searching and applying for jobs online

I could only dream of having a desk as tidy and beautiful as the one above, but a girl can dream right? Being honest, I'm not sure why I've never thought to write a post on this topic, seeing as I've had a considerable amount of jobs for the young age of 21. I'm in the process of looking for a summer internship before I head back to Southampton into my final year, and I plan to make my first foray into the area of content marketing and writing. I thought I would impart some well-learned knowledge for anyone who's looking for jobs or internships, be it part-time weekend work or a full time 9-5 position.

Worship Indeed like a bible
No exaggeration here, Indeed is your best friend. It sources some of the best positions, be it small companies or the top 100 FTSE companies. It pulls most jobs from jobs posted on company websites as well as other job boards. If you keep your search considerably wide, you can find a multitude of jobs in and around your area. It's also useful for seeing when jobs were posted, to get an idea of how long you've had to apply so far. So many companies are terrible at getting back to candidates and also updating the availability of their positions, so if you keep seeing the same companies with ads posted over 30 days ago, it's likely that they're not the most responsive companies in the world.

Don't rely on big names to find good positions
Most of the jobs I've had so far have been with companies that many wouldn't have heard of. This is because I never just apply for the companies that I've heard of before - a big name does not equal a great employer. Also, there will generally be more applicants for these positions because everyone wants a big and important name for the CV. However, I worked for some great employers which weren't huge by any means, but were part-time positions that people wouldn't think to apply for. In terms of weekend work, there is more out there than a Saturday retail job. Think cafés, babysitting, tutoring, restaurants, casual event work, there are great opportunities out there!

Sometimes an email will work
This applies very well if you're looking for internships. If you're a huge fan of certain brands, there's nothing wrong with reaching out to their recruitment departments. Often small companies don't have the resources to advertise as overtly as bigger companies, and there's nothing wrong with zapping over an email and see if there are any opportunities to get involved! Also, there's nothing wrong with popping over an email if they haven't yet replied to your query, to get an update on your application. And if they still don't reply, you'll find you're better off not waiting on their response any longer.

Get punctual with social media
I recently had an interview with a medium-sized company, after finding the opportunity on Instagram. Seriously. Twitter also has plenty of accounts which regularly post jobs related to specific sectors, such as media, publishing and PR. As well as this, certain companies advertise their opportunities through twitter, such as Urban Outfitters. The key to this is checking regularly, especially if it's a larger company where competition may be fiercer. Just be sure to keep your social media clean and employer friendly!

Keep the CV updated
This is an obvious one, but it's easy to forget to update your CV when you're applying for jobs often. You may have forgotten something very simple, such as updating your age! It's imperative in order to show the employer that there's no difference in information, especially if you have to attach your CV and fill out an online application as well, which happens extremely often.

Image source: DeclanTM/Flickr

Thanks for reading! What are your tips for looking for jobs online?

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