Jobseeker Support > Where to look for job and career opportunities

Where you look for opportunities will depend on a number of factors, including how soon you need employment and how specific or focused you want your job search to be.

Remember that it's not necessarily a good idea to 'hold out' for your perfect job, especially if you need money coming in.  Temporary roles for example could provide an excellent way of earning whilst you are still looking for something more aligned to your aspirations, and another piece of experience is very unlikely to harm your CV!

It's always better to have more options than fewer options, so think about contacting multiple employers and agencies to give yourself as many appropriate options as possible.

Where to look

Your four primary resources to find work are:

• Job Sites and CV upload sites
• Recruitment Agencies
• Direct Employer Adverts
• Job Centre Plus

Job Sites

Job sites are websites that advertise opportunities, like icanbea..., Jobs24, Indeed and the government's find a job site, for example.  You can search for specific jobs and training and specify things like location, hours and salary.  Some will require you to create a free account in order to see further details and get to the application process, though others simply host employer adverts that you can respond to directly. Remember that if you are specifically looking for an apprenticeship, the the government's find an apprenticeship website has thousands to look through, though you will see them on job sites, too.

• You should also consider sites that let you upload your CV, such as CV Library.  These sites allow recruiters to see your CV and get in contact if they think they've found a role for you. This type of service can be working in the background for you whilst you actively pursue other leads.

Recruitment Agencies 

Recruitment Agencies will look to match you to roles they are aware of and contact you if they find anything.  Most of them are free and just require you to register yourself with them.  They normally recoup their costs from employers looking to fill their vacancies.  Signing up with one or more recruitment agencies might require an interview and skills test with them first, but you will be increasing your reach and chances of finding a job significantly, as they will be looking in addition to yourself. 

• We have various recruitment solutions such as Hales Jobs, PB Recruitment and Spider Recruitment already listed on icanbea... so take a look and don't forget that you can google for agencies in specific areas like Norfolk and Suffolk.

Direct Employer Adverts 

Direct Employer Adverts can appear on Job Sites but you'll mainly find them on individual employer's websites.  Head to the site of an employer that you're interested in and find the 'Vacancies', 'Careers', or 'Jobs' section.  Remember that you might have to look for these under 'About us' or in the website's footer as most companies use the main part of their website to advertise and sell their own services. Here on icanbea... we profile some Norfolk and Suffolk employers and concentrate on their job related information to save you time.

Job Centre Plus (JCP)

Job Centre Plus (JCP) is a government-funded employment agency and social security office that can be found in most cities.  You might have heard it called 'The Job Centre'.  JCP provides resources to enable job-searchers to find work and offers information about training opportunities if you're unemployed.  They also administer claims for benefits such as Universal Credit. 'Work Coaches' - advisers can offer advice and additional support can help you when you are trying to find work.  Remember that in the right circumstances, they might be able to offer additional financial support for things such as interview clothes and interview travel costs.

• The Kickstart Scheme has now finished.  These were 6 month paid jobs with a local employer, funded by the Government and open to 16-24 year olds, claiming Universal Credit and at risk of long term unemployment. If you have questions about a kickstart role that you had or currently have, speak to your JCP work coach.

Most job seekers will use a combination of the methods above to find work.  Remember that although you have to take charge of seeking employment, there are lots or organisations and systems to help you. If you've had a successful application and secured an interview , it's time to take a look at our Interview Tips page.

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