Track down your perfect job
The right job for you is out there - all you've got to do is find it
Top Tips
- Want to change career direction? Try volunteering or doing work experience to find out more about your chosen field.
- Don't be afraid to apply on spec. Look around Scotland's top employers and new projects to decide where you'd like to work.
Dominic Sumners is co-owner of
Online Media Experts, an advertising agency specialising in online recruitment, which advises clients who recruit heavily in Scotland. He says: "You can use the Internet to search company blogs and sites, and there are also forums about large companies. If you're going to use a recruitment consultancy, find a specific one for your field. Recruitment fairs are a great opportunity to see people face-to-face and get a feel for the company."
Recruitment websites, also known as job boards, are one of the most effective ways to find your next job, but other sources of finding work, such as careers fairs, can be well worth a try when you're tracking down your perfect job.
Topics in this section:
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Recruitment websites
Recruitment websites and job boards are a great time-saving tool for making sure you cover your area of interest thoroughly.
For more information on job websites see
Make the most of your online journey.
Recruitment consultancies
Recruitment consultancies play a crucial role in the jobs market, matching jobseekers with vacancies. Most consultancies use recruitment websites to advertise their vacancies but it's also worth registering with them directly and uploading your CV onto their databases so they can connect you with relevant vacancies.
Consultancies may want to interview you face-to-face before sending you to see any of their clients.
Make sure you sign up with consultancies specialising in the sectors that you're interested in. Larger employers tend to have a list of preferred recruitment suppliers.
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Careers fairs
Careers fairs are a good way of finding out about several employers at once. They're always useful for getting information and often recruiters taking part in the fairs have vacancies they want to fill.
More information on careers fairs:
Jobcentre Plus Scotland, which runs regular job fairs across the country, advises jobseekers to:
- Treat fairs like job applications. Research the organisations you want to talk to and be prepared for any questions you might be asked.
- Take copies of your CV with you and present yourself as you would at an interview - be smart, positive and interested.
- Buy a copy of the fair catalogue and find out what the employers taking part are looking for and what vacancies they have on offer.
Getting work experience is a good way of finding out more about careers and employers in the sector you want to work in. Students and school leavers are encouraged to organise work placements, but there's nothing to stop people who are looking to change careers from trying one out.
The idea is to go into an organisation for a set period and help out for free. In return, you should get a view of how the organisation works and what jobs people do.
Alternatively, look on corporate websites or contact the companies you're interested in and ask if they have any placements available.
You'll have more chance of success if you approach finding a work placement as if you were looking for a paid job. Send a CV and a covering letter outlining why you want a placement with that company and be prepared to be interviewed.
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Voluntary work
Volunteering can be a great way of making the contacts and gaining the experience you need to get a paid job. It can be fun too.
More information on volunteering:
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Speculative applications
No-one knows how many jobs are filled without being advertised - it could be anything up to a half of all vacancies. If there's a particular organisation you want to work in, it's always worth sending a speculative letter and CV to the relevant manager.
To maximise your chances of success, your letter should:
- be addressed to a named person
- make clear that you understand what the organisation does
- set out what area of the business you want to work in
- say how your skills and experience match what the organisation needs
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