The Job Hunter's Handbook [antikvár]

2 WHSMITH JOB HUNTER'S HANDBOOK I Working out what you want to do One of the biggest decisions you'll ever make is what to do with your working life. Maybe you're about to embark on your first job and want to make sure you start off in the right career. Maybe you already have a job but you feel that it leaves you unfulfilled or that it's leading nowhere. Either way, it's time to decide what job to look for, what career to pursue, what sector to work in. Those are some tough decisions, but Part 1 of this book ('Making a Start') will help guide you to make the right choices. Chapters 1-3 help you to discover what kind of a person you are, where your strengths lie and what work environment would suit you best. So now you've established what you're looking for, but how do you go about finding it.? There are so many avenues to explore - recruitment agencies (in the high street and online); job vacancies in newspapers and trade journals; direct applications to specific companies; using old contacts or forging new ones (which is one of the best ways) - it's difficult to know where to start. Chapter 4 examines these issues and points you in the right direction. I What are the steps in the recruitment process? Once you've pinpointed those ideal jobs and companies you'll be targeting, it's time to sit down and write that all-important job application. And the cornerstone of any job application is the CV. Part 2 of this book. Applying for a Job' (Chapters 5-11), looks at how to prepare, construct and present your CV or application form so that it underlines your greatest strengths and plays down your weaknesses. The most important thing is to ensure that in the recruiter's eyes you stand out as a great fit for the job. The issue of covering letters - what to include and how to structure them -is dealt with separately in Chapter 9, while proforma application forms (including electronic ones) are examined in Chapter 11.