Looking for a job can be tough and you may have to apply for many before you are asked to attend an interview. Once you have landed the opportunity of a job interview, you need to ensure you do the best you can in order to boost your chances of getting a job offer.

The first thing you may want to consider when preparing for an interview is what you are going to wear. You should always dress smartly and make sure that your hair is tidy and you have clean finger nails. Think about any jewellery you are wearing, if it is not discreet then you may wish to cover it up or remove it. Same goes for tattoos, many people chose to cover their tattoos when attending an interview.

Do plenty of research in to company that you are hoping to work for. Find out the history of the company and the management structure. You may want to make a note of any questions that you want to ask them based on your research.

Ensure you arrive in plenty of time for your interview, it is better to be early than late. Plan your route before you set off and be sure to find somewhere you can park for long enough.

As part of the employment process, you may be asked for references from previous employment. People often find this hard if their current employer doesn’t know that they are job hunting or if they have not had many successful jobs previously. A person cannot give you a bad reference but they can refuse to give one.

You will need to provide a reference or references from people who can confirm the skills and qualifications that you have that are applicable to the job you are applying for. If possible, it is good to have your list of reference ready when you start applying so you don’t have to rush round afterwards trying to get them.

Former bosses and co-workers can often give reference in terms of professional ones and friends, neighbours and people you may have volunteered with should be able to give you a personal one. Make sure that you pick someone that is reliable and will complete the reference on time. Some company policies state that they will not give out references, only confirm your employment and job title.

If someone agrees to give you a reference, then try to make it as easy for them as possible. Give them an updated copy of your CV and state the types of job roles you are applying for.

A lot has changed in the world of job hunting since the advent of the internet, and whilst it’s certainly easier to search & apply for jobs, it can feel very much like you’re firing off hundreds of applications with very little response.

Gone are the days when you would simply pick up a local newspaper and call through, now your CV and covering letter really are key; if these aren’t effective, you simply won’t get through to interview.

That’s made even harder when you consider that some firms use sifting or filtering software to score your CV and submissions, and as such ideal candidates can fall foul of using the wrong language.

To truly get the best out of your searching then, it’s important to be targeted and strategic in your search; apply for the jobs you’re best qualified for, and be specific – with examples – as to how you meet the person specification. This is truly what employers are looking to see, especially if you’re not quite an exact fit for the role – show them how you could be.

There’s absolutely no point wasting time submitting applications ‘on the off-chance’ if you don’t put in this extra time, you’ll simply fall foul of either a software, or manual, sifting process.

If you’re in field sales, delivery or customer relations, you may find you spend a lot of your time on the road travelling to meet or deliver to clients. As someone in a field-based role, personally I find it a relatively enjoyable part of my job, but I love driving.

However recently studies have begun to emerge which suggest that there may be health implications to spending a lot of time on the road. A number of articles in publications from the New York Post to Web MD and the Daily Mail have highlighted the negative effects.

In particular, one noticeable impact is a decline in IQ. This is because driving is (or at least can be) sedentary in both the mental and physical sense, and causes stress and fatigue. All of these factors contribute to a decline in brain function, particularly in people from middle age onwards.

In addition, we’ve all heard reports about the other impacts of sedentary lifestyles and stress – it’s widely accepted that these contribute to obesity, insomnia and a generally lower feeling of wellbeing, all of which puts considerable strain on your heart. And that’s before you couple it with the fact that regular road users are more likely to smoke.

If you are looking for work you may find that you are offered night shifts. For some people, night shifts are the perfect option. It can fit in with their lifestyle and you often get a few days off in the week which some people prefer.

There are some downsides to working nights are often these are more for people that have to do it on a long-term basis. Shift working can be very anti-social. You may find that you are at work when everyone else is off work and that you have to sleep during the day. If you have a partner or children it may be that you get little time to spend with them as the days you are off they may be at school or work. It takes a while for your body clock to adjust to night shifts and you often find that on your days off, you struggle to change your sleeping pattern.

Night shift work is often better paid than working the same job in the day, you may find you do not have to contend with rush hour traffic and that you can get more work done if there are not many other people about.

If you are in need of work quickly then you may decide to go and work for a temping agency. There are a huge number of agencies around some of them are based online others will have offices that you can visit. When signing p to an agency it is important to find out what fees they will charge. Many temping agencies will not charge you a fee to be on their books but they may take a cut of your salary. This is often a percentage and some agencies can take quite a bit. You should also find out if you need to have any special equipment or work wear such as steel toe capped boots as the agency may often to sell you these and take it from your wages but they are often not the cheapest way to buy them.

The advantages of working for an agency means that you may have work every day of the week and can start earning money very quickly without having to go through the whole recruitment process such as interviews. Most agencies will need to speak to you and have a look through your CV before they can offer you work. This is so they can establish your skills and qualifications to find suitable job opportunities for you. You will need to be available at short notice as they may call you on the day that you need to go and work, so having your own transport is preferable.

If you are in the process of looking for a job then you may need to make sure it fits around other commitments you may have such as childcare. Part-time work can vary greatly. It may be that the working hours are for full days but only a few days a week or you may be required to work shorter days throughout the whole week or the majority of it. Depending on what the job is, you may be able to choose the hours you work to allow you to fit it in around your other commitments.

If you find a full-time vacancy that you feel would be perfect for you then you could always apply and ask them whether they would consider offering a part-time role. Some companies may accept this especially if it’s only on a short-term basis or they may even consider hiring two part-time people to cover the role.

It is important to remember that when you are part-time you will only be entitled to holiday pay that has been accrued based on the time you have worked. You may also need to work a longer probationary period.

If you are currently in a part-time role but feel that you want to take on more work, before leaving and looking for a full-time position, speak to your current employer and ask them if they would consider taking you on full time.

Teaching is certainly not an easy job. Many people are attracted to teaching by the good pay it can offer and the fact that you are able to have the school holidays off, but when you actually look what is required of you as a teacher, you may think again.

Although teachers only teach from 9-3.15 (approximately) they have to be in school before that, often at 8 and do not usually leave until 5 -5.30. Once they are home they may not be able to stop them as they will have planning and marking to do. Weekends are often taken up by working from home and you may have to sacrifice some of your holidays to go in and sort out classroom displays or to set up for new children arriving.

All this being said, teaching is still a very rewarding job and many teachers get great satisfaction out of the job. It is amazing to see how a pupil improves over the course of a year and knowing that you have helped to achieve that is something that keeps may teachers in the profession.

Before going into teaching, way up the pros and the cons and make sure it is right for you.

If you have a passion for helping people then a job within the medical industry may be for you. Although doctors, vets and dentists have to have a number of years of training under their belt, there are many professions within the medical industry that require little or no experience. Depending on what area you want to work in, you may find that you need to do a short training course and then start working immediately. Some other professions such as nursing may require you to attend college and possibly university to obtain a degree.

Whether you want to follow a career path that’s related directly to medicine, or you’re just looking for something to suit your skills, it’s not just aspiring Doctors and Nurses that can make a difference.

The NHS is the fifth largest employer in the world and jobs are constantly becoming available.

With the population on the increase, the NHS is going to need more and more members of staff. Since health care workers are high in demand, many employers are offering training to their staff to help them be able to further their career and broaden their knowledge. This will allow them to take on more responsibility and move up within the company.