So you want a new job, you’ve decided that you’re going to leave your current job to restart on a new career path. But what’s the best way to go about doing this?

Thankfully nowadays we’re a world away from circling the classifieds and pounding the pavements to hunt for a job, you can find everything you need online. Here’s how…

Why Go Online?

Using the Internet is a fantastic way to not only find jobs, but to also be found by potential employers. Brimming with opportunities and making job searching quicker and more efficient, searching for your new career online is easier than ever. So what do you need to know to really maximise your search?

Where to Start

It can be pretty overwhelming when you’re looking for a new job. There are so many sites that can help you find what you’re looking for, but you may feel there are too many and you’re not sure where to start.

So, before you go online and start searching what should you do to get off on the right foot?

Firstly, it’s important to consider what it is you’re looking for long-term, not what you want right now. Analyse your current job and assess what you don’t like about it and ask yourself if you could change anything, what would it be? Equally, if there are parts about your job you do enjoy, make a list of things that you can transfer to a new job.

Next, think about who you want to work for. You may have a specific company in mind or you may just have business qualities that you’re looking for. Again, add this to your list. Whilst you don’t necessarily want a list of dos and don’ts to restrict you in your job search, it’s important to have specific criteria to benchmark opportunities against. Otherwise you could find yourself taking the first job that comes along and feeling no more satisfied than you do in your current role.

Outline your career path; what do you want to achieve, how do you envisage yourself getting there and how will you motivate yourself to get there?

It’s easier to navigate through the job sites if you know exactly what you‘re looking for, so once you have defined these steps, it’s time to head online.

Job Sites

There are a few ways to approach your job search online; you can either type the job you want directly into a search engine or you can access job sites and search their database using their navigation to refine your search.

Ensure your CV is up to date, upload it to a few job sites and set your specifications – they will then email you relevant jobs straight to your inbox. Once you’ve done the initial search, job sites will continue to send you appropriate jobs as and when.

There are lots of options available on job sites, so it’s important to refine your search to job sector and location. You’ll save yourself a lot of effort by sticking to what you want, rather than scrolling their archive or having irrelevant jobs emailed to you.

The same goes when applying for the job – don’t take any old job just to build up your resume; if you’re changing careers you want it to be right.

Social Media

Social media is a fantastic resource to have to hand and employers use it more than you may think when looking for prospective employees. They even use it to get an overview of what you’re like after you’ve applied for the role. Therefore, ensure your social media platforms are all up-to-date and appealing for employers before you start applying.

It’s wise to have a bit of a clear out of your profiles; you need to think of these pages as an extension of your CV not a place to showcase drunken pictures from the weekend. Don’t let this scare you into making your profiles completely private or, even more dramatically, removing your social media presence all together – as this may indicate you’ve got something to hide.

These platforms aren’t just for would-be employers to examine you, use them to your advantage, too. Follow companies and explore their profiles to see what they’ve been posting. Feel free to retweet, comment on posts and tell them this in your interview too – it shows that you have an interest in their brand, and that you’ve done your research.

Follow job sites’ social media as they may post relevant jobs for you and search career related hashtags and interact with them too.

If you’re going to tweet, do it about something interesting. You can also pin certain tweets to the top of your profile, ideal for ensuring potential employers see the posts you want them to.

Join groups and forums on sites that will help you further your career. LinkedIn should be your best friend as a vast number of employers are using LinkedIn to search for potential employees.  So be sure to update your profile and get it looking as impressive as your CV.

Remember that social media could land you your new dream role.

Managing Your Time Online

It can be really easy to get lost online. We’re all guilty of going online for one reason and getting nowhere after hours of surfing, spending crucial time online shopping, reading unrelated articles or catching up with our social media.

Looking for jobs can sometimes feel like a full time job in itself, so it’s important to maximise the time you do have, otherwise it can not only feel tedious, but laborious too.

Furthering Your Education

Asses your qualifications and identify the professional qualities you bring to a job. Then you’ll be able to add some weight to your application.

Courses and qualifications are a great way to bulk out your CV. This is particularly important if you’re looking for a career change; you may not have any lived-in experience but you’ll have qualifications and study merits behind you.

Once you’ve assessed your qualifications you may realise that your skillset is lacking a certain something. Seek out educational opportunities where possible – companies such as Logic4training offer a wide range of courses that will help you gain crucial qualifications when applying for new jobs, ensuring your CV stands out above the rest.

Author bio

Logic4training is one of the UK’s leading building services training providers, delivering electrical, gas, oil, plumbing and renewables courses, with new entrants routes available for people looking to up-skill or change careers.

Contact Logic4training today to get ahead with your new career.