JOB SEARCH GUIDE
A practical plan for your job search.
Build a routine you can maintain. Combine suitable advertised vacancies with relevant recruiter conversations, and keep enough detail to know what has happened and what to do next.
Choose a realistic starting point
Write down the roles you are targeting, the experience you can offer and the locations and working arrangements that suit you. Separate essentials from preferences. If you are changing fields, identify the skills that transfer and the gaps you need to discuss rather than applying to every vacancy with a familiar word in the title.
Prepare the material you will reuse
Keep an accurate master resume and tailor a copy for each relevant opportunity. Prepare a short introduction that explains your target work, useful experience and availability. Follow the resume guide and check that your profile and document tell a consistent story.
Set up a reliable contact method and check messages regularly. Keep sensitive documents in a place you control and share them only when you understand why they are required and who will receive them.
Find agencies that recruit for your kind of work
If you are searching for recruiters near you or agencies that help you find a job, start with discipline and service coverage as well as distance. A nearby office may not handle your profession, while a specialist working remotely may cover your location. Check recent vacancies and the individual consultant's expertise.
Browse the agency directory and use the recruiter selection guide. A recruiter works on available client needs; registration is not a promise of a vacancy or interview. Keep applying for suitable advertised jobs as well.
Keep a simple application record
For each opportunity, note the employer, role, source, agency or contact, date, current stage and agreed next step. Record whether a recruiter has discussed a particular introduction with you. This helps avoid duplicate submissions and makes follow-up more useful.
A saved job, an application, a recruiter discussion and an interview are separate stages. Review the actual responses you receive rather than treating every profile view as a potential offer.
Use follow-up to move the conversation forward
Follow the timing agreed with the recruiter or employer. Refer to the role and your earlier contact, add any relevant update and keep the message concise. If there is no suitable vacancy, ask what type of change would make a future conversation useful. Avoid repeatedly sending the same CV to unrelated consultants.
Review and adjust
If applications rarely progress, review whether your experience matches the essential requirements and whether your resume explains that fit. If interviews do not progress, reflect on the questions and seek useful feedback where available. Prepare for the next conversation with the interview checklist.
TAP Jobseeker offers a free candidate profile and recruiter connections with visibility choices. Read how it works before joining. For a search while employed, use the confidential search guide; for overseas work, start with the international recruiter checklist.