Five top tips for Barking and Dagenham job hunters

Looking for a change but struggling to land the job you want? Applying for jobs but not making it past the interview stage?

We’ve asked Barking-based business leadership coach Philomena Hayward to give us her top five job-hunting tips.

You never know, they could make all the difference.

1. Make sure you get the basics right – ensure your CV is impeccable.

It needs to be easy to read, clear and give the information a potential employer wants to see. The last one may sound obvious but that Grade Three in music may not be relevant if you are applying for a role in a bank. Also remember to check spelling and grammar.

2. Take time to be clear about what you want, the nature of the role, size of organisation and location – what are the things that are most important to you?

3. Research. We all use Google every day and it’s a fantastic way to identify jobs that fit your criteria, rather than cast a wide-net focus.

You can then do more research on organisations that offer those roles. If you succeed in getting an interview it’s crucial you know who are dealing with.

4. Be aware of your online presence.

It’s recognised now that employers also Google. Like it or not, if they find embarrassing photos or posts they will make assumptions about you that could influence their decision.

5. A slightly unconventional one – become a great listener.

Going into an interview ready to give your pitch can stop you from listening to what is actually going on.

Listening means you can adapt and respond in the moment, ask the right questions (because you have done your research) and develop rapport with the interviewer.

To find a host of jobs near you, visit jobs24.co.uk.