How to compete in the labour market

Qualifications

·   In a tough labour market, being a qualified job seeker will give you an advantage at the early stages when the recruiter is choosing who to call for interview and it can be a crucial way to get your foot in the door to sell yourself.  Make sure your relevant qualifications are clearly displayed near the top of your application.  Consider using bold to help them stand out. 

·  Research shows that when we scan a document online our eyes move in an "F” shape so put anything that you want to stand out as the first words of a sentence on the left or as a heading.

·   Consider topping up your qualifications, especially if you are unemployed or on furlough and have some time to spare.  Seek out online courses from UK career advice sites that you can begin studying whilst job hunting;  Job Search Place has some suggestions to get you started.

Experience

In an overstocked job search market, having proficiency in the sector will give you an advantage and you want to ensure your experience is easy for the recruiter to spot on your application

·  If you don’t have a lot of experience, consider freelancing or volunteering as a way to build your experience in the sector you are trying to enter

·   If you are interested in moving into or progressing within the charity sector could you consider becoming a trustee?  The commitment may only be to attend 4-6 meetings a year and these are now all online so it could be a great way of gaining knowledge, finding a new network, sharing your skills and having something positive to give you the edge at interview.

·   Could you consider a short internship with a well-known employer to help your future applications stand out?  Many are now offered remotely so you don’t need to pay for travel or be based in the south east.  Some job search sites, and UK career advice sites offer a function to filter by internship, so this is a good place to start your research.

Get informed 

Labour market information is the most important tool in your challenge to compete for jobs

·  Check that your data is current.  The labour market is constantly changing and during the pandemic the rate of change is accelerating so you need the latest information to stay ahead.   For example, we know that jobs in non-essential retail, the creative sectors, travel and hospitality have been badly shaken, but we also know that jobs in bicycle repair, delivery drivers, supermarket management healthcare, IT, renewables and work from home jobs are expanding. 

·  Where to find the information?  Much is available just by keeping up with the news – reading a daily paper, listening to the radio or viewing news online can all spark ideas.  Job search sites also sometimes include labour market updates in their careers advice sections.

·        For more in-depth research try Luminate,LMI for All or the quarterly surveys from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Look for ways to filter the statistics by private/voluntary/public sector to view the most relevant data first. 

     

            ·    If you prefer audio or need to improve your labour market knowledge while driving or cooking, there are lots of good podcasts out there to help you digest the facts and figures.

         

            ·   Using job search sites like qualifiedplace.com is also part of your research – you will start to get a feel for which jobs are plentiful at the time of your search.  One of the most enduring models in careers guidance theory is that of happenstance (chance) – by researching labour market data and browsing vacancies on job search sites and UK career advice sites you may chance upon jobs you have never considered before and a whole new career path may open op.

 

Big names

This is a tactic that can make your CV leap out from the hundreds of others on job search sites

·   Have you ever worked on a project, paid or voluntary, which involved a well-known brand that other employers might have heard of?

·   Highlighting this on your cover letter or job search site profile can be very eye catching; for example, if you worked on a project funded by The Mayor of London, you were chosen as a volunteer for the Tour de France or you completed your training placement at the Hilton Hotel. 

Associating your application with these big names can give you the edge.

New technology

Keeping up with developments in your field will help you compete in the labour market, for example governmental policy changes can give a real indication of the way the employment market will go – hearing about new green environmental policies could help you if you are a qualified job seeker e.g a mechanic deciding to take an extra qualification in servicing electric cars or a plumber being the first in your city to offer installation of alternatives to gas boilers.  Listening, reading and watching the news is a simple way to hear about new trends and make sure you stay ahead.

Transferable skills

Highlight your transferable skills – due to the pandemic many employers have had to think how they can re-deploy their staff or pivot their business to meet new ways of working.  This means that in the future they will be looking for qualified job seekers with transferable skills to enable them to respond to the pandemic and other challenges which arise. 

·    If you are posting your CV to job search sites, then make a summary of your transferable skills (e.g. Graphic design/website maintenance/project management/communication/logistics/driving/people management) at the top of your CV to catch the eye of the recruiter. 

·   In cover letters and online applications point out your transferable skills early on to put you ahead of the crowd.

Think back over the huge changes we have recently heard about:  a restaurant becomes a takeaway with delivery drivers, a local bookshop starts click and collect, a manufacturer pauses production to start making face masks.  In all these circumstances they needed a work force with transferable skills.

What makes you different?

What is your unique selling point?  Working this out early on in your job search will give you a real advantage.  Perhaps it is your fluency in multiple languages, your full complement of construction tickets so you can do any job on a building site, your experience creating a specialist podcast with a friend or editing video for the school play – these things all help you stand out above others.  If you are not sure where to include them in your CV/application the hobbies and interests section can be useful for this.

Demonstrate flexibility

One of the biggest shifts in the labour market due to the pandemic has been the increase in work from home jobs in the UK. 

·    If you have made this move and now have a makeshift workspace at home, mention this in your application. 

·    Employers know that in 2021 we will still be moving between restrictions and work from home jobs in the UK will continue to be a big part of the labour market. 

·   This is also good news for anyone trying to find a job because recruiters are casting their nets wider; if the candidate doesn’t have to come into a fixed workplace, they can recruit from anywhere across the UK to find the best person.

Get a second opinion

Find a critical friend who can look over your CV/application with a fresh pair of eyes.  It could be an Aunt/Uncle/neighbour with experience in your field or a friend who used to work in human resources. 

·  Ask them to read through and give you 3 ideas for improvements.  Putting a number on it will help them to feel it isn’t going to take up their whole weekend and will encourage them to focus on looking for ways you could improve.

·   Explain that the main activity isn’t proof-reading for mistakes (although it is always handy if someone sees one you have missed) but finding the best ways to sell yourself and make the application stand out.

Mental health

Looking for a job and working out how best to sell yourself is a long project and a tough competition, so you need to be at your best physically and mentally.  To get ahead of the crowd your profile on job search sites needs to come across as fresh, dynamic and full of energy.  This can be hard if you are feeling weary.  Plan into your job search timetable one thing per day that will boost your mental health – a bike ride, a phone call to a friend or a creative project. Just 30 minutes of these activities can be the pit stop you need to re-enter the race with a full tank.

Find more about how to sell yourself at the interview on our career advice page.