Looking for jobs can at the best of times be stressful , time consuming and slightly demoralising. There are millions across the UK every week who search for jobs online and send away many applications. The government has been quick to praise itself for having amongst some of the lowest unemployment levels. However in this article we will examine what the jobs market is really like and what can be done to change it.

The Job Search

Many students across the UK choose to either go to university or college after leaving school. However many more are finding after they graduate it is becoming extremely difficult to acquire employment. This is because there are thousands of graduates throughout the UK and not enough job openings. However the government has published findings saying UK employment levels are at a record high. This is mainly because of the growth of large firms which employ many employees on zero hour contracts.

This means that the employees do not get guaranteed hours and can only work when the company asks them to. This coupled with a rise in students getting part time jobs has boosted figure of those employment despite what they are earning not being anywhere near enough to live comfortably on. Job searchs have moved almost exclusively online. It is very rare to be offered a job purely based off an in-person meeting. The vast majority of jobs you have to apply for online. This means that those with the best qualifications often get invited to interview first and may put others at a great disadvantage.

Training For Job Searching At School

Unfortunately many schools fail to properly incorporate training for job applications , CVS and interviews into their curriculum. As a result many students are leaving school with a lack of knowledge about what the jobs market is like and how they can best sell themselves to get the job. One of the major problems that school leavers face when applying to jobs is the lack of experience. This leads to a cycle whereby they cannot attain work as they do not have any experience but all the jobs they are looking for require experience. Unfortunately this is not uncommon as many firms prefer to save time training staff and hire experienced staff instead regardless of other factors which may prove the other applicants to be better candidates overall.

The Application Process

Unfortunately the application process online is so easy to access and use that huge numbers of people often apply for a single opening. This results in many employers or organisations emailing candidates explaining that if they do not hear back then they have been unsuccessful. This doesn’t help the candidate as they do not receive feedback on how they can improve overall and have a better chance of getting a different role. The process of applying online can become very monotonous and repetitive. In addition to this the lack of human contact can also contribute to being demoralised and not being worth of an interview or a role despite the employers not really knowing your skillset or expertise.