We’ve compiled this handy little list, so that if you don’t find a job that immediately fits on our website, this list of some of the more established local recruitment agencies may be able to offer you a helping hand. This is in no particular order:

TQR   

Website: www.tqr-search.com  T: 01242 226878

Adecco

Website: www.adecco.co.uk   T: 01242 530 479

Randstad    

Website: www.randstad.co.uk    T: 01242 269222

Handy Recruitment Solutions 

Website: www.handyrecruitment.com

GB Solutions  

Website: www.gbsolutions.co.uk   T: 01452 412 999

i2i Recruitment

Website: www.i2irecruitment.co.uk   T: 01242 771021

Juice Recruitment

Website: www.juicerecruitment.com  T: 01242 210410

Reed Employment  

Website: www.reed.co.uk    T: 01242 536 910

Office Angels

Website: www.office-angels.com  T: 01242 522292

Meridian

Website: www.meridianbs.co.uk   T: 0844 371 9015

Enjoy Recruitment   

Website: www.enjoyrecruitmentgroup.co.uk  T: 01242 252 337

Logik Recruitment  

Website: www.logikrecruitment.co.uk     T: 01452 859 013

Travail  

Website: www.travail.co.uk  T: 01242 224 488

Expectations:  

Website: www.expectationsrecruitment.co.uk  T: 01242 701123

Brook Street

Website: www.brookstreet.co.uk  T: 01242 233707

The list isn’t an exhaustive one.  If we’ve missed any that you think would be worth useful to add let us know.

We will add list of more specialist recruitment agencies soon.

Pitman Training Cheltenham are delighted to be supporting Adult Learners Week 2012. We are organising a series of events, advice sessions and FREE courses to demonstrate how easy it is to get back into learning.

“Adult Learners’ Week is the UK’s largest annual festival of learning; inspiring thousands of people each year to discover how learning can change their lives.” commented Kath Daws, Centre Manager “At Pitman Training Cheltenham we provide quality training and have supported students into work.”

“Adult Learners Week takes place between Saturday 12th May and Saturday 19th May and we will be providing FREE CV Health Checks, FREE Skills Checks, FREE Taster Sessions and some FREE Training courses.” commented Kevin Daws, Support Tutor, “Everyone is welcome to come and visit us but please let us know that you are coming by phoning us on 01242 228080.”

Pitman Training Cheltenham are pleased to confirm the following courses will be available during.

The week of FREE courses will be held at our Pitman Training Centre in Rodney Road, Cheltenham Contact us NOW and we will book your place!

Monday 14th May – Distance Learning Day

16:00-18:00      Course Advice with Kevin – ask about our Distance Learning and E-Learning courses

 12:00-15:00     Using a Computer Online Course (Spring Online)

Understanding Public Services Online Course (Spring Online)

Shopping online course (Spring Online)

Facebook and socialising online  course (Spring Online)

 Tuesday 15th May – Social Media Day

14:00-18:00      Course Advice with Kevin

 14:30-17:00     Facebook and socialising online  course (Spring Online)

Photos online  course (Spring Online)

 Wednesday 16th May – Learning for Work Day

10:00-18:00     Course Advice & FREE CV Review with Kevin – ask about our CV Writing Service

 11:00-14:00    Job Hunting Online Course (Spring Online)

Jobs and Interviews Course (Spring Online)

 Thursday 17th May – Go…Get That Job Day

12:00-18:00    Course Advice & FREE Skills Check with Kevin – ask about our CV Writing Service

12:30-15:00    Job hunting online course (Spring Online)

Jobs and interviews course (Spring Online)

Understanding public services online  (Spring Online)

 Friday 18th May – Silver Surfers Day

 12:30-17:30     Course Advice with Kevin

 13:00-16:00    Using a computer  online course (Spring Online

Understanding Public Services Online Course (Spring Online)

Shopping Online Course (Spring Online)

Facebook and socialising online  course (Spring Online)

 Saturday 19th May

10:00-13:30     Course Advice with Kevin

 10:00-13:00    Beginner IT Course (Spring Online)

Many people facing either the threat or the reality of redundancy are quickly checking and updating their CVs and trying to remember how to write a covering letter. As someone who has literally written hundreds of CVs and helped people with job search, writing covering letters and how to complete an effective job application, I would like to offer the following suggestions about how to write a good covering letter.

Let’s start by asking what is the secret of a good covering letter?

The first question you have to ask is what is the purpose of a covering letter?

Its number 1 purpose is to get the person you are writing to, to actually read your CV. So in the covering letter you need to wet their appetite by telling them enough so that they want to read your CV. If you put too much information in your covering letter then they will feel that they do not need to read your CV because everything they need to know is in the covering letter and reading the CV will not add anything useful.

If this happens, then this is a disaster for you because there will be important pieces of information in the CV that the prospective employer will miss.A good covering letter should include the following:

1. Your name and address
2. The name and address of the person you are writing to – if you do not know the name of the person you are writing to then it is worth phoning and asking
3. What post you are applying for
4. 3 examples of skills and/or experience that you can bring to the job – link these to information in your CV. For example, “You will note from my CV that I gained a Distinction in my Microsoft Office Plus Diploma at Pitman Training Cheltenham which demonstrates that I have excellent IT skills which include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook and internet skills.” Or “You note from my CV that I gained practical experience in managing shared diaries, prioritising my workload and working directly with the public both in person and on the phone whilst working as a Receptionist at Pitman Training Cheltenham.
5. 3 reasons why you are applying for the job. Saying that you are training to be an Accountant but need a job until you qualify is unlikely to go down well. Saying that you are unemployed or were recently made redundant will not earn you any brownie points. Give 3 reasons why you are attracted to that particular job – it may be the next natural step in your career progression.
6. Your mobile phone number and your e-mail address
7. Make sure that you sign off correctly – yours sincerely if you know the name of the person you are writing to and yours faithfully if you have not been able to find out the name of the recipient.

E-Mailing CVs

One of the big mistakes that many people make is that when they are asked to e-mail a CV to a potential employer they do not treat the e-mail as a covering letter – some people will put a note to say “Please see attached CV” others will attach a CV and say nothing in the e-mail. That e-mail is your covering letter and you need to put as much time and effort into that e-mail as you would into a covering letter that you would send through the post. The purpose of the e-mail is the same as the printed covering letter – it is designed to wet the appetite of the potential employer enough for them to open the attached CV and read it.

When applying for a job it is a good idea to try and put yourself in the position of the person who has to read the e-mails and covering letters. Ask yourself if I received that covering letter or that e-mail would it make me want to read the CV?

This is the point at which you have to be brutally honest with yourself. If you answered yes to the above question that’s fine. However, if you answered NO then why would you not move from the covering letter or e-mail to reading the CV? Again be honest with yourself.

If you would like to know more about how Pitman Training Cheltenham can help with training then please contact them through their website – www.training4yourcareer.co.uk or e-mail cheltenhaminfo@pitman-training.net.

You can also follow Pitman Training Cheltenham on Twitter @pitmanchelt and you can find them on LinkedIn – Kevin Daws and Kathleen Daws

Most employers are overwhelmed with CVs and applications for jobs and weed out the no-go candidates with a fast and ruthless pre-selection process.

If you fail to make the cut at this stage, it’s often likely your cover letter is to blame rather than your CV.

Writing a good cover letter is a challenge – so here are a few important points to consider:

•  Cover letters do what they say – they are brief letters of no more than a single side of typed A4
• Contact details – name, address, phone and email – go at the top right, so someone flicking through a pile of papers can easily spot you.
• Date the letter
• It’s a letter, so start ‘Dear Sir\Madam’ and end ‘Yours faithfully’ or ‘Dear Mr Smith’ and end ‘Yours sincerely’.
• The rule is if you address your letter to someone, it ends ‘Yours sincerely’ otherwise end ‘Yours faithfully’.
• Put a title in bold before the opening paragraph -  for example ‘Vacancy for insurance claims administrator’
• Spellcheck your letter – then get someone else to read it over to see it makes sense

Now, move on to your killer content -

• Introduce yourself and why you are applying for the job.
• Bullet point your selling points – relevant skills, qualification or experience.
• Make a positive statement about why you think you are right for the job in a bright and breezy upbeat style
• Invite the employer or recruiter to contact you to discuss your application or for an interview appointment

Some Do’s and Don’ts -

Don’t send a template, photocopied letter – the employer will probably dismiss your application.

Don’t be tempted not to send a letter – if the employer or recruiter has more than one vacancy, they won’t know which one you are applying for and will reject your application.

Do personalise writing a cover letter for each job application to make sure the points the employer makes in the posting are covered.

Writing a knockout CV is your X-Factor chance to make an impression with an employer.

You have a short time to win an interview by showcasing your skills, experience and qualifications for the job – if you don’t, you can easily miss the chance.

To improve your chances, here are 10 tips for writing a CV that are proven to work:

Understand what the employer wants

Read the job description and list the key points the employer is looking for in a candidate – then make sure you cover those points in your CV, as long as you have the relevant skills or experience and use the same key words. Sometime employers refer to the same things differently.

Present your life in bite-size chunks

Break down your life in to four sections – profile, work, education and leisure. If you are looking for a more technical job in IT or Engineering it can also be useful to add a ‘key skills’ section under your profile. Your profile should cover your experience and what you are looking for in 3-5 sentences. Make sure you keep this relevant to the job you are applying for. Bullet point the highlights for each, for example, a one liner about a degree would slot in to the education box.

Follow tradition

Although you want your CV to stand out, don’t present the unexpected. Follow a traditional CV format so the employer can quickly and easily identify important information, like presenting your work experience in chronological order starting with your most recent post.

Make sure you include important information

It’s easy to forget the important stuff, like you name, address and contact details – give the employer options with a day time number that you can answer and an email address. If you don’t have private email, set up a Hotmail or Google mail account.

Keep your CV simple

Short and to the point is best. Two sides of typed A4 maximum, including spacing. If you upload a CV, make sure the file format allows easy access, like MS Word or text format.

Monitor and review

Keep a list of where you send you CV and the result – if you are not getting interviews, review the CV and look for sections you can improve.

Covering all the bases

A good cover letter is just as important as a good CV – but keep the letter to a single typed page.

Positive action is a winner

Sometimes, it’s not what you say, but the way you say it. Active verbs are better than passive – ‘I managed 14 staff’ is better than ‘14 staff in the department were managed by me’.

Don’t give out too much detail

It’s easy to supply too much information in a CV that an employer does not need. Keep your personal information secure if you are posting a CV online by leaving out NI Numbers and bank information. If you get a job, the employer will ask for this when you join.

Get someone else to check your CV

It’s easier for someone else to check your CV for errors – and remember mistakes are harder to spot in larger typefaces.

This website was launched on 28th September 2011.

If you have made it this far, you must be interested in looking for a new job in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire!

We are working hard to make this website the best place to find local jobs. Whether you are looking for your first job or next career move, with so many great employers and opportunities in the Cheltenham, we hope to make your job searching easier.

Over the coming months we’ll be adding loads of great tips and advice for getting the job you want and showcasing local companies in the area.

Like us on Facebook to see our growth and progress.

www.facebook.com/jobsincheltenham