Interviews and Rejection Worries Strike Fear in Jobseekers' Hearts

LONDON, May 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- It's no secret that finding a new job can be challenging but new research by Home Learning College (http://www.homelearningcollege.com/?cp=HLCPRS0054) reveals exactly what candidates find stressful. Topping the list of worst things associated with job hunting is the prospect of being grilled in an interview, as mentioned by 55% of British adults. In close second is the difficulty of finding suitable vacancies to apply for, with 49% of the vote. Dealing with rejection was the third most common source of pressure, as chosen by 39% of respondents*.

Women display far greater concern at the prospect of attending interviews, with 60% saying it is the worst thing about looking for a new job compared to just 48% of men. Similarly, 42% of female job seekers struggle to cope with rejection, while only 35% of males mention this as an issue.

Both sexes are in agreement when it comes to the level of stress generated by the process of researching and applying for vacancies. Equal numbers of men and women (37%) also mentioned writing a CV as the worst part of job hunting. However, there is a significant gender disparity when it comes to writing covering letters. Almost a third of females (29%) highlighted this as causing anxiety, compared to just 20% of men.

The survey also asked about people's attitudes towards further study as a means of reducing the pressure associated with finding a new position. Almost three fifths (59%) said they would consider gaining a new qualification (http://www.homelearningcollege.com/?cp=HLCPRS0054 ) to enhance their current job prospects.

"Job hunting can be a daunting prospect at the best of times," says Dave Snow, Academic Director at Home Learning College. "However, it's made worse when you feel ill-equipped or under-qualified for the vacancies advertised. In today's competitive job market, it's important to demonstrate your skills to a prospective employer, whether via a covering letter, CV or during an interview. Studying for a recognised professional qualification is the ideal way to prove your level of knowledge and commitment to a particular role."

Life coach and best-selling motivational author Fiona Harrold offers her advice to nervous job seekers: "The best way to offset interview nerves is to enhance your confidence by demonstrating how you are suited to the role in question. You could do this by creating volunteer opportunities in a charitable organisation or through professional study, so you can comfortably point to your initiative and proven track record. The more evidence you can present, the more confident you'll feel and the more convinced an interviewer will be of your abilities."

For a full list of Home Learning College's accredited distance learning courses visit http://www.homelearningcollege.co.uk/courses.

*Research conducted among 2,000 British adults

About Home Learning College

Home Learning College is the largest vocational distance learning provider in the UK, and is accredited by the National Union of Students (NUS), allowing its 65,000 students to enjoy the discounts and services available with the NUS Extra Card.

All Home Learning College courses lead to professional CV-enhancing, employer recognised qualifications, including AAT, Sage, CompTIA, Microsoft, ICB and CIW. Subjects covered include book-keeping, accounting, IT and computing, web design and many more.

Home Learning College students benefit from a dedicated in-house tutoring service and the Virtual Learning Community - an online learning environment which facilitates the delivery of course material and peer networking.

For more information on all courses visit Home Learning College, follow us on Twitter @home_learning or check out student testimonials and other video content on our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/homelearningcollege

About Fiona Harrold

Fiona provides personal and business coaching.

Fiona is the author of several best-selling books, appears regularly in the media and coaches some of the best-known and most successful entrepreneurs, media personalities and politicians in the UK. She was named by The Times as one of the "new gurus who have got inside our minds to fill society's spiritual void."

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SOURCE Home Learning College