How best to find a job, how best to leave a job, what educational courses to do to fast track your career to the next stage, how to structure your CV, how to approach interviews, what job to decide upon, how to negotiate the best package, how to hand in your notice, the list goes on and on and it can sometimes seem as if there's no light at the end of the tunnel.

It can be a lot easier though, and if you take a little time out to properly prepare yourself for these things, it will definitely be time well spent. If you approach the job seeking process in a methodical and measured way, your chances of identifying the right opportunity are far more likely to materialise.

So make sure to ask yourself a few questions and that you have the answers to these questions before you go out looking for that perfect job.

First off you need to be clear on why you want to change your job or, if it's your first job, why you want this job in particular.

Secondly, you need to be clear on what steps to take to ensure you put your best foot forward?

Thirdly, you need to know how best to prepare for interviews and how to negotiate the best deal when it comes to talking about remuneration.

Here is a list of ten steps you might like to consider before you decide to go looking for a job. Some may be relevant to your situation and some may not but there will definitely be some tips here that you will find useful if not now, then certainly at some future point in your career. Why not refer back to this from time to time and cherry pick what you need as and when it seems relevant?

Top ten steps:

1. Know why you are leaving and what kind of job you are looking for.
2. Develop a career plan and outline a specific career path you would to follow (look at educational advancement here also).
3. Look at your most recent CV and make sure it is completely up to date and includes the experience gained with your most recent employer.
4. Research.
5. Agencies.
6. Interview skills.
7. Job Offer Evaluation.
8. The Package.
9. Handing in your notice.
10. Counter offers.

1. Know why you are leaving and what kind of job you are looking for:

You have obviously decided that you want a new job but do you know why you are looking and exactly what kind of job you want? To be clear headed before an interview it is important to have a good idea of what you want so that when suitable opportunities arise you will recognise them for what they are. It will also make it easier for you to leave your current employer should they make an attempt to get you to stay. When you have a clear picture in your head of what you want it is easier to be more focused on what you're trying to do.

[back to top]

2. Develop a career plan and outline a specific career path you want to follow (look at educational advancement here also):



Before you look for a job, sit down with a piece of paper and work out a two, four and six year plan for yourself. Give yourself milestones you want to reach over that period of time and try to imagine how those milestones can be achieved. You might want to look at what educational advancement you can achieve over this period of time also and what promotions you would like to acquire and whether they can be realistically acquired with your current employer. If you feel your goals cannot be achieved with your current employer then it is probably time to make a change - this is where Globester can help.

[back to top]


3. Look at your most recent CV and make sure it is completely up to date and includes the experience gained with your most recent employer:



A CV document is one of the most important personal documents you will use throughout the course of your life. It will define where you ultimately work, which in turn can define your general financial well being and stability for the future. Most people invariably spend more time at work than they do at home, so it is of vital importance that you make sure your personal career aspirations and needs are catered for. To do this you need to ensure that your CV accurately reflects your career to date and is a concise reflection of what you have achieved so far. In order to ensure that it flows easily, try to make sure you avoid unnecessary and flamboyant rhetoric. The document should be concise and to the point and structured in a way that it puts all of the salient points first and all subsequent points after this in an ordered and organised fashion.

[back to top]


4. Research:

Make sure you know where you can identify opportunities that are advertised in your chosen area of expertise and become knowledgeable about when and where these roles are advertised. There are many specialist websites and publications available to you and you need to ensure that you make yourself aware of all the opportunities available at any given time. You should also decide on just one recruitment agency you want to deal with as dealing with more than once can confuse the issue, particularly as agencies tend to deal with a lot of the same companies - again, this is where Globester can help.

[back to top]


5. Agencies:

Using agencies is a sure fire way of identifying suitable opportunities very quickly in a pro-active and professional manner. Please be aware though that it's best to check out the level of professionalism agencies offer initially and having reviewed a few, choose one that meets your needs on this level. As mentioned previously, why not just use Globester? Others have and are more than happy with the service we offer.

[back to top]


6. Interview skills:

Preparation for interviews is one of the most important aspects of your job search. If you are not prepared, you really won't do as well as you should have. For an in-depth synopsis on how best to approach interviews, please see our interview tips here (link to Globester Interview Tips page)

[back to top]


7. Job Offer Evaluation:

Assessing whether a job offer is a quality job offer is something that can be difficult to do particularly if you haven't given it the right amount of consideration and thought. You should weigh up the merits of a prospective job offer based on the following criteria:

Is the work of interest to you?

Do you feel that career advancement is likely with this company in the short to medium term?

Do you get on personally with the person you will be working with and do you think could you work closely with them?

Does the offer meet all of the aspirations you had when you decided originally to look for a job

Is the location suitable for you?

Do you feel like you will be challenged by the work and is there an opportunity to learn new skills?

Is the remuneration or overall package at the right level for you at this stage in your career?

[back to top]

8. The Package:

When you began to look for work, you probably had a particular idea in mind about the salary you would ask for if the company decided to offer you the job. Although this is an important aspect of any job offer, you also need to look at the overall package they are offering and compare it with what you are getting from your current employer or indeed what the general norm is within the marketplace. Things you should watch out for are:



Is there medical or dental insurance on offer?

How many holidays per annum does the company offer?

Is there flexitime or overtime in place?

Is there a company performance or personal performance bonus on offer?

Do they offer membership to a gym?

Is there a company car or car allowance on offer?

Is there a likelihood in the future that you might be offered share options in the company?



Another key thing to bear in mind is how the overall market is performing at a particular moment in time. Sometimes, because of this, you may not be in as strong a negotiating position as you might have been previously. You need to be flexible if the market is in recession for instance as you might not find other suitable employment for some time if you don't take the role that is currently on offer.

[back to top]


9. Handing in your notice.

Remember that you should never hand your notice in until you have received a formal job offer from a prospective employer. You don't want a situation where an offer is made verbally but due to unforeseen circumstances, it is revoked after you have already handed notice in with your current employer. Always ensure that you have a formal letter of offer or contract of employment before you approach your current employer to tell them you have decided to leave.

[back to top]

10. Counter offers.

If you receive a counter offer from your current employer, try to remember the reasons why you wanted to leave them in the first place. It is a commonly known fact that most employees who accept counter offers from their current employers leave them within the following six months. Ask yourself why they are coming up with a better package now and not months before, when you might have thought of an increase in salary as something earned by you on merit rather than a desperate attempt by them to keep you because they have no-one else to do the job

[back to top]