Penny Strutton: Don’t go for jobs you are over-qualified for

 

By Nottingham Post  |  Posted: February 14, 2014

 

Tough: It's hard work to get a job interview these days.Tough: It’s hard work to get a job interview these days.

Penny Strutton, a performance and careers coach from Carlton who is chairman of the Nottingham branch of the Federation of Small Businesses, offers some specific advice to graduates who are looking for work

 


 

THINGS are looking rosier in Nottingham, with 9,000 new jobs in a year and the lowest unemployment rate since 2001.

For those who’ve managed to land themselves one of these new jobs, I bet it wasn’t an easy feat.

Vacancies might be on the increase but the number of people applying for these jobs is still high, so regardless of experience or qualifications you’ll still have to work hard to get offered an interview.

This comment probably makes the hairs on graduates’ necks stand up. They’re enthusiastic, educated and raring to go. Why then can they not secure jobs which to them seem menial and un-specialised?

Well, they didn’t spend three or four years at university to devote themselves to working on a shop floor; it would therefore be foolish for any organisation to give a job to someone who will jump ship as soon as something more suitable comes along.

A word of advice, for graduates who are spending time applying for these type of jobs – don’t bother. Your time is far better spent in the following ways:

Identifying the type of organisations you want to work for and start approaching people who work there to supply you with further information. I don’t mean the HR manager, I’m referring to managers of departments where you see yourself fitting in.

Approach these managers with inquiries to find out more; do not ask them for a job! You want to raise your profile and gain as much knowledge about the work area, organisation and industry.

If you feel you could add value to this organisation, follow up your inquiries with a speculative letter. By this I mean, create a “business proposal” which demonstrates what you could bring to the team/organisation and the gap you can fill. Be proactive, show them how you can add value – don’t leave it up to them to think about how you may fit in.

Build your network through social media and face-face opportunities, maintain relationships and work hard to demonstrate your enthusiasm, current knowledge and opinion about current developments. Twitter and LinkedIn are a great place to do this.

Volunteer! If you feel you don’t have experience there are a whole host of organisations out there that would love your skills and enthusiasm a couple of days a week. In fact, the organisations that you are in communication with might value your un paid time – it all helps to get a foot in the door.

By accessing the hidden job market you are remaining one step ahead. If the hiring manager decides they need to recruit, you may be at the top of the list. This all might sound like “in an ideal world” type of nonsense, but believe it or not, 70% of jobs are filled this way.

Stop surfing the job boards, get out of the house and raise your profile. Good luck!

Read more: http://www.nottinghampost.com/Penny-Strutton-Don-t-jobs-qualified/story-20627405-detail/story.html#ixzz2taE0OY8J