When you’re searching for jobs it can be hard. Do you use local job sites? National ones? Do you go directly to the companies you want to work for? Do you search online or is it still worth looking at newspapers? There are so many questions, and the answer can be different depending on what kind of job you are going for. Below we’ve made a list of some of the key places you should search for jobs, and how to make them work for you.
Local Job Sites
What’s great about sites like www.jobsinkent.com or http://jobs.lincolnshireecho.co.uk/ (set up by local media) is that they are perfect for finding part-time or casual work if you are looking for a job to earn a bit extra or to get back into employment after some time off. Many of the jobs advertised on these sites are flexible and often they need filling very quickly. You can normally narrow your search to a particular town or area, and can search for different industries as well, meaning if you know you have administrative experience, it won’t take you long to find admin roles near you. Some sites also allow you to create an account so you can save jobs and apply at a later time.
Company Careers Pages
If you are really passionate about working with a particular company this can be a good place to look. If you keep an eye on their vacancies regularly you are more likely to see them early on than if you rely on finding their vacancies on job sites. Many companies also have the facility to add you on to an email list so you are contacted if a vacancy matching your skills comes up. Whilst it’s always worth having a quick look at these sites, it won’t be as efficient as using a generic job site, and is probably only key if you really want to work for a specific company. Also be sure to remember that companies often don’t advertise every job even on their own website, they will sometimes still go only to outside recruiters!
Organisations such as the Families Federations are great places to keep checking, as they obviously have no problem employing military spouses, and they have a mix of part-time and full-time work which are mostly, if not all, based around military towns.
The AFF – http://www.aff.org.uk/work_for_aff/
The AFF have vacancies quite often, and the Army& You website also runs a portal called Jobs&You which has vacancies from employers around the country.
The NFF – http://www.nff.org.uk/news
As The NFF are quite small they don’t have vacancies as often, but when they do they post them as news. Make sure you follow them on Facebook and Twitter too as they always post about their jobs.
The RAF Families Federation – http://www.raf-ff.org.uk/vacancies.asp
The RAF FF have frequent vacancies in a variety of positions including admin and welfare. Their vacancy page gives you access to the job application and full job description as well so it’s easy to start applying and tailoring your CV!
National Job Sites
Sites like indeed.co.uk, reed.co.uk/ or monster.co.uk/ have 1000s of vacancies and you will usually find at least a few in your industry even when you search quite a specific area/town. Always be aware though that vacancies may be duplicated on local and national job sites so it’s good to keep a record of the jobs you’ve applied to. Applying twice for the same job might not make you favourable to the employer! Vacancies on these sites are typically more varied than on local sites too, so you will get more well paid, executive roles advertised.
If you haven’t yet, please, sign up for LinkedIn! Once you’ve set up your profile, it will automatically recommend jobs for you, and you can also browse companies and vacancies. Check out our tips for setting up an account here.
Newspapers
Local newspapers do still have job ads, but most employers now typically advertise online. However, exceptions are teaching positions and driving jobs, of which there are normally quite a few! Nationals, or London newspapers like The Metro, are also great for teaching positions as well as executive or director roles. However, if you don’t normally buy a newspaper, don’t go out of your way, as with the right searching methods online you will usually find the vacancies there.
We hope this helps answer your questions about job searching. The National Careers Service also have some good tips and advice, check it out at https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/getajob/howtofindajob/Pages/default.aspx. And remember, you can always email or ring us with any question, no matter how big or small!
Lifeworks Families – 0800 319 6844 – lifeworks@rbli.co.uk
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