Nearly three-quarters of young people are confused about how to look for a job

Study finds

With a flurry of school leavers and graduates set to enter the job market over the next few months, new research from the UK’s leading independent job board, CV-Library, has found that many candidates feel unprepared and overwhelmed with the prospect of looking for work.

The study surveyed 1,000 individuals across the UK and reveals that 30.1 per cent feel confused by the job hunting process, rising to 59 per cent amongst under 18s. The survey sought to uncover how much candidates know when starting their job search and found that a whopping 64.5 per cent have never been taught how and where to look for a job. Other key findings include:

• 55.6 per cent of candidates have never been taught any interview techniques, though 69.2 per cent of under 18s said they had
• Over half (50.5 per cent) of Brits didn’t receive any support when writing their first CV, with 39.4 per cent revealing that they taught themselves how to write one
• …but, 65.7 per cent said that they would tailor every CV and or cover letter for each job they apply to, rising to 75.9 per cent amongst 18-24 year olds

Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library comments: “Leaving education and entering the world of work can certainly seem daunting for young people if they aren’t prepared. Even the most seasoned professionals will feel nervous about looking for work and attending interviews. As employers, it’s important that we help to support young people as they embark on their job hunt.”

In addition, the study found that just over three-quarters (76 per cent) of individuals aged 24 and under would kick off their job hunt by looking online. Of the 9.6 per cent that said they’d sign up to a recruitment agency, 76.9 per cent of those would do so because they think they’d help them to find a job quickly. What’s more, just under a quarter (23.1 per cent) would use a recruiter to help them negotiate the best salary.

Biggins continues: “Nowadays, most people will start their job hunt online, so it’s important to ensure your vacancies are seen by the right people. With the launch of Google for Jobs in the UK coming very soon, there is a lot of pressure on companies to optimise their job postings by including the correct salary, location, job title and other details to give them better exposure.”