The job search process

The jobsearch process is complicated because it varies depending upon you, the role you want to perform, and the company who has a vacancy

Broadly, the jobsearch process can be summarised as follows but will vary depending on the role, organisation and industry:

• Understanding yourself: Recognise your own skills, experience and motivations
• Think about what you want to do: Decide what type of work you’d like to do and for what type of organisation
• Jobsearch: Find organisations with suitable openings or opportunities for people with your skills and experience
• Job application: Express your interest in the role and secure employer interest in your skills and experience
• Interview or selection: Meet the employer and through a combination of interview and or assessment activities prove your suitability for the role
• Offer and induction: Agree an employment contract and plan to start work

You are unlikely to be the only person interested an a particular job

The jobsearch process is complicated by the fact that there may be more than one suitable candidate looking for the role. Employers run recruitment and selection processes to achieve 2 objectives:

• To find candidates who have the MINIMUM skills required to perform the role satisfactorily
• To select the BEST candidate from those who have the MINIMUM skills.

Typically, where employers have more than one suitable applicant, they will run a recruitment and selection process to help them objectively decide which candidate to hire. The theory of most recruitment processes is that the employer starts with a number of interested applicants, and as they undertake recruitment and selection activities, they end up with only those to whom they want to offer a role.