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Local Employability Support

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Services and support within each Local Authority, Jobcentre Plus or Health Board area.

Job Search Support

Job search is a broad term and refers to the activities involved with searching for appropriate job vacancies, making the initial job application, and then preparing for interview or the selection process used by an employer. Job search support is therefore the support and guidance employability agencies can provide to enable individuals to identify the types of jobs that suit them, complete a good quality application form and/or CV, and prepare them for the selection process. The level of support individuals need across each aspect will vary from person to person.

Breaking the different aspects down by stage, first comes finding job vacancies. These are advertised in a variety of ways and locations, such as:

  • Universal Jobmatch website.
  • Recruitment agency websites.
  • National and local newspapers.
  • Community notice boards and shop windows.
  • Word of mouth and through local networks.

It is important that people looking for jobs and employability agencies keep abreast of these different sources of vacancies. However, this can lead to a wide range of job vacancies being sourced and these need to be sorted to identify those that meet an individual's circumstances. Considerations will include an individual's:

  • Skills.
  • Qualifications.
  • Experience.
  • Interests.
  • Income requirements and expectations.
  • Travel arrangements, etc. 

Once an appropriate job has been identified, the job application process can include:

  • Submitting a CV.
  • Completing an application form - which are increasingly online.
  • Preparing a covering letter.
  • Contacting the employer for more information.

There are a range of resources and supports available to help people with the above so that their applications are of a high standard. These include:

Based on the initial application, employers may then hold interviews or a selection process to pinpoint who they will recruit. This process may involve:

  • One-to-one (informal) interviews.
  • Interviews in front of a panel.
  • Group exercises and role play.
  • Psychometric testing.
  • Work trials.

Again there are a wide range of resources and supports available to help people prepare for these recruitment processes. These include:



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