Job hunting: Action plan

Creating your own job-hunting action plan helps you feel in control and makes sure your time is focused and profitable

Knowing yourself and what you want 

• Write a list of all the criteria you're looking to find in a job. Vacancies often list a person specification; this is your version for them.
• Consider everything that might make you satisfied or unsatisfied - from day-to-day tasks to the work environment, right up to big questions of purpose, motivation and reward.
• Talk to family and friends about where they feel your strengths lie.
• An appointment with a careers adviser can be helpful if you're finding it difficult to decide what you're looking for.
• Use what jobs would suit me to find job ideas and develop a shortlist to research.
• Use psychometric tests to learn more about your abilities and where your strengths lie.

Researching your career options

• Use your university careers service for information on employers who may be recruiting at your institution.
• Talk to people working in the job areas you're considering at careers fairs, events, through contacts or by networking.
• Read what people in your industry are discussing by joining LinkedIn  groups, searching for people on Twitter  or reading blogs about the industry.
• Use job sectors and types of jobs to research your job ideas.

Making a decision

• It's rare to be 100% sure about a decision, but think about which concerns you can alleviate by talking to the employer, those in the role, or by doing some work shadowing to experience it first hand.
• Friends and family can help weigh up the pros and cons of different options, or your careers service can help.
• Consider forming a plan A, plan B, plan C list; it's good to have back ups if your first ideas do not work out.
• There's not just one job out there that's right for you, but many that would suit, so consider a wide range of options.

Developing your skills

• Consider what skills employers want. Familiarise yourself with common selection criteria for your chosen field and think about whether you have all of the required skills.
• If there is a gap in your skills, you might not need a course to fill it. You'd be surprised what you can teach yourself or learn through different types of work experience and/or volunteering.
• Build on your career interests. Keep learning by joining societies, professional associations, a relevant LinkedIn group, and reading blogs and publications. You could even showcase your learning through your own blog or public social networking channel, such as Twitter or YouTube.
• It might be that postgraduate study could help develop the relevant skills that you need. Research courses thoroughly and talk to those in the job field to make an informed decision about how a further qualification could be of benefit.
• Other short courses, such as those offered through adult education classes, college courses or distance/online learning, can also be beneficial.

Making applications

• Research the field, potential employers and recruitment deadlines, and begin to plan for them.
• Make sure that any visible social profiles of you, e.g. on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, are professional and consistent in case a prospective employer finds it.
• Don't apply to anything and everything. Focus your applications on what you really want and spend your time making a smaller range of high quality applications that are truly competitive.
• Apply early if you can. Early applications invariably have fewer competitors for the employer's attention.
• Give yourself time to complete your applications. Every single one needs to be tailored to that specific role and selection criteria. Don't use a generic CV or covering letter.
• Get feedback and advice on your CV and applications from your careers service.
• For more information, see applying for jobs and CVs and cover letters.

Reviewing your progress

• Set a series of realistic goals for yourself and times to review them to identify how you are progressing.
• When you review, be honest. If your strategy isn' working, it could be time to change it.
• Follow up when you haven't been successful to learn from your experience.
• Stay focused on your strengths and not your weaknesses.
• Keep talking to people, learning from them and gaining support from friends and family.
• Keep researching - it'll pay dividends at interview and beyond.
• Stay motivated by structuring your time to include breaks and rewards.
• Keep positive!