More Kiwis apply themselves to job hunt

MEDIA RELEASE
18th April 2011

More Kiwis apply themselves to job hunt

Seek.co.nz, New Zealand’s largest job source, today revealed an increase of 90,000 job applications registered in January to March, compared to the same period last year. This is driven by a number of Kiwis who have reported dissatisfaction with their current role, as SEEK’s General Manager Janet Faulding explains;

“Our SEEK Satisfaction and Motivation survey identified a large number of New Zealanders - seven out of ten - are keeping an eye out for their next employment opportunity in 2011. The increase in applications we have seen over the past three months suggests kiwis are now responding to a rise in the number of jobs advertised on seek.co.nz and are actively applying for roles,” comments Janet Faulding.

According to the survey results the absence of pay rises, increased tasks and responsibilities in roles and a general feeling of being unappreciated are the main drivers for seeking new employment opportunities.

Jobs reached a 12 month high in March, with over 17,500 roles advertised on seek.co.nz. However, the number of applications grew at a faster rate than jobs, which is reflected in the March SEEK Employment Index (SEI) results. The SEI is the ratio of new job ads placed on www.seek.co.nz to the number of applications for those jobs, which dipped by 1.6% after five months of consecutive growth due to the significant rise in applications.

Call Centre customer service roles are the most competitive jobs on seek.co.nz, receiving thousands of applications for every job advertised. These are followed by receptionist, IT help desk and waiting staff jobs.

“If you are applying for jobs at the moment it is important that you take a considered approach, ensuring you are focusing your efforts on the roles which are the best fit to your skills, experience and in the industries you would like to work in,” says Janet Faulding.

“It’s best to avoid a scattergun approach. Instead tailor each CV, covering letter and application that you submit to ensure you communicate your most relevant experience and skills to your future employer.”

Top five tips for job seekers:
1. Tailor your CV for each application
2. List your most relevant skills and experience first
3. Compliment your search with a SEEK Profile to help employers find you on seek.co.nz
4. Register for Job Mail alerts to get the latest jobs delivered to your inbox daily
5. If you are looking for a pay rise search by salary on seek.co.nz

-ENDS-

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