How online job hunting works
If you only do one thing...
Register with the recruitment websites most relevant to your skills and local area. Make use of all of the tools they have on offer to make your job seeking easier.
Topics in this section:
Online job hunting is an easy, efficient and fun way of finding a new job or career. Employers in the UK want more people to apply to their vacancies online and are making it easier and easier for candidates to reach them.
Before embarking on your online job seeking journey, it's worth thinking about the practices, processes and jargon you are likely to come up against. Our guide will make it easier for you to understand how it all works.
To top
Recruitment websites
Job advertising is no longer done solely via newspapers and magazines. Increasingly, a number of jobs are advertised on the Internet, on recruitment websites (also known as job boards).
Many employers and recruitment agencies are now using recruitment websites as a preferred source of recruiting as they have the advantage of being able to reach a large number of skilled candidates in shorter time frames than other methods such as newspapers.
To top
Types of recruitment websites
There are a number of different types of recruitment websites:
- Those that focus solely on a specific industry sector (e.g. IT and Telecoms)
- Those that focus on a job function (e.g. Marketing)
- Others that are more general and cover a range of sectors and job roles, and finally
- Sites such as JOBJOURNEY.co.uk, which focus on a location and within this a range of different job categories.
This means that as a candidate, you need to ensure that you identify the recruitment sites that are best suited to your needs, and include these in your search so that you do not miss out on the large number of vacancies they advertise.
To top
Helping recruiters to find you
When you register with a recruitment website you have the opportunity to upload your CV into its CV database and set up a profile showcasing your skills. It is always highly advisable to do this as recruiters increasingly pay a premium to be able to search CV and candidate databases to find their next candidate. In fact many will often ‘headhunt' and contact candidates directly who may not have applied to their vacancies.
To top
Your CV
Have a CV ready that you can tailor to the specific job for which you are applying. Jobseekers often have the option of completing a short covering message to accompany their CV so be prepared for this too.
Check out our advice on writing a CV and covering letter to make sure your skills stand out.
To top
Jobs by email (JBEs)
Take some of the pressure out of your job seeking by saving your job searches and opting to have new jobs that match your criteria sent to you by email. In this way you can be sure that you're one of the first to know about new vacancies.
To top
Application Forms
Online forms enable employers to store your data on their system in a way that is easy for them to retrieve and compare applications. Employers may ask you to fill in their application form via the recruitment website where they have advertised their vacancy or you may be redirected to their own site where the application form sits. Read our advice on
dealing with application forms for more information.
To top
Screening questions
The ease of online job hunting makes it tempting for jobseekers to apply for jobs for which they are not qualified. To deal with this, recruiters have introduced what they call ‘screening questions' that sift out candidates who don't meet their minimum criteria. There are usually only three or four questions that candidates have to answer before submitting a formal application.
Find out more about screening questions
To top
Feedback on your application
Once you have applied for a job using a recruitment website, a copy of your application will automatically be sent to the recruiter. You'll need to remember that whilst you will receive a confirmation of your application from the recruitment website, it is the recruiter themselves that will assess the specific details of your application and respond to you regarding this directly.
To top