Getting a job
Work makes up an important part of most people’s lives. It helps to provide structure, as well as money, and generally makes people feel better than being unemployed. If we’re out of work for a long time we can get depressed and even lose confidence in our own abilities. Young men in particular can find it hard to get work. The first step towards getting a job is to work out your own skills and interests, and try and match them up with a suitable vacancy.
You can get advice from:
- Connexions
- Job Centres
- Job Clubs
Depending on what kind of job you’re going for, you may have to consider the possibility of going back to school or college to get the qualifications the job needs.
Volunteer
With other jobs it could help to get some practical experience before applying. We might think it would be a great idea to work with cute little puppies at some dogs’ home, but after a week of cleaning up dog crap we’d possibly reconsider. A good way of getting a taster of a job is to do it on a voluntary basis. You can get information from:
- Local volunteer bureau
- Council for Voluntary Service
- Adverts in the local papers.
Apart from seeing if you’re suited for the job, volunteering provides experience which looks good on any job application.
The government’s New Deal for unemployed young people aged 18 – 25 is another way of getting skills and experience. Job Centres can give more information about this.
