9 websites, apps and tools to help you if you’re looking for a job including free CV resources
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BORIS Johnson last week admitted there would be "many, many" job losses due to coronavirus - but what do you do if you find yourself out of work?
There are plenty of free resources available to improve your skill set, help you prepare for an interview and beef up your CV.
According to recruitment website Indeed, supermarkets and care providers are currently the biggest source of new jobs in the UK.
Morrisons, Iceland and Tesco are the supermarkets adding the most jobs while care providers across the country are posting more jobs to help boost worker numbers.
Deepa Somasundari, director of strategic projects at Indeed, said: “Employers spend as little as six seconds looking at a CV and like all humans can often make quick decisions and snap judgements.
“To stand out from the rest of the pile, jobseekers should remember that relevance is what catches employers’ eye and be sure to focus on specific skills, experiences and achievements.”
She said that people’s volunteering experience was typically under-reported on CVs, but could actually increase the chances of getting a role.
Here are some of the best free resources we’ve found to help you get back into work.
National Careers Service
The National Careers Service is a great one-stop shop for all things career-related.
The government-run hub has some good advice on most aspects of the recruitment process, including information about .
If you want specific advice, you can also phone the helpline or .
Lines are open 8am to 10pm, seven days a week.
All the information is free and easy to access.
Reed
Recruitment agencies such as Reed, Indeed and Hays list all sort of jobs in your local area and further afield.
But they also offer plenty of resources to help you land your job.
Reed has more than 40,000 courses to help people get into the job market.
Many of the courses last a few weeks, and some include a free exam at the end of the course, such as Essential IT Level 2.
Other courses include bookkeeping, administration, HR fundamentals, understanding autism and many more.
Reed also has a which helps you to write a professional CV.
You can then use it to apply for jobs through the site.
James Reed, chairman of Reed, told us: “Market conditions may be volatile, but there are a huge number of ways you can improve your job prospects from the comfort of your own home.
“Bolstering your CV with new skills, for example, is a perfect way to cut through and display initiative to prospective employers – and it doesn’t have to come with an expensive price tag.
“There are hundreds of low cost or free courses that are available online for those looking to reskill or upskill.”
Indeed
Indeed says that more than 35,000 jobs are added to its website every week.
To help jobseekers find immediate work after a surge in unemployment brought about by the coronavirus crisis, the company has introduced a new “ready to work” tag, enabling jobseekers to indicate to employers that they are available to start working immediately and are open to any job.
So far, more than 190,000 people in the UK added the hashtag to their Indeed profile.
It will also help you to use to apply to jobs on its site.
Open University: Open Learn
You might feel that it is time for a change of direction, or just fancy improving your employability by learning something new.
With more than 1,000 courses to choose from, could be a good place to start.
Topics include history, art, politics, languages and the environment to name a few - and they are all free.
Although they will look good on your CV, like most free courses, the certification awarded carries no formal credit towards a qualification.
Open Learn has three levels to choose from - introductory, intermediate and advanced - allowing you to learn at your own pace.
LinkUp
is different from most online search boards because it sends job seekers straight to employers’ websites.
This could help you to discover jobs that have not been advertised on the traditional job boards.
Searching for a particular job title or skill and location will pull up all relevant companies in the area who have that job listed on their corporate careers website.
Total Jobs
Total Jobs’ website has a number of to enable you to build a CV which best suits where you are in your career.
Whether you are a project manager, long term unemployed or a healthcare assistant, the site can help you build a personalised CV for free.
It also has some examples of cover letters, to help you understand what employers are looking for.
And there are loads of resources to help you navigate an interview, including .
Total Jobs' app also allows you to browse jobs from all over the UK, adjust your search radius by miles and use its in-app map to find jobs locally.
Snag
From full-time careers to part-time jobs, or entry-level roles for those just starting out, has a wide variety of jobs available.
It's easy to set up a profile, and if you’re really looking to impress, you can even make a video for prospective employers to view.
Then the app allows you to apply for roles with one click.
You can get daily job matches to roles that might fit you, and you can take personality quizzes that supposedly help to narrow down which jobs are perfect for you.
Job Centre Plus
When you’re looking for a job, job centre advisers can give you information about local recruitment events, government training schemes you may be able to attend or companies you may be able to contact who are recruiting in your area.
You can find your .
Staff will also take into account extra needs you might have like childcare support or disability support.
If you are currently on Job Seekers Allowance or income support benefits you may find you qualify for training courses in your local area for free.
This could include food hygiene qualifications and basic construction skills.
Career Builder
If you have a account and your details are already saved on their database, this app will help you apply for a job with just two taps of your finger.
Once you have found the job you want to apply for, you can apply instantly or save it for review later.
You can also sync your CV and cover letters together with your saved jobs on your account.
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