The organization

1 Decision made that a vacancy exists

Staff may leave, or be promoted, or a department may grow.

2 Details drawn up of the type of job to be done and the sort of person needed

Many firms carry out a careful review of what and who is needed before advertising the post.

3 The post is advertised

Some posts are first advertised internally. Depending upon the type of appointment, a classified or display advertisement will be placed in either the local or national press.

4. Application forms and job details are sent out

Smaller firms tend to expect letters of application as a direct response from their advertisements, but larger organizations require an application form to be requested and completed.

4. Application forms and letters are sifted

Once applications are received, the company—usually personnel department—selects some six or eight candidates for interview.

6 References are taken up

The references of the short-listed candidates are taken up before interview. (But note that a candidate's current employers will not be approached without his permission.)

7 The interviews take place

Letters inviting candidates for interview are sent out and the interviews take place either with a panel of interviewers or as a one-to-one interview.

8 Confirmation of the appointment

The successful candidate may be offered the post at interview, or afterwards in a letter. At this stage references with a current employer will be taken up.

The candidate

1. Decision made to seek another post

People change jobs for a variety of reasons—boredom, lack of challenge, no advancement, etc.

2 Curriculum vitae drawn up

Many job seekers prepare duplicate copies of their personal details, education, work experience, etc which provides a 'potted history' of their careers to aid potential employers.

3 Advertisement answered

According to the type of advertisement, the candidate will either write a full letter of application, or send off for the details and application forms.

4 The application is made

The candidate dispatches a copy of his curriculum vitae, completed application form and supporting letter of application before any deadline set. (Note: prudent job-seekers keep photocopied records of the application documents for subsequent reference.)

5 Acceptance of invitation for interview

A courteous letter is sent to the organization accepting the invitation to attend for interview, confirming date and time.

6 Researching the organization

Before interview, the candidate will try to find out as much as possible about the organization, and prepare questions to ask at interview.

7 Attending for interview

The candidate seeks to make a good impression, having carefully prepared his ground.

8 Acceptance of the post

The candidate confirms in writing his acceptance of the post.

9 Resignation letter

Once the job has been offered and accepted, the candidate writes a courteous letter of resignation to his current employers.

Mastering the job interview

The prospect of applying for a job may seem daunting, yet we all go through the process several times in the space of our working lives. Practice certainly does help to make perfect and the experience of having made a number of job applications— even when they have been unsuccessful—is of great assistance.

For many, however, the first job application represents the highest hurdle to have to jump. The following guidelines will help you to cope successfully with your next job application or to jump the hurdle of a first job-seeking attempt.

What sort of job?

Obviously, when jobs are scarce, the job-seeker may have to lower his sights and limit his ambitions to fit in with what jobs are available. Ordinarily, though, it is important to give careful thought to the sort of job, and in broader terms, career, which is appealing and which is likely to give long-term satisfaction. Drifting into any job without thought often leads to disappointment and to starting the whole job-hunting process all over again after a few weeks or months. The sorts of questions to be asked are:

• Do I like working with people?

• Am I happier being left to get on with a task quietly?

• Would I like a job involving working with figures?

• Would I be happy constantly serving customers?

• Would I prefer a job with lots of variety, or do I work best in a familiar routine?

• What would I like to be doing in five years' time?