Looking for work in Wivenhoe does not necessarily have to mean spending hours searching LinkedIn, Indeed, Reed and other job websites. These websites have their uses, but they represent only one part of the local employment market.
Wivenhoe has a large number of businesses, professional firms, shops, tradespeople and organisations. Some are based on the High Street, while others operate from offices, workshops and business premises around the town. There are also people running businesses from home.
For somebody looking for work, this provides another possibility. Instead of waiting for a suitable vacancy to appear online, it is possible to identify businesses in Wivenhoe and contact them directly.
Start With the Businesses
The first step is simply to find out what businesses are actually in Wivenhoe.
A search of local business directories produces a mixture of estate agents, accountants, technology companies, trades, retailers, professional services and other organisations. There are also businesses operating from commercial premises around the town.
This is important because a job seeker may otherwise have a rather limited idea of where employment opportunities exist locally.
Someone with administrative experience, for example, does not necessarily have to look for advertisements containing the words “administrator” or “office administrator”. They could instead identify local accountants, estate agents, solicitors, property companies, consultants and other professional businesses and approach them directly.
The same applies to other types of work. Someone with marketing experience can identify local businesses that might benefit from additional marketing support. An experienced tradesperson can identify local building and maintenance companies. Someone interested in retail can approach independent shops. A person with IT experience can investigate the technology and professional businesses operating in the area.
The important change is to start with the business rather than the vacancy.
Wivenhoe Is Particularly Suitable for This Approach
This method may be more practical in a town such as Wivenhoe than it would appear at first.
The town has many small and medium-sized businesses. Some are clearly visible from the High Street, while others are less obvious because they operate from offices or commercial premises.
A person looking for work could therefore walk around the town, look at business premises, search the names of companies online and create a list of potential employers.
There is no requirement for every business on the list to be advertising a job.
Send the CV Anyway
Once a suitable company has been identified, the next step is to find out who deals with recruitment.
The company’s website may provide a contact name or email address. If it does not, a telephone call can be made to ask who would be the appropriate person to contact.
The conversation does not need to be complicated.
A job seeker could simply explain that they live locally, are looking for work in a particular area and would like to send their CV to the appropriate person in case the company has a suitable requirement now or in the future.
The CV can then be accompanied by a short covering letter.
This is a speculative application. There may be no vacancy at the time, but the company now knows that the person exists and is interested in working there.
Do Not Send the Same Letter to Everybody
The covering letter should be short and specific.
There is little point in writing a long explanation about needing a job. The employer needs to understand what the applicant can do and why they are contacting that particular business.
For example, someone approaching a local accountancy firm could mention their experience with administration, customer service, bookkeeping or financial software. Someone approaching a property company might emphasise organisation, communication and dealing with customers.
The letter can also mention something specific about the business.
This makes the application look considerably more deliberate than sending the same CV to dozens of companies.
Look Beyond the High Street
It is also important not to assume that all the relevant employers are on Wivenhoe High Street.
Local business directories can reveal companies that are not obvious from walking around the town. The wider Wivenhoe area includes businesses working in professional services, construction, technology, logistics and other sectors.
There are also businesses based close to the town which may be worth considering if the objective is to work locally rather than necessarily within a particular street or postcode.
For somebody prepared to travel a short distance, the search can naturally be extended towards Colchester, the University of Essex area and other nearby business locations.
However, it is worth starting locally. A short commute can be a significant advantage, particularly for people who would prefer to work close to home.
Make a List
A simple spreadsheet can make the process much easier.
The list could contain the name of the business, its website, the type of work it does, the name of the person contacted, the date the CV was sent and any response received.
There is no need to contact 50 businesses in one afternoon.
Five carefully selected companies may be more useful than 50 completely unsuitable applications.
The list can also be revisited every few months. A business that did not need anybody in August may have a requirement in November.
This is one of the main differences between a direct approach and an online job application. An online application is normally connected to a particular vacancy. A direct application creates a relationship with a particular employer.
Use LinkedIn as Research
There is also no reason to abandon LinkedIn.
It can be useful for finding out who works for a company and identifying managers or business owners. It can also provide information about what businesses are doing and whether they appear to be expanding.
The difference is that LinkedIn becomes a research tool rather than the entire job search.
Instead of searching endlessly for the perfect vacancy, a job seeker can search for companies and then decide whether those companies are worth approaching.
Traditional job websites can be used in the same way. If a local company repeatedly advertises particular types of work, that provides useful information about the sort of employees it needs.
Wivenhoe’s Local Network
There is another advantage to looking for work this way in a relatively small community.
People know people.
A business owner may know another business owner. Someone working in an office may know that a neighbouring company is looking for additional help. A customer may know that a local business is expanding.
This does not mean relying entirely on personal contacts. It simply means being prepared to tell people that you are looking for work.
Local organisations and business groups can also provide useful information about businesses operating in and around the town.
The existence of such a network is another reason why a local, direct approach can make sense.
A Different Way of Looking for Work
There is nothing wrong with applying for advertised jobs. If a suitable vacancy appears on LinkedIn or a job website, it should be considered.
The mistake is to assume that every job worth having will appear there.
For somebody living in Wivenhoe, there is a considerable list of local organisations that can be researched and approached directly. The process is relatively simple: find the companies, decide which ones are relevant, identify the appropriate person, write a short covering letter and send the CV.
Some will not reply. Some will say that they are not recruiting. Others may keep the CV on file.
Occasionally, however, a company may say that it has been considering taking somebody on, that a member of staff is leaving or that there is work available which has not yet been advertised.
That is the main reason for doing it.
Rather than competing with hundreds of people for a vacancy that has already been advertised, the applicant is making contact before there is a queue.
For people looking for work in Wivenhoe, this is a fairly old-fashioned idea, but there is nothing particularly complicated about it. Find the businesses. Find the people. Introduce yourself. Send the CV. Follow up politely.
It may not replace LinkedIn or the traditional job websites, but it can make the local job search considerably wider.
