GETTING A JOB

How the world of work is changing

Planning a career can be tough in an ever-changing job market. Its not just the job itself youve got to
consider; its the working hours, work environment, pay and training opportunities as well.
or e!ample, not all workers are simply employed by a company. "here are lots more people working
on short and fi!ed term contracts, instead of full-time, permanent ones.
#ome people choose to get temporary jobs through an employment agency. "his means that they work
for different companies for a set amount of time. $ther people work on a freelance basis, meaning that
they work for themselves, but take on short-term contracts for companies. reelancers often have a
great deal of e!perience in a specialised area.
"he workforce is now more skilled and %ualified than ever. &ith employers having a larger group of
candidates to choose from, it can be hard to get into work if you cant show that you have some
%ualifications or skills. "here are lots of ways to improve your range of skills, so speak to a 'areer
advisor to find out how.
ifferent !obs" different types of working
#tarting at (.)) am, finishing at *.)) pm with an hour for lunch somewhere in the middle may still be
considered a working day, but for more and more people its not a reality. #ome jobs, like nursing or
manufacturing depend on using shift patterns, meaning working during the night and early morning.
#ome jobs will be outside, some will be in an office, some will be in a workshop or industrial
environment and some will be more physically demanding than others.
&hen youre applying for a job or planning a career, it may be worth thinking about what sort of
environment you work best in and whether you have other commitments or responsibilities that could
prevent you from having different working hours. "his will make sure that your working schedule fits
in with the rest of your life.
#le$ible working
&orking patterns are now more fle!ible so that workers can balance career and personal commitments.
+any companies or organisations see the benefit in allowing their staff a certain amount of fle!ibility
in their working hours.
#ome people have a right to ask for fle!ible working, but a lot of employers now let employees
organise their work around their home life. "ypes of fle!ibility include
letting people work from home on certain days
allowing people to start and finish at different times of the day
letting more than one person share a job ,job sharing-
.ou may want to find out what sort of working opportunities a company offers before applying for a
job with them, especially if you have responsibility for a child or you are studying for %ualifications
outside working hours.
le!ible working opportunities can benefit everyone/ employers, employees and their families. +ost
employers now recognise that it makes good business sense to provide fle!ible working opportunities
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for their staff.
1le!ible working1 is a phrase that describes any working pattern adapted to suit your needs. 'ommon
types of fle!ible working are/
part-time/ working less than the normal hours, perhaps by working fewer days per week
fle!i-time/ choosing when to work ,there1s usually a core period during which you have to
work-
annualised hours/ your hours are worked out over a year ,often set shifts with you deciding
when to work the other hours-
compressed hours/ working your agreed hours over fewer days
staggered hours/ different starting, break and finishing times for employees in the same
workplace
job sharing/ sharing a job designed for one person with someone else
home working/ working from home

%orking for yo&rself
Instead of becoming an employee of a company or organisation, some people prefer to work for
themselves or start a business of their own. 2lthough most people who work for themselves have
usually built up a number of years e!perience in a particular career area, more young people are
becoming self-employed immediately after they finish studying.
#tarting your own business can be tough; you need to have a business plan and, depending on the sort
of business you are trying to set up, enough money to pay for premises, electricity, power and even
smaller things like stationery and supplies. It can all add up.
%orking and learning
If youre working, it doesnt mean that you stop learning. "here will be lots of opportunities for you to
learn new things, so make the most of any chances you get. 3emember that even skills that do not seem
relevant at the moment may come in useful later on.
#ome employers may pay for the costs of training courses that you may want to take if they feel it
would benefit you in your current role.
If youre in a job that doesnt offer any training opportunities, you may be entitled to time off if you
want to study for certain %ualifications.
#inding and applying for yo&r first !ob
"o get your first foot on the career ladder, you need to understand what makes a good '4, how to
perform well in an interview and what you should e!pect from one. 5eing prepared to work hard and
having an on-going commitment to learning new skills will help you progress to your dream job.
Help with finding a !ob
6o matter what sort of job youre looking for, youll need to know where to look. 7ob vacancies can be
advertised in a number of different places, including/
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job vacancy websites
in local or national newspapers
at recruitment agencies
college and university career offices and notice boards
shop windows
If youre interested in finding a job in a particular field, its worth investigating which employment
agencies and websites speciali9ed in that area. "his will cut down on unnecessary searches.
B&ilding on yo&r skills
&hen youre applying for a job, you will usually have to describe how well your skills and previous
e!perience fit the job description. :ven if youre short of e!perience in the workplace, there are key
skills that employers look for that anyone can demonstrate. "hese include/
good communication skills
evidence of teamwork
building working relationships with others
computer and I" skills
"hink about what you have learned from school or college and any skills you have from activities that
you have taken part in. or e!ample, you might have/
created your own website or blog
been a member of a sports team
2ll of these e!amples use skills that employers look for, as well as general ones like showing initiative
and commitment.
'(s" co)ering letters and application forms
&hen you have found a job you think you could do, there are different ways that companies may ask
you to apply for it.
'&rric&l&m )itae *'(+
2 curriculum vitae or '4 is a short document that lists your personal details, skills and e!perience.
:mployers will decide whether to ask you for an interview based solely on this '4, so its important
that its accurate, describes you in a positive way and matches the job description.
'o)er letter
&hen you send in a '4, you will often be asked to accompany it with a covering letter.
.ou should use the letter to sell yourself, e!plain why you are suitable for the role and describe how the
information in your '4 is relevant to the job that youre applying for.
&hen youre writing the letter, you should/
keep it to a ma!imum of one side of 2; paper and emphasi9e your suitability for the role
always use a computer to write it, unless the job advert asks for a handwritten letter
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include the job title or reference number of the job youre applying for
get someone else to check it for spelling mistakes before you send it off; dont rely on a
computer spell check, as these can often be unreliable
Application forms
#ome companies will ask you to fill in an application form instead of sending a '4. If you are asked to
complete a form, remember to/
read and follow all the instructions carefully
draft out your answers on a notepad first and get someone else to read through them
dont just cut and paste your '4 into the form = this looks la9y
be truthful and highlight how your skills relate to the job as much as possible
Going to an inter)iew
If an employer likes what they see in your application form or '4, you may be invited to go to an
interview. 2s well as a chance for an employer to find out more about you and judge whether you
would fit the job, its an opportunity for you to ask %uestions about the job to see if its what youre
looking for
5efore you go to any interview, make sure youve done a bit of research about the company. >ook at
the companys website to see what work theyre currently doing and find out about any recent
developments. #howing that you have an understanding of the wider industry as a whole will make you
stand out from other interviewees.
"here are some common sense rules that you should follow/
make sure you know where the interview will be held and who you will be speaking to
be on time
even if its a casual workplace, dressing smartly will always make a good impression
tell the truth; if you lie in an interview and are asked to go into more detail, it will be obvious
that you dont know what youre talking about
once the interview is over, ask at least one %uestion about the job itself
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