Finding a job can be a tough task at the best of times. Right now, it's harder than ever - job cuts, lay-offs and mass redundancies mean the job market is more competitive and has more candidates, too.
We may all be in it together when it comes to the financial crisis, but when it comes to job hunting, you're on your own.
The process of finding employment can generally be separated into three stages: find a position, apply for it, and then perform at the interview. In many cases, simply finding vacancies is the hardest part of the job hunt.
Tracking down the perfect position is, in all likelihood, the most time-consuming and dullest part of the process. Once you've found the perfect job with a dream salary at a company you like the look of, you need to create the perfect curriculum vitae; a document that impresses both visually and through its content is essential if you're to make it to the interview.
Happily, your iPad or your iPhone can help you at all three stages of the job hunt. There are apps to help you find the right position, and apps to design the best CV too. If the interview stage isn't your strong point, however, there are even apps available to help you build up your confidence.
In short, there's every possible app to help you along the path to a new or more exciting career, and we've structured our tips in this chronological order to help you with the process.
1. Jobcentreplus
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Access nationwide job listings, all for free, with this official app
Price: Free
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch
Finding out what positions are out there is step one in the job-hunting process, and where better to start than the Job Centre?
The Jobcentreplus app allows you to search all the vacancies at every Job Centre nationwide, giving you access to a huge number of positions.
There are three main ways to search for a vacancy. First, you can use a search term and define a place - so, if you're looking for sales jobs in Bath, enter those details and tap on Search.
Second, you can use the location capabilities of your iPhone to simply search for jobs in your current vicinity. Finally, you can browse jobs by category; if you really want to be a butcher, for example, tap on the job title and search for all the positions near you.
If you're not fussy about your role, you can just search for every job close by, but naturally this returns far too many results to be wholly useful. We really liked the favourites function that allows you to quickly collect a number of job ads to read in more detail at your leisure.
Also, the number of preferences and options available that enable you to refine your job search and really dig out your perfect role impressed us, too. In short, using this official app is generally much less stress than visiting a real Job Centre, yet with all the same opportunities on offer.
2. Pocket CV
Build and distribute a stunning résumé with this simple tool
Price: £ 1.99 / $2.99
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
Making a résumé that really sells you and your talents can be both tricky and tedious. You need to make sure that you've put everything a prospective employer would need to know in an easy-to-follow layout, preferably on no more than two sides of A4.
Pocket CV is designed to help you do just that; it splits your CV into seven sections, and you simply fill in each one. Then tap Preview to see what your new CV looks like. It really couldn't be easier.
