1. Find the right job for you
No matter what position you're in, it makes no sense whatsoever for you to steam in and apply for every position you find. Apart from anything else, this could lead to you getting a job that you want to leave as soon as you start. Take time to check out the jobs market properly, and see what roles are currently available. Our job search tool will let you find the roles you want, but browse a number of roles to make sure you know what is expected. And please don't just apply for all kinds of jobs - one carefully-prepared and targeted application will have much more impact than 10 hastily scribbled email for an irrelevant job.2. Get your CV up to date
If there's one thing we feel is worth repeating here on totaljobs, it's that a good CV is the most important element in getting a new job. Spending valuable time on your CV will let you create a positive document that details everything you've done, without any of the negativity you might have come to associate with your last job. Even if you feel your CV is bang up to date, you should take time to read our CV advice to re-acquaint yourself with what companies are expecting from your resume.3. Practice your interview techniques
If you're just emerging from a fantastically exciting job you've loved and that has challenged you in all the right ways, there's a good chance that you could walk into any interview and dazzle them with your off-the-cuff comments on your achievements. Leaving a job you've grown to dislike or coming from a period of unemployment, however, are different matters, so take time to think about what points you'd like to bring up during the interview. Our interview advice section should stand you in good stead, reminding you of everything from body language to the questions you should be asking interviewers. And make sure you prepare for the inevitable questions about your time out of work and your last job.4. Follow it up
Getting to the interview stage is great, dazzling your interviewer is great, but that still might not be enough. Why? Well, your interview might have been the first of six your interviewer conducted that day, and the impression you made could have merged in his or her mind with subsequent candidates. Thankfully, you can get round this easily by sending an email to your interviewer the next day, thanking him or her for their time and reiterating your desire to get the job. If you really want to impress, send a few ideas in the email on how you think you could do the job. All of this will put you back at the forefront of the interviewer's mind, and will give you a much better chance of getting the job.5. Don't be despondent
With so many people looking to move jobs, not to mention stories of redundancy in the press every day, you will probably have to face the fact that it will take a while for you to move on to the job you want. It's imperative that you approach every potential new employer with the same enthusiasm and vigour as the first one; spending a couple of minutes regurgitating old CVs and cover letters instead of tailoring your communications to fit the job in question is a surefire way of winding up in the reject pile.http://www.totaljobs.com/careers-advice/news/get-ready-for-your-next-job-083?linktype=copylink
