Archive for January, 2010

“Part-time cover”

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

As an avid follower of all things sporting, I am especially sceptical about how some events are reported in the media. I often have to double check that the report I’m reading is of the same game that I watched.

Of course this could be due to my red and white tinted spectacles, but I would like to think I’m relatively fair. I understand journalists need to sell papers and therefore I read articles on the economy with the same level of scepticism unless I’ve seen the facts for themselves.

Whilst reading many conflicting articles this week on the latest employment figures (or unemployment figures) I decided to dig out the report for myself from the Office of National Statistics.

The way these figures have been reported by some have been a tad misleading and there are a couple of findings of particular interest (aside from those already reported):

  • The number in full time employment fell by 113,000 and the number in part-time employment increased by 99,000.
  • The number of unemployed for more than 12 months, increased by 29,000.

[All figures cover 3 months from September to November 2009]

Unemployment may have gone down but it’s not full time work that’s on the rise. For a jobseeker these figures not only emphasise the need to consider short-term or interim jobs but they also emphasise that the demand for these types of roles are on the up.

Permanent work may be the ideal outcome however the availability of interim, part-time and short-term work continues to be on the rise. The benefits for those jobseekers out of work, outweigh the negatives as long as you maintain some flexibility should the right role eventually come along.

  • You are kept busy and you have variation to the daily grind that a job search can bring.
  • It demonstrates proactivity and can open the door to other opportunities.
  • It gets you out of the house and provides focus to your jobsearch.
  • It fills that gap that could arise since your last permanent role.

So if you haven’t already considered part-time or interim work, you might want to give it some thought.

I hope you have a productive week…

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Barack to the future

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

Last week I read an interesting article that was inspired by a recent government commissioned report.

“The Shape of Things to Come” report tackles the issue of the evolving job market and how technological advances would all but put an end to the concept of a job for life (in the main).

Now this is not exactly ground breaking news (the internet economy is said to have created 1.2 million jobs directly in the US alone) however it highlights how the growing rate of technological advances has a significant impact on the shape of the job market.

This underlines the need to continually upskill – an attractive employee is one who keeps abreast of advancements (technical and procedural) in their market, both from a commercial and vocational perspective.

It also highlights the need to make sure this is reflected in your job search. If you’re updating your CV, make sure it demonstrates that you are ahead of  the game and always looking for improvement.

If you are going into a new market, research it thoroughly and identify both opportunities and issues – this will not only ensure you are well prepared but also highlight synergies and benefits that you can bring to the table to positively drive change within the company of interest.

Being able to demonstrate a tangible track record of change and identify opportunities to impact on a prospective employers bottom line will increase your kudos significantly.

It will also demonstrate that you are able to embrace change in a commercial world that is evolving at an increasing rate, and will be ready to take new opportunities that come your way.

I hope you have a productive week…

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Happy New Year!

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

Last week saw an indifferent start to the year. For some companies, the cold weather has put recruitment on ice – mandates being delayed until conditions reach relative normality and the travel chaos recedes.

However, in the main, I found a lot of recruiters were working from home and getting the ball rolling on various requirements from their PC.

The internet has changed the way we network and jobseekers have to adapt and use it to their advantage. Interviews can now be conducted on video conference calls via VOIP providers such as Skype, which is becoming increasingly reliable and easy to use, and Vonage which seems to have extremely competitive call rates.

I must stress that it’s always best to meet contacts in person if you can, however if all else fails this can serve to open up your and, if your contact has a busy diary, their availability and exhibits some initiative ahead of the rest.

This leads me onto a question raised last week during one of my consults: “Do you think I should include a photo in my CV?”

I used to be against including a photo however the increased popularity of online networking has altered my view, slightly, my view is now fairly indifferent.

Of course, it could prejudice your application and by that I mean that people can react to photos in different ways, however they are much more commonplace these days and are becoming the norm on networking profiles.

If you are unsure whether to include your photo then excluding it won’t do anything to hinder your suitability to a job however if you do decide to include it then I think a small, subtly placed professional photo can only serve to add some personality to what can be a dry document.

Just try to avoid passport photo or police station guidelines!

I hope you have a productive week…

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