Where to look for vacancies
Not all job vacancies are advertised in newspapers and the JobcentrePlus. They are available in a variety of other locations too. Listed below are some of the main places where vacancies are advertised locally.
Castlegate
Information is held on local job vacancies and training opportunities, major employers in York, training providers, recruitment agencies and websites advertising vacancies. ICT facilities are available at Castlegate; together with support from advisers to search for vacancies, assist with completing application forms and constructing a CV and covering letters.
JobcentrePlus
Searches for vacancies can be carried out online at jobseekers.direct.gov.uk or at the Job Point machines located inside the JobcentrePlus office. Job seekers who have a health condition, preventing them from applying to the full range of jobs, can access support from a Disability Employment Adviser who will provide specialist advice and support.
Shop windows and noticeboards
Many city centre and local employers choose to advertise their vacancies by displaying an advert in their shop window. These can include vacancies for retail, cleaning, catering and hospitality.
Newspapers
The local newspaper in York is the York Press with vacancies advertised on a Wednesday. York area vacancies are also advertised in the Yorkshire Post on Thursdays – both publications advertise vacancies via links on their websites.
Recruitment agencies
Agencies deal with vacancies covering a wide range of jobs, others specialise in a particular area of work. Agencies deal with both temporary and permanent vacancies. A CV will be required to register with an agency to enable them to find a suitable vacancy to match your skills. Not all agencies register people under 18 years old. There is a national website advertising vacancies and offering general advice on constructing CVs, covering letters and speculative letters.
Internet
Looking for vacancies online is useful if you know the right places to look. Employers advertise positions on specific websites or via their own websites. Many employers request applications to be made online. Before starting an online application, make sure you have the information to hand that may be required. This includes employment and work experience details together with dates and duties carried out; examinations taken and grades achieved, your skills and names and contact details for references. Employers may request a CV via email.
Use your contacts
It would be difficult to find out about every vacancy in York as not all vacancies are advertised publicly. If you let your friends, relatives and neighbours know that you are looking for work they may be able to keep a look out for you or ask around.
Apply speculatively
To contact an employer 'on spec' or on a speculative basis means to apply to them even if they are not advertising a vacancy. If you impress them with your CV they may keep your details and contact you in the future if a position becomes available. The most common way to apply speculatively is to send a CV and covering letter by post or email but first you would need to find out who to contact. This could be the business owner or for larger organisations, the person who would be your manager. You could phone them or look on their website to find out who this would be.
Keep track of who you've applied to, the name of the contact, when you applied to them and what the outcome was. If you're making multiple applications it's easy to forget where you're up to with your applications.
