Some companies never contact Job centers at all. So no matter how many jobs are displayed, you can be confident that you haven't got the full picture if you restrict your job hunting to chasing Job centre opportunities. You should always look elsewhere too. To get the best from a Job centre you need to visit every day. If you don't, by the time you see a vacancy on the notice board, it could have been seen by hundreds of other job hunters.
In addition to advertising jobs, the Job centre is often the local base for the current government initiative to help unemployed people. Government initiatives are not always well publicized and their emphasis can change quickly, but they are designed to help you so you may as well take advantage of them.
Job centre staff usually offer good advice about support and assistance for job hunters and they can often give you useful background information on jobs advertised by them. When you decide to follow up a Job centre lead, the Job centre staff may telephone the company to arrange an interview for you. If you decide to telephone the company and introduce yourself, prepare carefully what you are going to say. Try something like - 'Hello, my name is Pat Smith, I'm phoning about the job advertised in the Job centre.' Never begin your conversation by saying, 'The people at the Job centre said I should phone you.'
Job club
Job clubs are usually closely linked to local Job centers. In a job club you can expect to find a wide range of directories to help you identify companies which employ people with your skills. They often provide paper, envelopes and stamps free of charge, and they offer training in all aspects of job hunting. At a job club, you can obtain help with writing letters of application and CVs or you can be given help in developing your interview technique. Job clubs are one of a number of support groups which offer valuable support to job hunters.
Job description
A good job description should begin with a job title and the title of the person who will be your boss. It should also describe where this job fits into the hierarchy of the organization. In large organizations it may tell you the 'grade' of the post, and the section or department you will be working in. In one or two simple sentences, it should tell you the purpose of the job. For example: 'To administer the company pension scheme, ensuring the collection of all contributions and the prompt and accurate payment of benefits.'
Then the job description should list those things for which you will be accountable. This should not be a simple list of tasks. Keeping your boss's diary, for example, is a 'task' which shouldn't be listed on a job description. Technology may change and the diary may be thrown in the waste bin in favor of a new computer system. You will still remain responsible for keeping his appointments but the 'task' of keeping a diary will be obsolete. A good job description should have longer-term value. It may say: 'Provide administrative support to the manager - filing, arranging meetings and appointments, and assisting with correspondence.'
There may be nine or ten 'accountabilities' listed on the job description and a few brief paragraphs about the knowledge and experience required to do the job properly.
If you are sent a good job description, read it carefully. In your letter of application you can point out that you have the skills required to take on the responsibilities listed. At interview, you will probably be asked questions to test your ability and your attitude against each of the accountabilities mentioned. Use the job description to think of questions you may be asked about each of these aspects of the job and then try to come up with a good answer. Think about previous experiences which you can use to illustrate your competence to take on these responsibilities. You won't predict the exact words of the questions you will be asked at interview but you'll be close.
Most people are stronger in some areas than others but remember that enthusiasm can be used to offset deficiencies in skill. Perhaps you aren't an expert in every aspect of the job but you can tell the interviewer that you are keen and eager to learn.
With practice, you can spot a good job description and make use of it in your application for a job. If you are faced with a poor one, you may need to spend some time reading between the lines.
