Are you worried about your job?

GONE are the days when finding a job meant perusing the job adverts in newspapers, sending the recruiter a CV and covering letter in the post and, if all went well, being invited to come in for an interview. If you haven’t dipped your toe into the job market for a while, you might find things are a little different.

Nowadays, you are more likely to search online for a vacancy and email in a short CV with a crisp cover letter explaining why you are the best person for the job.

If you make it to the interview stage, then this is likely to be online – but more about that next week.

There are several online channels that you should consider utilising in your job search, not just for finding a suitable role but also to raise your profile. These include:

LinkedIn: specifically for the business community, LinkedIn is a good place to start your search – 94% of recruiters use the network.

Employers view a LinkedIn profile as your personal brand, so it is crucial to keep your details up to date.

You can also include testimonials from colleagues and clients, and add links to your CV, website and other social media accounts.

Instagram: more than 25 million companies worldwide use Instagram for business, and some 200 million users visit at least one business profile every day. The site is regarded as a key tool to discover what is going on in a marketplace, area or industry.

Google: for research, links and leads don’t forget this stalwart search engine. But, remember, it takes practise to research efficiently and drill down to the precise details you need.

A personal website: there are many free platforms and simple templates available to help you create a website and they are relatively cheap to host.

Ensure your site is clean and simple with clear contact information.

Social media links and regular updates help create traction and pushes you up the Google search algorithm. Job-search websites: specialist job-search engines – such as Office Angels, Indeed, Total Jobs, Hays, Reed, Prospect and Monster – offer the ability to specify job type, salary and location in your search; register and let them work for you. Company and newspaper websites: it’s cheaper and easier for companies to advertise vacancies on their own website, so it’s worth keeping an eye on those that interest you; while those jobs advertised in newspapers will also appear online. Facebook: useful for networking, researching companies and following those organisations of interest, as well as raising your own profile. Twitter: the microblogging service enables you to make connections, find job listings and build a personal brand that will help boost your career and further your job search.

If you would like to learn more about looking for work in today’s market, contact Wokingham

Job Support Centre – a free and confidential local service for job seekers.

Until next week, good luck with your job hunting. For more information, visit www.wjsc.org.uk, tel: 0118 977 0517 or email jobsearch@wjsc.org.uk.