Finding a job

• Staying positive
• Making the most of your money
• Looking for a job
• Applying for a job
• Improving your job interviews
• Making yourself more employable
• Working for yourself

• Keep motivated
  It can be depressing if you’re rejected for a job, but use it to your advantage by getting feedback from employers to help you prepare for next time. Get more motivational tips from Directgov.
  
  
• Build up your self-confidence
  Rejection knocks your confidence, so find out how to boost it to feel more confident (Careers Advice) if it’s dipped a bit lately.

• Stay in control
  Use our Budget calculator to see how much money you’ve got left after expenses, and our Cut-back calculator to see where you can make savings.
  
  
• Don’t miss out on financial help
  Find out what financial support you may be entitled to in the form of State benefits (Directgov) or other help. For example, you may be able to get financial support (Directgov) for getting to your job interview, when you start work and if you’re bringing up children alone. You may qualify for an interest-free budgeting loan (Directgov) for help with important costs. If you’re learning new skills, find out if you can get help paying for your learning (Careers Advice).
  
  
• Don’t panic if financial difficulties lie ahead
  Talk to your mortgage lender, landlord or other creditors as they may be able to help. Read our mortgage arrears checklist or get rental arrears advice (Directgov).
  
  
• Get free debt help
  Advice agencies can give you free help and advice to help you manage your money and sort out a way forward with your creditors.

• Network
  Make contacts to help you find unadvertised jobs – around 60% of jobs are filled without being advertised! For help developing your networking skills, read the beginner’s guide to networking (Careers Advice).
  
  
• Search online
  You can get a guide to online job sources from the Careers Advice Service or use one of Britain’s largest databases for job vacancies from Jobcentre Plus below.

Search for a job

What job are you looking for?

Where?

• Sign up with recruitment companies
  There are many on the high street and on the internet. If you can’t find suitable vacancies through recruitment companies you’re using, you can try to find a more specialist one that meets your needs in the directory of recruitment companies (The Recruitment & Employment Confederation).
  
  
• More help
  Directgov has advice on where to look for jobs and job hunting tips. You can also contact Careers Advice for help and advice.
  
  
• Help for graduates
  Get tips about looking for graduate jobs and specific information on graduate jobs in London from the Greater London Authority. If you’re a parent, you can get help to understand your child’s feelings and help to support them from A parent’s guide to help graduates find work (pdf) (Department for Business, Innovation and Skills).
  
  
• Help for young people
  Get advice on finding a job from The Site or Young Scot.
  
  
• Find jobs at the FSA!
  We always have job opportunities.
  
  
• Or in the public sector
  A wide range of public sector careers (Directgov) is available, such as nursing, teaching, the armed forces and the emergency services.

• Market your key skills
  Make an impact with your covering letters and CV by getting covering letter tips and CV tips from Careers Advice.

• Prepare and practise interviews
  Get Directgov’s tips on preparing for an interview to help you feel more comfortable. Practise interviews with people you trust and feel comfortable with to help you improve your answers so they’re clear and concise as possible.

• Voluntary government schemes
  Ask your job centre about signing up to voluntary government schemes (Adviceguide) to help gain valuable skills and experience.
  
  
• Government training schemes
  Find out about off-the-job and on-the-job training programmes (Adviceguide), including apprenticeships, to learn new skills and gain qualifications.
  
  
• Find a course
  Search through over 900,000 courses in the UK. Get help from the Careers Advice Service on how to choose a course, and find the one right for you using their courses database.
  
  
• Volunteering opportunities
  Whether you’ve got a few hours or a weekend, there may be opportunities for adults (Directgov) and opportunities for young people (Directgov) in your local community or further afield.
  
  
• Postgraduate study
  It’s an option for anyone with a good first degree. Postgraduate study may help you study a subject in more depth or retrain for a new career.

• Consider setting up your own business
  You may be able to take advantage of opportunities even in these tough times. Businesslink has advice on how to start a business, and the Princes Trust gives young people help and finance. Our Working for yourself guide has useful financial tips to help you get started.