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The first thing you must do is dedicate time to research your area of interest - perhaps you know exactly what you want or you have a few areas of interest but take time out to hone it down- what is your dream job?. You then need to realistic about it, do you have at least 3 out of the five requirements to move into this job and if not make a decision are you willing to do what it takes to have at least 3 of the requirements - ie further education (are you willing to do it), some voluntary work to gain experience if necessary - how much do you want this job? Will you do the hours it requires? Is there a company that have this job in a good location for you? Is it commutable? Can you survive on the salary it is worth? This is an investment of your time but its vital. You owe it to yourself to put this time in to find out is your dream possible to achieve.

When you are clear on what you want, do you research on what is required to do this job well, assess your personality (there are websites to help you do this) then you must work on a CV - customize it very carefully to read well for the role you are searching for, seek help to ensure this c.v is perfect, understand that this is your top tool, the first introduction to the client - it has to be word perfect, professional and reader friendly. Clear concise work history with a personal touch to help your personality shine through from the first.

Source a strong recruiter who knows their stuff and is a specialist in your chosen area - someone who will work very hard for you to find your dream job and when you find them, meet them face to face tell them exactly what you want, the money you want, the location and be very articulate that you are not willing to compromise on this. Tell them you will also be looking yourself to apply for jobs but you will brief them on what you do - that you will be open and honest with them and you expect that in return from them. Tell them you will deal with them exclusively if they promise to do all they can to find you this dream job. Tell them you need updates regularly as to how its going. Show them your c.v - ask them for advice and ask them to create a covering letter for your own personal applications

Practice your interview skills, when ever you can, ask a friend to critique you. Do research on the internet on competency based interviewing and check all aspects of the questions you could be asked and do your research on how best to answer them- practice in front of the mirror again and again and again. Ensure you are not overusing your hands when expressing yourself because if you are nervous this will be overdone, ensure you are not saying "em" all the time, ensure you are confident in selling yourself. Ask your chosen recruiter for feedback on your interview skills. Ensure you have the balance between well rehearsed and prepared but be yourself! Never be negative and always have eye contact with your interviewer/interviewers. You need to have good examples of real life situations- ie: give them an example of how you thrived under pressure. Most importantly look the part, look smart and well groomed no matter what the level of role or type of role you are going for.

Research your prospective employer well before interview - go to their website and read and digest as much as you can. Try and find out about their growth plans or what they have done recently, read all press releases. Its essential you show great interest in the meeting by proving you have done your research - it shows you are serious. Know their competition. Know their benefits and have a really good set of questions to ask that are relevant to the role and the company at the end of the interview.