Five quick tips for jobseekers

"Employers want people with the 'work habit' not those who wait around for work to come to them"

In this article I just want to offer a few suggestions to motivate turfcare job seekers.

Tip 1 - Get any job rather than no job

If you cannot get the job you want in turfcare, then do voluntary work, internships or even helping out people by doing odd jobs. Employers want people with the 'work habit' not those who wait around for work to come to them. At a job interview you will at least be able to say you were actively seeking and doing work from the outset.

Tip 2 - Get Government help

You can go online right now and visit http://jobseekers.direct.gov.uk. On this government web page you can get started on your job search immediately and learn, amongst other things, how to seek work safely.

Tip 3 - Apply for vacancies that do not exist

Family and friends of mine in hard times have got back into employment by first - taking an interest in employers they admired, and second - by asking the employer to consider them when a vacancy next occurred.

The latest of these sent out fifty CVs to prospective employers, and very quickly one (with an unannounced vacancy) replied with an invitation to a job interview. My pal's letter of application arrived before the vacancy advertisement had been drafted. He went for the interview and got a job that matched his skills and experience perfectly. The employer was also pleased because he got the right person without spending money on agencies or advertising.

Tip 4 - Get on someone's succession plan

Tip 3 can be extended to include asking to be placed on someone's succession plan.

Most sensible employers will have someone in mind to take over a job, when and if the current job holder is suddenly incapacitated or decides to leave the job.

Typically, a Deputy would be asked to cover for the Head Groundsman or Golf Course Manager until a selection has been organised and people are invited to apply for the vacancy. The person covering the vacancy for a few weeks can put themselves in pole position for the permanent job with a good performance as the interim job holder.

What is there to stop any of us applying to be on the succession plan of any employee working anywhere? Nothing - we just have to indicate and update our availability.

Tip 5 - Get interviewed in advance

Tip 4 can be extended to help you even more, if you not only suggest you be on someone's succession plan but you also offer to be interviewed in advance. Why should the employer wait and wonder about an eventual successor when they can interview you now and have you waiting in the wings when and if the vacancy occurs? Again - we just have to indicate and update our availability. The best part of this for you, is that you know you have passed the interview well in advance.

Frank Newberry has been helping people to develop their careers and get better results in the turfcare sector for over twety years.

If you are having problems writing your CV or preparing for an interview, and you think it might help to talk about it, you can contact Frank directly via the contact tab of his personal website www.franknewberry.com