JOE meets a recruitment agent to find out these 8 valuable job hunting tips

Advice from an expert.

Finding a job can be a stressful experience because it seems like there are so many steps, processes and stages that need to be navigated. If you're currently looking for work or just seeking a new challenge, then some of these tips might come in handy. I met Malwina King, a director at one of Ireland's largest recruitment agencies, Sigmar Recruitment, to get some practical advice and tips. Finding the right job. If you're looking for a position, then there are a variety of websites available, but the number one thing to remember is that you have to make a decision that you're actively going to allocate time to look for a role. That takes commitment and time. Realistically, this means you'll be reviewing multiple job boards, applying for roles, taking calls and using social media platforms on a daily basis. Time management skills. I would literally go on every website that contains jobs that you're interested in and check them daily. I would also encourage people to set themselves reminders. The key thing is to make a conscious decision and say to yourself: "I'm going to set some time aside to look for a job." There's so much information available, everything is online these days, so if you're not on top of things and looking around then you won't get the results that you're looking for. Make a decision, commit to it and stay on top of everything that's advertised. Are cover letters necessary? Cover letters are becoming a little bit of a relic from the past to be honest, that's due to the volume of applicants for each individual role. If you feel like including one then keep it short. The average recruitment agency might be sent 500 CVs a day and people will usually just delve into the applicant's experience and skills. If you feel like writing a cover letter, I would just use a couple of sentences as opposed to an essay. What should your CV look like? Quick and accessible information is key. In relation to the CV, the most important word here is 'specific.' It's important that you know every detail of the job that your applying for. You need to put as much information down on your resume that's relevant to the job. For example, if you're applying for a position that's non-managerial then there's little point in stressing just how much of a 'leader you are' if it's not relevant to the position. Essentially, it's about being clear, to the point and providing factual information. How should it look? The cleaner and easier it is to read, the better. Bullet points, one font, line spacing and margins can make a huge difference because employers want something that's easy to read. The person looking at you're CV should know within about 10-15 seconds if you're the type of person that they're going to employ. Personally speaking, I don't have a problem with people having a couple of pages on their CV but only if it's relevant to the job. For example, if you're a graduate then you shouldn't be having your C.V at 5 pages. The situation might be different if you're the head of a division with 20 years experience though. Use your common sense here because anything that's over 3/4 pages really has to be worthwhile. How to prepare for an interview. It might sound harsh but any lack of preparation is pure laziness. In this day and age, every piece of relevant information is available at your fingertips. If you go into an interview and know nothing about your employer, then that's a very loud and clear message to them. If we are to be concise, the one thing that you have to be is extremely specific. Know the role inside-out and learn about the team and the company. You need to know exactly what the company does and you need to be very clear about why you what to work here. Don't fall into these traps. Many people provide an answer "I want to work for this company because it's a large multi-national company that offers good career progression." This answer is as far away from being specific as you can be, it's extremely vague. You need to give the employer a very detailed reason as to why you want to work here. What do they do best? What does this company have that others don’t? Explain why you choose to work for them as opposed to any other business. There's a side to this also, you have to know why someone would want to hire you. You have to be able to sell yourself to a certain degree. Know what your values are and specifically the three things that make you perfect for this role. Everything here though has to be relevant because most people just talk about their achievements and what they're proud of. It has to be tailored for the job that you're looking for. Imagine yourself in the employer's shoes. Why is there a job opening, what do they need, why do they need you? What makes a successful candidate? Many candidates are successful based on the fact that they have a skill that no one else has. That's very clear-cut. But in the majority of case, the reason why people haven't been offered a job is that they weren't able to represent their skills better than the successful candidate. Sometimes it's not actually 'objective' ability but rather the ability to translate and express your skills. Always refer to examples of your previous work because if you can make your experience seem real to the employer then it's easier for them to hire you. There's no such thing as preparing too much.  If you're being put forward for the job through a recruitment agency then ask for background information. For example; is the interview formal or more conversational? Is there a test involved? Is it a new role? Did someone leave the role?   The most common reason why people don't get hired is due to a lack of preparation. Basically, people just arrive at an interview, know a couple of lines form the company website and think 'ah sure it will be fine.' It won't be fine, especially if there are five other people that are looking for the same job that have prepared better. Mediocre doesn't get a job. Many thanks to Malwina King of Sigmar Recruitment for giving us her time and these tips.