Giraffe Jobs

This article series has been designed to walk you through the entire job seeking process. It has sought to offer help and advice throughout. Some of it obvious, some of it not so.

An employment contract is necessary to protect both you and your employer during your working relationship. It defines your job role, what’ is expected, standards of behaviour and working conditions. It also lists what the employer has to do for you such as pay, working conditions, location and any other details.

If you find yourself in the enviable position of being offered a job, well done! Now it’s time to accept it before they change their mind.

Salary negotiation is probably the most nerve wracking part of working for an employer or getting a new job. For some reason, us Brits have a hard time talking about money in formal situations. Often we sell ourselves short and end up with less than we could have.

If you get to the second interview stage, firstly, well done. That means you have outperformed up to fifty other people to get this far. Now it’s time to build on that success for the second round. While you’re over the first hurdle, the pressure, and potential for success increase.

Contrary to popular belief, most interview questions aren’t tricks, or designed to catch you out. They are framed to see how you cope with difficult situations, and handle yourself under pressure. There is no right or wrong answer, but a right and a wrong way to answer.

It is estimated that up to 70 percent of all human communication is nonverbal. Body language has been a source of sociological study for years, and many conclusions have been made about it. It is now a legitimate source of study which is producing fascinating results.

Telephone interviews were almost unheard of not so long ago. Now they are becoming commonplace. They are increasingly being used to pre-screen candidates before scheduling an interview. With so many people applying for the same roles, it has become almost a necessity to separate those who want the job from those who want any job.

Writing to employers in your area to get yourself noticed in case there is a vacancy has declined in popularity over the years. Most employers use a formal process or prefer to employ a recruitment agency to do the work for them. However, it’s still worth it if you have the time, a computer and a printer.

In a seemingly endless sea of applicants looking for work, it’s easy to get dispirited. It’s hard to stand out from the crowd when it’s millions strong, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.