Steps to employment
Step 1: Career Planning
Look at yourself: what are your likes and dislikes, your strengths and weaknesses? Find out about different industries, companies and jobs. Identify sources of information to help you, search careers and company websites, attend company presentations and speak to people employed in careers that interest you and then consider whether you have the skills employers are seeking for these jobs.
You may wish to talk through your ideas with a Careers Advisor at CEEC or alternatively attend courses and events available through LUMS CEEC. Plan Your Career and Me PLC events along with a range of industry specific courses commencing in October 2010 may be of particular interest.
Step 2: Acquire Job Search Skills
The job market is highly competitive: to compete effectively you need to understand how it works and acquire a range of skills such as CV writing, making applications, along with interview and assessment centre skills.
CEEC and LUMS CEEC can help you succeed. Attend an employability advice clinic or the Get that Job! event (term time only) to help you complete a winning application and perform well in an interview or assessment centre.
Step 3: Make Applications
Identify the skills and experience that the employer is looking for and be prepared to sell those qualities at interview. Remember you are competing with many other candidates: the candidate who wins through will be the one who convinces the recruiter that he/she most closely matches the recruiter's ideal candidate. Identify the qualities which make the ideal candidate for that job: look at the company website; attend presentations and discuss with your Careers Advisor. Be aware of closing dates and act in good time. If you intend to apply to many different companies, it may be worthwhile to write the closing dates on a wall-planner.
You make also find it useful to attend an employability advice clinic to discuss your options or alternatively may find it useful to attend one of many courses commencing in October 2010 designed to help you through the selection process.
More Information on October 2010 LUMS CEEC courses coming soon
Step 4. Review Progress
A successful job search can take some months so it is a good idea to review your progress periodically. Are you making applications but not getting invited for interviews? Are you getting interviews but not winning job offers? Discuss your progress with your Careers Adviser to see if there are ways of improving your success rate.
When you do get a job, remember to let your Careers Advisor know.
