifications - These qualifications showcase that you’re qualified and have the necessary skills for future roles.  

    You need a job but you don’t have the qualifications 

Qualifications aren’t the be all and end all, but they help you stay ahead of the competition. Getting qualifications can be difficult if you lack free time, but there are several options that you can explore, such as: 

  • Online courses - These are a great way to earn qualifications in your free time meaning you can spend as long or as little time as you can on them.  

  • Webinars and podcasts - These can also be easily fitted into your schedule and are a great way to build skills that pair well with any qualification you may have or be obtaining. 

  • Reading blogs and books - Books and blogs can be a great way to learn new topics and build additional knowledge on top of your skills and qualifications. 

  • Mobile learning apps - While these may not give you a qualification they can teach you highly desired skills. For example you can use apps like Duolingo to learn new languages, which is a highly desirable skill as it shows you have the ability to learn and retain new information. 

You need a job that’s flexible 

Many people require flexibility around their home life for a number of reasons like needing childcare or looking after an ill family member. After the Covid-19 pandemic, more and more people have been looking for greater flexibility in their job role. For example, 60% of UK workers would like greater flexibility within their workplace. Employees can make a flexible working request from the first day of their employment. Employers have two months to respond to a request and employees can make two requests within a twelve-month period. 

An astonishing 45% of people in the UK would also be willing to take a pay decrease if it meant they got a better work life balance. Obviously having a work life balance has become increasingly important over the last couple of years as they hold many benefits, including: 

  • Improving productivity and motivation 

  • Boosting personal growth  

  • Reducing stress 

 

If you’re looking for greater flexibility there are a number of roles you can undertake such as: 

  • Freelancing 

  • Working from home 

  • Part-time jobs 

  • Roles that allow you to choose your working hours 

These types of roles will allow you to work around your home life and can help you gain practical experience that can build your CV. 

In conclusion if you’re looking for a job and are unsure on where to start, there are a number of things you can do. At the end of the day just taking the first step will get you closer to gaining a role than you were before.  

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