Get the job you really want by James Caan

When you've got a young family it can be very easy to get stuck in a rut at work, and a recession may not seem the right time to be looking for something you'd enjoy more when so many people around you are losing their jobs. However, in his new book Get the Job you Really Want, James Caan suggests that it isn't all doom and gloom, as companies often recognise that people are their biggest asset in difficult times.

The other piece of good news for mothers in the book is that James Caan says he personally prefers to employ women, who he feels are more driven, more loyal and more hard-working! For many mothers who are considering returning to work after a period at home looking after a young family, it is more difficult as you are starting from a disadvantage, but the book has some specific advice for anyone in this position. It's all about focusing on your skills and looking at how changes in your former area of work may have altered the job, and considering improving your skills, for example with adult education or online courses, to show that you are really committed. Although it may not be what you are ideally looking for, Caan suggests that a short-term contract or part-time work for an agency may provide a good way to get back into the jobs market.

Throughout the book, Caan uses examples of how job candidates have impressed him in interviews and applications, and explains some of the common mistakes people make at different stages of the process which rule them out. It provides a fascinating insight into the employment market from an employer's viewpoint and although not every employer will be impressed by the same thing, the general advice remains the same whatever type of job you are looking for. It's doing the research and preparation before an interview that makes all the difference, tailoring your CV to the job and making sure you create the right image for the company you are applying to. Surprisingly small things can make a difference to the impression you create at an interview too, right down to polished shoes, clean fingernails and body language.

If you're thinking about changing job or getting back into the job market, then Get the Job you Really Want will give you lots of food for thought. At the end of the book, James Caan has compiled a 30-step guide to getting the job you really want, and we're featuring the first five steps on the ladder to help you on your way.

Look at the value you are adding to your existing company: are you an asset or a liability? Can you tangibly demonstrate the value you would bring to a new employer and prove you will be a cost worth absorbing?
Define and quantify the skills, especially IT skills, that you use regularly in your particular role. Think about the best way to explain how these skills will benefit the company interviewing you, and how they will make it more efficient and effective.
Change creates opportunities, but consider the long-term impact on your life. Make sure you are 100 percent committed to your decision - either to change your job or career, or to stay put and transform the potential of your current job.
Follow the classic business rule of finding a need and filling it. You don't want to expend unnecessary time and energy. Channel all your efforts towards those companies that are actually going to have the job that's right for you.
Use every route that's available to you: recruitment agencies, direct applications, digital job boards, personal contacts, word of mouth – and concentrate on reaching the decision maker, the person who is going to offer you the job you want.

About the author:

After dropping out of school at sixteen and starting his first business in a Pall Mall broom cupboard, James Caan went on to make his fortune in the recruitment industry, founding the Alexander Mann Group, which grew to a turnover of £130 million. He graduated from Harvard Business School in 2003, and went on to set up private equity firm Hamilton Bradshaw. A winner of PriceWaterHouseCoopers Entrepreuneur of the Year and BT Enterprise of the Year award, Caan joined the panel of the BBC's Dragon's Den in 2007.

Get the Job you Really Want is published by Viking at £12.99

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