Everyone has a different idea about job hunting and what their dream job looks like. For some people, being able to work abroad is something they would ideally like to see, while for others, an office-based job with a healthy work culture and many work friends is the aim.
There are as many different ideas about what makes a job ideal as there are jobs on the market now. This is good because it makes it easier for each person to find what they are looking for, unhindered by hordes of competition who are all looking for the exact same thing.
That being said, there is a strong consensus about what Gen Z want from work, and they will be the largest group to enter the workforce in the next decade, so it is worth taking their views into account.
Generation Z wants flexible working to be maximised and normalised, with innovative ideas and perks such as Workations or Remote Years being offered as part of their employment packages. They may only get some of the ideas they would like to see implemented across the board, but there will be some companies who see an advantage in attracting the best young talent in this way.
Decide What You are Looking For When Job Hunting
One of the biggest obstacles that people face when finding their dream job is defining what it is and then homing in on how to go about getting it. If you don’t know where you are going, getting there is much more complicated, and this is a real problem for many people. If you are unsure about what you want to do for a living, think about the things you are good at and the hobbies you enjoy.
You may or may not choose to work in an area that is currently a hobby. Some people enjoy being able to expand a hobby into a career, and others find that they end up without a fun hobby because it has now become their job.
Think about whether you would like to work from home and avoid a potentially costly commute or whether you would prefer to return to the office and save money on your home heating bills.
It all depends on the sector that you are looking to enter. You may be looking at a job role that doesn’t allow flexibility but has a lot more job security, and this is a very valid concern at the moment, particularly in the middle of a UK recession and a cost of living crisis.
Before Job Hunting: Evaluate Your Skills
Before you can begin job hunting in earnest, you should try to give an honest appraisal of your transferrable skills and think about how you can apply them to the workplace at your dream job. If you find that you lack skills that are required for the job you would ideally like to do, look at ways to embrace upskilling and close that knowledge gap.
Thanks to the advent of the internet, there are now more ways to learn than ever before, and the Covid-19 pandemic has seen a vast amount of learning resources now being made available online. Many University Degree level courses are now basically carried out online, and the Higher Education sector in the UK is trying hard to adapt.
The reality is that lecture-based undergraduate degrees have never been a good use of time for students who have had to commute to them. Why not just have the professor record the series of lectures and give them links to stream them at their leisure? The professor can use the same lectures for consecutive years and the students can have a much more productive way of learning at their fingertips.
Acquiring Relevant Qualifications
Some excellent online courses can provide foundational knowledge in the areas that may interest you. Some can even provide relevant qualifications that potential employers will accept as accreditation and proof of your skills in that area. This is something that tends to be more true of computing-based jobs such as software development at the moment, but there are more educational institutions than ever before embracing distance learning.
One of the earliest academic institutions in the UK to embrace distance learning was the Open University. Even before the advent of the internet, they would screen relevant lectures on all manner of topics late at night on TV or send them on VHS tapes to their students. As an innovator in this area, the Open University is a brilliant resource and even offers many free courses that can be accessed through the OpenLearn programme. This is a good starting point to find out what is available in terms of the courses that fit your requirements.
Job Hunting? Consider an Apprenticeship Instead
An apprenticeship is an excellent alternative to a traditional job hunt as it offers the chance to address any skills gap through a combination of both on-the-job training and off-the-job training. An apprenticeship offers the opportunity to work toward a relevant qualification in your area of interest while at the same time learning within the job role that you would ideally like to pursue.
The beauty of an apprenticeship is that you will be earning at the same time as you are learning, so unlike an undergraduate degree course, you won’t be paying tuition fees, and you will be earning money while gaining relevant experience. There are varying types of apprenticeships based on educational attainment levels, but you should be able to find one that will suit you.
Apprenticeships are an excellent way to gain the relevant skills that you need to go job hunting for your dream job. One of the best things about apprenticeships is that they have a high chance of leading to a permanent job. Over two-thirds of apprentices remain with their apprenticeship employer after successfully completing their apprenticeship. This means that you have one foot in the door already while you are apprenticing. Take a look at what is available in your area at our sister site Employing an Apprentice’s dedicated apprenticeship jobs board today.
