Looking for a job

There are two ways in which you can search over 400,000 vacancies held by Jobcentre Plus online; the first is using the Jobcentre Plus jobsearch facility through this website by selecting Looking for a Job, then Search for a Job; and the second via the Directgov website. Both sites access the same vacancies but offer different search criteria, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs.

There are many situations in which you could be looking for work, and everyone has different needs, skills and responsibilities. There are lots of different kinds of job out there, and a range of help available. This section tells you about the support you might be able to get.

Work that suits your needs

If you cannot or do not want to work full time, there are other options. Here are some examples.

• Temporary work - you could work in a job for a set length of time - usually as part of a particular project or to fill in for a permanent member of staff.
• Part-time work - a good way to fit work around other responsibilities while getting money and experience.
• Flexible working - sometimes employers will agree to flexible working arrangements. This might mean choosing your start and finish times, or working longer hours on some days so you can take more time off.
• Term-time working - being off during the school holidays could be ideal if you have children and they are at school.
• Holiday working - a practical option if you're still studying.
• Job-sharing - sometimes two people can share a single full-time job. Look out for jobs advertised as job shares. Or, if you want to share a job with someone you know, you could always suggest the idea to your employer.
• Self-employment - working for yourself offers flexibility and the right type of challenge for some people. But you will take on extra responsibility - for example, paying your own income tax.
• Voluntary work - working without pay is one way to get work experience and find out more about an area that interests you.

Is work the only option?

If you're out of work, training or further education could be a worthwhile step towards achieving a long-term goal. Training isn't just for people leaving school. There's always the chance to develop a career, learn a trade, or work towards a professional qualification through further training for the future.

A Jobcentre Plus personal adviser can give you advice that's based on your personal circumstances, and can help make sure that you get the support you're entitled to. Your adviser might ask you to take part in an interview to work out how best to use your skills and experience. You will also find out if you can get financial help while you're looking for work.