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We hope you’ve all had a great Christmas spending time with loved ones, sharing lots of laughs and good food. We’ve settled back into the office after our team have enjoyed a well-deserved break to rest and recharge.

Christmas is a great time to sit back and take stock of life, the universe and everything – including your job. You might be among those who are thinking of a change of career, or, sadly, have lost your job and are looking for a new opportunity.

If you are an employer, you might have used this time to plan for the new year and assess staffing levels and devise a strategy for filling any vacancies and, if necessary, increase your headcount.

Whatever your situation, we’ve devised a list of tips to help you increase your chances of landing a new job this year!

Here’s our 6 top tips

  1. Clearly define your skillset and what type of job you would like. This may sound like going back to basics, but it’s an important first step to take. This will determine what type of role you are suitable for, whether it involves working with a team, using technology, etc. By narrowing down your criteria, you will be able to hone your search.
  2. Be methodical and consistent. Stay on top of your applications, and tailor your approach for each role to better increase your chances of success. Set some time aside each day for this.
  3. Check you have the right skills for the role. If a job spec asks for specific qualifications as a necessity, you will probably be wasting your time by applying if you don’t meet their criteria.
  4. Tailor your application to the role. As mentioned, don’t be generic, be specific. Demonstrate how you have the right skills and aptitude for the role. Tailoring your application is more time consuming, but you are more likely to grab the attention of the employer or recruiter.
  5. Research the company you are applying to. Social media – especially LinkedIn – is useful here. You’ll get nuggets of information which will help at the application stage. Understanding the company ethos and values will certainly come in useful if you get to the interview stage.
  6. Follow up. If you hear nothing, there is no harm in reaching out and asking the company or recruiter if they’ve received your application. Similarly, if you are turned down, ask for feedback and extend your gratitude for their consideration. You may get some helpful suggestions on how to tweak your application for the future.
  7. Apply to an agency. Agencies will help you with your application and forward your details to the hiring company, as well as offering you support you through the process and help to improve your CV and identify roles that you could be suitable for.

We hope this advice will be useful if you are looking for a new role this year. We have lots of vacancies available and would be happy to have a friendly chat about securing your future.

If you’re an employer, we would also love to hear from you. At 24-7 Staffing, people are our priority. We are a local, independent recruitment agency covering Wiltshire and Bristol. Get in touch!