Using Job Centres for Your Job Search

The purpose of your local job centre is to help people in need of finding a new position, however how efficient and beneficial are they really? I find out…

Benefits

The first advantage of using a job center is that they provide such a wide search through available jobs. Once you sign up with them they will put your CV onto their system along with your details, then they can search through their database for all appropriate jobs in the field you are looking for, and notify you when something comes up – and they actually do, unlike many recruitment agencies!

This is easier than you handing in your CV separately to any employers, or looking online yourself to find any potential employers, which is pretty time-consuming.

Job centres also tend to get results extremely fast! Once you are uploaded onto their system it will immediately come up with any matches between you and the sector you want to work in. The centre will list a wide range of jobs that might be permanent, seasonal, or semi-permanent, so whatever you’re looking for you’re likely to find it.

The job centre also provides advisors on hand to help with any queries or questions you might have, and if you’re unsure as to what work you want they can look at your previous experience and advise you on what might suit your skills best.

It’s the sort of service that many people and agencies charge for, and you’re getting it absolutely free!

Disadvantages

Often however the job centre is given a lot of information on semi-permanent jobs, rather than permanent, so when looking for jobs you might find you’re offered a lot of temporary ones before a permanent one.

Also, they tend to have a lot of lower paid jobs on their system, as most higher-paid positions are filled using the traditional routes of internal promotion or external advertising. If you’re looking for a high salary, this might not be the place to find it.

Also it is not guaranteed that you will be offered any jobs at all within the sector you’re looking for. It might take many offers of unsuitable temporary jobs before you find one you want to take up!
While looking for a job on your own you can focus all of your attention on looking for such a position, ensuring that you find a suitable one usually within a short period of time, a job centre will be helping hundreds of different people at each center so they cannot focus all of their efforts on you alone. This brings a disadvantage in that it might take you a lot longer to find a job that suits you by going through the job center.

Do you agree that the job center does its job and provides beneficial help? Or can’t you see the plus side and would rather find your job yourself? Let me know your opinion by leaving a comment below!