How to find a job online

Whether you are looking to return to work after a career break, are looking to earn some extra money on the side or want a whole new career, there are thousands of opportunities online. Indeed, many companies solely advertise on the internet for new staff, so it is well worth familiarising yourself with online job search and application methods.

 

In this guide, we will be focusing on finding jobs through the Job Centre Plus online job search, but there are many alternatives.

 

 

 

 

Step 1: Go to http://jobseekers.direct.gov.uk (link opens in a new window).

 

 

Step 2: You will see a form where you have a number of options through which to search for job opportunities. For this example, we are going to search by ‘Job title’. In this first field, we will type ‘shop assistant’.

 

 

Step 3: To find job openings in your local area (or the area in which you wish to work), you need to focus the search by ‘Postcode or location’. For this example, we should search within ‘5 miles’ of Winchester. To select the radius, click the dropdown Distance menu.

 

 

Step 4: You can choose to search all matching jobs at this point, or you may wish to narrow the results by the number of hours you would like to work each week and ways of working e,g. ‘Evenings’ or ‘Term time’. For our example, we shall choose 1-16 hours, both ‘Perm/temp’. We shall leave the other boxes unticked.

 

 

Step 5: Click Search.

 

Step 6: Another screen will now come up with possible matches for the job title that you input in Step 2. Choose up to three job titles from the selection and then click Search.

 

 

Step 7: You will then be shown a page of results from your search. In this example, we have been shown 17 possible job opportunities on the ‘Job search results’ page.

 

 

Step 8: The search results will display job titles and a little information about the position, for example the ‘Location’, ‘Date posted’ and, in some cases the ‘Wage’. 

 

Sometimes, the ‘Wage’ is shown in fairly broad terms e.g. ‘MEETS NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE’.

 

 

Step 9: Scroll through the results to see which, if any, of the jobs appeal to you. For this example, we are going to take steps to apply for the first position shown: 

 

‘Assistant Unit Manager – Westholme’. Click on the job title.

 

Step 10: You will be taken to a new page with more detailed information about the job in which are interested.

 

 

 

Step 11: If you are interested in applying, look at the information under ‘How to apply’. In this instance, you must visit a different website and follow the instructions on the website.

 

 

Step 12: You could also choose to print this information off, this is particularly useful if you are looking for a job for somebody else. Click Printer friendly and a new page will display this information in black and white, ready for you to print. To print, hold the Ctrl and P keys.

 

Good luck!