Question: How can I develop an effective job search strategy?

Answer: Applying for jobs is a time-consuming and mentally exhausting task. Even for the best prepared amongst us, attacking the job market involves facing many unknown factors and having to react to variables out of your control. You may like to think about treating your job hunt like a project.

You can then divide it up into easy-to-tackle segments: Focus your search This includes gaining an awareness of yourself as well as what you want from your job.

Use tools such as Prospects Planner (found in http://www.prospects.ac.uk) will provide ideas to think about. . It is an interactive tool that will help you to define the most important elements you are looking for in your career and will suggest specific options that match your interests, motivations and requirements. It will not dictate a career path, but may help establish areas of interest.

Sector knowledge. Once you have established the area of work you wish to go into, research it thoroughly. It is useful to take into consideration factors such as lifestyle, requirement for further study, scope for progression and typical career paths.

Think about the implications of this with respect to the work that you would be happiest doing, as well building up an awareness of current issues in the field. If you have not already done so, arrange some work experience or job shadowing. Often the personal approach can yield greater success. Networking is a buzz word, but it can work wonders.

Paperwork Your application for a job will often constitute your initial formal contact with a company. It can open the door to the next stage of the recruitment process. Remember, however, that although it may be quicker in the short term, sending a non-specific response to a job advert is likely to be a waste of time in the long run. It probably does not need to be said, therefore, that is of utmost importance to prepare high quality CVs/application forms and covering letters for each job application.

Flexibility Unlike much of your educational career to date, searching for a job cannot be fitted to an exacting timetable. You will often need to respond quickly, as and when opportunities arise. Planning is about being able to be flexible. You might see your ideal job when you least expect it, so preparation will mean that you are confident about applying whenever opportunities arise. Ultimately, everyone’s experiences of job hunting will differ. You will have to make personal strategic decisions, for example, whether to accept a job that does not quite match all your criteria. There is no single solution in these instances, but always remember to consider whether you can foresee yourself being happy in a job and the situation entailed.