Job search essentials

First of all you need to network: it really is a case of who you know with around 60 per cent of new employees being hired through employee referrals, according to one study. Talk to your friends and old colleagues; force yourself to attend industry events and tell people you are looking for a new challenge. Make use of social media like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and let people know you’re job hunting.

Secondly, use the time you now have to upskill and invest in your skills and knowledge. Keep up your CPD so that you are first in line when the recruitment drive picks up. Consider offering your services as a self-employed consultant, particularly to smaller firms. This will give you an income while you search for other employment or you might even find a new career path; one fifth of UK business entrepreneurs began their enterprises after redundancy.

Transfer your skills

Think creatively about transferring your skills to another sector of construction "If you have been working in retail and office developments, which have been the hardest hit by recession, then look at transferring your skills to construction of schools," advises Graham Watts, chief executive of the Construction Industry Council.

Infrastructure, power stations, renewable energy, the Olympics and Crossrail are all areas in which construction jobs are continuing to be created. Maintenance is a growth area and Watts also forecasts a resurgence in house building.

Examine current trends

Look at trends in the sector to see if your skills match: the demand for sustainability means more environmental consultants are needed and more facilities managers who understand about energy efficiency in existing buildings.

Overseas, particularly the Middle East, is a boom sector. According to Hays Construction, developments in early stages in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi are crying out for project managers, quantity surveyors, asset managers, planners and estimators.

Finally, remember to stay positive: becoming redundant is not an uncommon phenomenon and there is very little stigma attached to redundancy these days. Most employers agree that it is much better to have one redundancy on your CV than two short-term jobs, both of which you left by your own accord.

Depending on how long you've been in the workplace you'll find that the CV has developed enormously and the bog-standard chronological CV – lists and dates of education and jobs – is no longer going to cut the mustard. These days your CV must demonstrate quickly your achievements and why you're suited to the job.

Top tips for a killer CV:

• Remember your CV is useful for your future, not for your past
• Consider writing a skills and achievements CV rather than just listing jobs in chronological order. This makes it easier for the employer to see how you meet their needs. Always stress the impact your project had on the company. If what you did added value, say so. If you brought in a tricky project under budget and on time, show how. Back up any claims you make with examples or evidence and use facts wherever possible.
• Always be honest. Don't leave long career gaps unexplained.
• Use an easy-to-read font, good design and good-quality plain paper and envelope.
• Include all your personal contact details, including an E-mail address, Put contact details at the foot of a CV for a senior position - you want your achievements and experience to be the first thing to be read; but leave it at the top for junior positions or vacancies that are likely to attract hundreds of applicants.
• Keep your CV brief - no more than three pages.
• Express your academic and professional history and achievements in a way that relates to the employer's needs.
• Put yourself in the recruiter's shoes. Could you make a positive decision about you from your CV in 20 seconds? Does your CV make it clear what makes you better than your competitors? Does it accurately convey your character?
• Check carefully for spelling and grammatical errors. If possible, ask someone else to check too.
• Ideally keep an up-to-date electronic version saved in Word format so that you can respond promptly.
• Draft a short covering letter to highlight your interest and main qualifications for the position and send off with your CV.
• Include references.

It doesn't look good to have a lot of jobs on your CV

Not necessarily. Ever since the ‘downsizing' of companies during the 1980s and 1990s, employers have recognised that there rarely is any logical progression – or corporate ladder –within any one company anymore. To get ahead and gain new skill sets, job-seekers often need to make multiple moves. Avoid really short stints – under a year – but otherwise don't be too concerned with moving around. And if you are concerned, focus on your transferable skills with a functional rather than chronological CV.

My CV must show a logical career path

The most important part of a CV is showing that you have the skills, education (or training), and experience that the employer seeks. Most employers will spend less than 20 seconds reviewing your CV, which means you need to focus on the key components that will result in getting a job interview.

Lowering salary demands will increase my chances of getting the job

You should never lower reasonable salary demands because doing so will just make you appear desperate for the job - and is likely to result in your not getting the job offer. Even if you got the offer and accepted it, you would be unlikely to ever be happy in your job or with your employer because you would feel you were cheated out of the salary you deserved. As long as your salary demands are within acceptable range for the job you're seeking as well as the industry and location of the employer, stick to them. And never be the first to bring up salary; let the employer raise the issue.

The most qualified candidates get the job

Not true. Credentials are only half the battle: often, the job goes to the candidate who sells themself best in interview – the one who convinces the interviewer they're the best person for the job. Stress your credentials by all means but appear confident and presentable, ask the right questions, handle yourself well and you'll be as in with as much as a chance as the most qualified person.

I'm over 50, so finding a job will be really tough

The baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) are completely redefining the meaning of age and older workers, and thus workers over 50 should theoretically have a lot fewer problems finding new jobs than in the past. The critical issues are whether you have the skills, education, and experience that the employer seeks – and whether all those are current. You also have to have the proper attitude – to be a team player, not a seasoned professional who knows all the answers and is unwilling to change.

I can't get a job without experience

The key is to start somewhere. It may not be where you think you deserve after spending all that money and time on an education, but if you have to start sweeping floors, start there. The key is to get your foot in the door; employers fill over half their vacancies from within, according to a large study by CareerXroads, a recruiting consulting and strategy firm.

When times are tough, take the first offered

Only accept a job offer if you are sure that the job and the compensation represent the right career move. If not, a better offer will come along – and as long as you are not about to lose your house or suffer other financial or emotional consequences, you should hold out for the job offer that best fits the direction you want to move in.

I have a gap in my CV

Honesty is the best policy with CVs. If you have a gap in your employment history of more than a year don't leave it unexplained. You will score more marks for integrity and being open rather than lying or trying to hide it. If the gap is only a few months, it's possible not to explain it: just put job dates in years only.

Try to turn it into a positive: if you were fired from a job, talk about what you learned from the experience or how it gave you chance to travel or move to a different career path or job you were better suited to. Talk about what you did in that time (if it's relevant), such as volunteer work or advising on a friend's business, for example. If you don't have anything to talk about focus on the fact you were job-searching and stress how you honed your skills or worked at CPD during that time. The key is to show potential employers that the gap does not mean you are unreliable or that any problem (illness etc) is now a thing of the past.

I'm a senior manager with experience but I don't have a degree and I'm worried it will prevent me getting an interview

If you're a senior-level professional or manager, you've probably worked your way up the corporate ranks by demonstrating leadership, dedication and proficiency. Don't focus on your lack of a degree but on what you have achieved in your career. By this stage in your career the work you have done becomes more important than your educational qualifications.

Look at your career contributions with pound signs. Employers are always interested in the bottom line. Did the work you carried out add to it, or control the expenses affecting it? Then highlight that on your CV. If you can't quantify it then focus on other results such as corporate reputation or project efficiency.

Ask yourself hard questions about the results of your work, and then put figures to as much of it as possible. This way the results speak for themselves and can cut through any doubt about your lack of degree.

Demonstrate your professional training as proof of ongoing development and commitment to professional qualifications. You may have attended hours of seminars, leadership training sessions and other professional development endeavours.

College coursework, even if you did not finish a degree program, still counts toward secondary education requirements in the eyes of many hiring managers so if don't leave it off your CV just because you didn't complete your degree.

If you have a track record in employment then most employers will look at your "on-the-job education" as equivalent (and possibly even stronger) credentials than a degree.

Nerves get the better of me at interview

Job interviews can be nerve-wracking, particularly if you don't have much experience of them. The key is to be yourself and try to relax. If you have a tendency to clam up then use notes. Ask the interviewer if it's okay to refer to them and run through them before the interview so you feel prepared.

If you freeze and can't think of an answer to a question, take a sip of water. It buys you time, cools you down and allows your brain to work. Another trick is to ask the interviewer to repeat the question.

If nerves make you "waffle on", try to make your point and then stop. Avoid going off topic too. Better to supply a short, relevant answer than a rambling pointless one.

Q: Tell me about a time you resolved a problem for an employer or a client?

Companies are always interested in saving money or adding value, so the interviewer is looking for a logical step-by-step approach where you exercised initiative by isolating a problem and effecting a cost-saving solution.

Give an example of a project that ran into problems and that you found a solution to without costs spiralling. Perhaps you called in an expert or worked with the client to find a solution. Be sure to give figures and demonstrate how much time/money was saved.

Q: How do you manage your working week and make realistic deadlines?

The employer wants to know if you are well organised and good at time management and prioritising.

Using examples from your current or past jobs, describe how you allocate time. If you divide your time between office and site explain how you reserve Monday for office work and meetings, Tuesday through Thursday for site visits and team management issues and Friday for administration. Do you reserve an hour a day for planning? Do you set aside a certain period each day for interruptions or unanticipated meetings or setbacks? Be as specific as possible if you are interviewing for the same type of job that you currently have or have had. Otherwise, you will need to have elicited a lot of information from the interviewer (or your informational interviews) about the particular position and what it might entail so that you can answer this question accurately.

Q: How do you define success and how will you make our company more successful?

This is one of those make-or-break questions: based on your response you'll be catapulted up the interview ladder, or eliminated from further consideration. The employer wants to know if you have put their needs before your own, if you've done your homework on what they're looking for and if you have something tangible to offer them.

This is a two-part question. Begin with your definition of success, such as: "I learned early in my career, it's the passion that drives you toward your goals but it's the hard work that produces your success. I constantly strive to improve my performance by questioning today how I could have accomplished more yesterday. This way, I'll always feel my next achievement will be greater than my last."

For the second part of the question try this: "I am confident I can make an immediate contribution in the following ways..." (state brief examples of your achievement stories that relate directly to the needs of the open position. This enables the interviewer to gauge more accurately how your talents, skills and accomplishments match up to the qualifications they're looking for).

Remember: You never want to talk longer than two minutes at a time. State key points briefly, yet thoroughly. If the interviewer needs more information, they'll ask.

Q: Describe a situation that required a number of things to be done at the same time. How did you handle it? What was the result?

Choose an example from your experiences that highlights your initiative, your drive and determination to accomplish a task. Explain how you prioritised the items and calculated what you would need to complete the jobs on time. Did you recruit temporary help or draft in experts? Did you subcontract some of the work? How did you manage the team? Even if you were a team member on such a combination of projects, you could describe how your role, ideas or suggestions were instrumental in helping complete the work on time.

Q: What do you consider your most significant accomplishment?

This question is about your personal values as well as interests and attitudes. It will show what you are most proud of, demonstrate your approach to risk or sacrifice and what drives you.

Answer it using an achievement story directly related to the company's greatest need. Paint a vivid picture of the nature of the problem and how you got involved, the obstacles you overcame and the final outcome.