Just because you have an employment gap in your CV doesn’t mean that you’re unemployable! The daunting task of trying to find a job after a long period of unemployment can make you feel overwhelmed and you may find yourself putting off your job search for fear of rejection. Here are our 8 tips for breaking free of long-term unemployment and securing your next job!
Volunteer
Volunteering is a great way to gain some extra experience and get you back into the routine of working. It can reduce the gaps in your CV between jobs and help you to get a foot in the door. Lots of businesses in a wide range of industries have volunteering opportunities, so it’s possible to expand your skills and without having to gain extra qualifications.
Don’t Lie!
Lots of people make the mistake of lying on their CV about an employment gap. Lying can be very risky! It’s far worse than your employment gap – if an employer finds out it can harm your professional reputation and you could lose the job.
Narrow Down Your Search
It’s important that you narrow down your job search as much as possible. Searching for anything and everything will leave you with a list of hundreds of jobs to filter through and will make your job hunt over-whelming. Narrowing down your search to a specific location, job role or salary will make your job search easier and far less time consuming.
Network
You don’t have to go it alone! Using your personal and professional network can help you get out of your job search rut. Friends, family and past employers may be able to give you some valuable advice about your job hunt, highlighting what might be going wrong with your search and how to improve. They may also be able to point you in the direction of employment opportunities that you wouldn’t find searching online.
Get a Hobby
Having a hobby will show an employer that you’re being active during your job search and aren’t simply sitting around doing nothing. Hobbies can also be a great talking point in an interview and any skills developed, as a result of your hobby, will help to make your CV look more impressive.
Re-evaluate
If you’ve been looking for a job for a long time it might be worth taking a step back and re-evaluating what it is you’re looking for. Take a look at your current skills and compare them to what is required for a specific role. If you don’t have the necessary skills or experience you may need to think about looking for a different type of role or perhaps find a course that will help you to gain the skills needed for the job you’re searching for.
Stay Up to Date
If you’re looking for work within a specific industry it’s important that your stay up to date with any new trends to ensure what you put into your application is relevant. It’s also important that any licenses or certificates are updated as needed so your employment prospects don’t suffer.
Stay Positive
Lots of applicants fall into the trap of listing weaknesses in their application to show their personal and professional development. This will harm your employability! It’s important to stay positive when writing your application – an employer only wants to know why you’d be a good fit for the role, not why you’re unsuitable.
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