Find yourself an Irish job
Searching for jobs in Ireland might necessarily not be a hard task even during the economic downturn. Although Ireland is heading for 17% unemployment there is still reason to be positive due to the amount of new jobs being created. However job seekers are going to find the competition for work is ever increasing. This doesn't mean there aren't jobs available, they are, we just need to improve our job seeker strategy a little.
Improve your CV and resume
Improving your CV and resume is a good start. This is the recruiter or employer's first chance to establish if the candidate is right for the position
Sell yourself in the resume
The Cover letter or resume will be the first thing a recruiter or employer will see. There will be a lot of others before and behind you so make sure yours is well written using good grammar and formatted clearly. Sell the benefits of employing you, look at your resume from the employers perspective and ask yourself 'what do they want to see'? Then highlight the benefits of employing you in the cover letter.
Start with a good title such as 'sales professional with 7 years experience in acquiring new sales' - write something the employer wants to see
Back up your claims in the CV
Make sure the CV is written clearly and formatted appropriately, start with your work history first and follow this with education and other work experience. You should focus on the work you have accomplished and experience gained.
Sell yourself
Think of yourself as a business. How would you sell your business, how would people find you so you could make money? There are lots of ways, including talking to your friends, otherwise known as the 'word of mouth effect'. Generally speaking to people and improving your network will help a lot, many jobs are filled this way.
Put an advert in the paper
Taking out a small classified advert in the local paper can also help. People read the classifieds all the time looking for all sorts of things, why not sell yourself?
Make a website
With the simplest of website creation tools such as Blogger which was used to create this blog, it is easy to create a website to talk about yourself and show off the benefits of hiring you. This is a simple, quick and an easy way of advertising yourself when finding a job
Professional networking site
Sites such as Linkedin help you connect to other professionals that you meet and allow old employers to 'recommend you'. This is a good way to build your portfolio with testimonials from people saying how good you are.
Knock on the doors of Irish businesses
I am saving the best until last. My favourite is to get out there and knock on the doors of business and ask for work. People love gutsy people who put themselves out there and simply ask for work.
Give employers your business card (and CV)
A business card is more likely to stay and been seen on a recruiters desk than your (and everybody else's) CV. It serves as a quick reminder to people about who you are and what you do. So get some printed today and start handing them out,
Leave your business card around
You can leave your business card anywhere you like, in pubs, social centres, clubs, wherever people congregate. But be aware, it's a good idea to always ask first in a private area and avoid littering, as this is illegal.
Follow employment news
By following employment news you will keep your 'finger on the pulse' and know when and where employers are hiring. Be sure to call these companies up and speak to the HR department about how you can benefit their company.
