April 16, 2014, by Beth Dawson
7 Ways to Boost Your Job Hunt in Under 15 Minutes
As a busy student, it might seem as if you haven’t got time to think about your career or take steps to develop your plans. However, there are simple ways that you can enhance your job hunt without taking hours out of your study time – or even leaving your house!
Here are seven ways to improve your job prospects that are so quick and easy, you can fit them into your study breaks.
1. Make your research self-generating
When it comes to researching companies, you may feel that you don’t have time to trawl through multiple websites for information. Improve your commercial awareness without putting hours into research by following companies on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Businesses will post their latest news on these social media channels. They may also share links to articles, facts and advice about working in their sector, providing you with a wealth of information to draw upon when applying for jobs which will impress employers.
2. Get opportunities delivered to your inbox
Why spend ages looking through huge databases, when job opportunities can come to you? Sign up for job alerts through My Career and receive regular notifications about relevant graduate positions and work experience placements.
To sign up, simply log in to My Career, search for a vacancies in a sector you’re interested in, then click ‘send me new jobs’ to set up e-mail notifications for opportunities that match your criteria.
3. Watch a video
Give your brain a break from reading and researching: sit back, relax and get great careers advice.
Our videos cover a range of areas including choosing your career, online networking and negotiating assessment centres. If you’re looking for an insight into what a day is like in a particular position or sector, watch ’10 minutes with…’ videos on our types of jobs pages. These bite-sized videos are packed with information about a range of industries from those that know them best.
4. Update your social media profiles
Does your LinkedIn profile look like a blank canvas? Is your sixth form or college listed as your most recent education?
Spend ten to fifteen minutes updating your online profiles to ensure that employers using social media in their recruitment processes get a positive impression of you. Add relevant work experience, voluntary work and extracurricular achievements to your profile. If you have a LinkedIn page, use information from your CV and add links to recent projects you’ve taken part in, so your profile supports your applications. What you can offer an employer should be reflected on your profile, so be sure to update it regularly to reflect your increasing skills and experience.
5. Take a quiz
If you’re not sure what career you want to go into, taking careers tests such as Prospects Planner can help you to generate career ideas that you may not have considered before. For example, with Prospects Planner, you answer questions on your interests, ambitions and preferred work environment that are then compared to a wide range of graduate career profiles to offer suggestions of careers that may suit you. Using tools such as this can help you to develop starting points for your research.
6. Explore your strengths and weaknesses
Make a list of what you consider to be your strengths and weaknesses, or ask your family and close friends what traits they feel apply to you. Comparing your strengths and weaknesses to the type of person that employers say they want to hire in job advertisements can help you to figure out what career you might be suited to. If you already have a career in mind, taking a few minutes to note down your positive attributes can save you time when you come to fill in applications, as you’ll already know characteristics that you can emphasise.
7. Get expert advice without leaving your room
You can ask us a question anytime. Post on our Facebook wall, private message us or tweet your question to @UoNCareers and we’ll put your question to our careers advisers and reply with tailored advice.
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