How to find a job

Advertised vacancies and job sites

This is often the first thing people go to when job searching, and it’s an obvious strategy for a reason but shouldn’t be the only thing you do. Quite often people go straight to job sites, even though they don’t know what they want to do as a way to research the labour market and see what is out there. Whilst this can be one way to get inspiration it is limited; a more effective job search is more nuanced. Job sites are best used when you know exactly what it is you are looking for and the entry point you are pitching yourself at. 

Some job boards focus on jobs from certain talent pools, e.g. graduates, a particular industry or locating to a specific location and be aware that companies will often post the same job(s) on multiple job boards. 

The benefits of this approach are:

• You will see jobs across all sectors and at all entry points that are live and accepting applications
• Smaller organisations with no in-house recruitment may only use these sites

How to use

• Identify the sites most useful to you by exploring and understanding the sector you are interested in
• Set your filters, e.g. by job title, location or salary
• Sign up for alerts
• Update and upload your CV if the site allows
• Sometimes these sites scrape vacancies from other places on the internet. If you see a job you like, go directly to the employer and see if they have it live on their own site – apply from there instead as you will get more information that enables you to make a targeted, fully informed application

Where to look

The list below is not exhaustive, it is intended to get you started. There will be other sites you identify that work for you and your personal opportunity search.