Helping you in your job search

The last year has been challenging for many of our customers.

As we get ready to welcome many of you back on-board, others will be looking for a job in a post-pandemic world.

There’s plenty to be positive about. As the economy starts to re-build, organisations are kick-starting their recruitment plans. Northern’s Job Seeker Scheme is also on hand to help with generous discounts to ease you into a return to work.

Job Seeker scheme

•  50% Discount on anytime day tickets, off peak day tickets and season tickets for up to 3 months with a Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount card
• Don't have a Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount card and claiming Jobseeker allowance? Apply for one now at your nearest Jobcentre Plus (criteria applies)

Navigating the job market: top tips

We’ve also teamed up with Nina Lockwood of Intuitive Interim & Executive Search to bring you expert advice for standing out in today’s job market.
Let’s get started with the basics:

Finding your calling

• First and foremost, what are your strengths, your key skills and what do you do really enjoy doing? Could you make a career change?
• Thinking about these things upfront will make your job search as focused as possible – and that you are applying for roles where your skills will be needed and welcomed, which in turn gives you a better chance of success.
• Most skills are transferrable so just because you have always worked in a particular industry does not mean that you have to stay there! Ask your friends, family and previous work colleagues for their thoughts too… it is usually easier for other people to see what we are good at than it is for us to see it for ourselves.

Refresh your CV

• With a list of roles you want to apply for, you need to be ready with a strong CV that represents you in the best light.
• What’s most important here is the value you’ve added to your time with previous employers. Not detailed job descriptions.
• For example, did you improve anything such as processes/ways of doing things? Did you save the company any money by reducing costs or make more revenue through increasing sales? What feedback did you receive on the way you performed from your role from your Line Manager, colleagues or customers?
• It might be useful to apply the ‘So what?’ test to your CV before pressing ‘send’ on an application! Read each statement and ask ‘so what does this mean for this application?’, making sure that you are clear how this experience means for this specific opportunity you’re applying for. Taking the time to tailor your CV is always time well spent.

Your personal ‘brand’

• These days, a CV isn’t the only way to promote yourself. Potential employers will be looking at your social media presence for further clues on what makes you tick and how you present yourself to the outside world, so you should do an audit on what your Facebook, Instagram etc say about you.
• Depending on the type of role you are looking for, then the professional networking site LinkedIn can be a good way of building your personal brand, raising your profile and standing out from the crowd.

Prepare for the ride

• Unfortunately, applying for a new job can be a numbers game. It can feel soul destroying to put yourself forward and not to get a response or an invitation to interview.
• However, stay focused, go back to your list to remind yourself of your strengths and key skills. And, most importantly, keep going.

Shining in the interview

• When the invitation to interview does come through, this is your chance to really shine!
• There’s every chance that the first interview (or more) might be conducted over video call and so you should be prepared to present yourself in the best possible way. Check out this handy guide from our friends at Intuitive!
• In a nutshell, preparation is key! Make sure that you have read the job description in detail, making notes of examples you can share for each of the skills that are required. Researching the organisation that you are hoping to work for is critical too. There is so much information available online, so at the very least you should be doing a thorough trawl through the website.

Hitting the ground running

• Congratulations! Having persevered with your applications, presented yourself well during the interview process … you receive the news you’ve been waiting for, a job offer!
• A chance for a new start, so plan your approach and prepare for success.
   

Nina Lockwood

Nina Lockwood is the Founder & Managing Director of Intuitive Interim & Executive Search.

Intuitive provide exceptional Board level and senior management talent to organisations across the UK Rail Sector, covering both Executive Search and interim management consultancy.