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Read more about the article What To Expect in 2021 – Job Seeking In The New Normal.
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What To Expect in 2021 – Job Seeking In The New Normal.

It goes without saying that 2021 is already tracking to be a year of real long term change in the employment market. A lot of the changes brought in last year to deal with the pandemic were considered short term, necessary and in many cases, legally obligatory - however, many of the changes brought in by companies seeking to mitigate the damage done by COVID-19 are panning out to be good for business, good for opportunity and good for employee health and wellbeing. The pandemic is generationally defining for employee expectations, and HR teams know this - job seekers have…

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January 25, 2021
Read more about the article The UK’s Gig Economy
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The UK’s Gig Economy

The recession may be over, but the UK's economic landscape has changed dramatically over the past few years. The idea of job stability has transformed from an expected reality into an idealistic one. Today's economy might be thriving on paper, but the rise of what's known as a 'gig economy' leaves many workers at the wayside.  What Exactly is the Gig Economy? The gig economy is an umbrella term used to describe the current economic climate occurring within Britain. It encapsulates the idea that people are hired in a way that promises maximum benefit to the company, and an uncertain…

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April 1, 2019
Read more about the article Practical Advice for Finding a Job
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Practical Advice for Finding a Job

There is a wealth of job-finding advice on the internet, but much of it is highly impractical: suggestions like 'networking' and 'putting yourself out there' are incredibly vague, and sometimes reading such advice will actually discourage you. Networking is for people who read magazines that tell us about things like LBDs (little black dresses), it isn't for those of us who just want a quiet life with a normal job that pays enough to do the things we have to do and maybe even some of the things we want to do. Luckily I'm here to help. Because I find…

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May 1, 2018
Read more about the article Ban-the-Box
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Ban-the-Box

Well well, what do we have here? I wrote an article about 'ban-the-box' in America for another site, and after last month's post about name-blind applications I thought it would be appropriate to find out if the UK had its own version of 'ban-the-box'. Unsurprisingly, I did a quick google search and voilà — the UK has shamefully followed in the politically-correct footsteps of its American counterparts. I can't say I'm surprised, but I'm more than a little disappointed. So what is the box, and why should it be banned? The box in question is the box you find on…

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March 1, 2018
Read more about the article Name-Blind Recruitment
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Name-Blind Recruitment

As soon as I read the definition of name-blind recruitment, or blind recruitment as I'll call it from here on out, I knew I'd be a bit of a skeptic. Nonetheless, this form of recruitment is gaining momentum, so it's worthy of discussion. Blind recruitment is the practice of removing information that personally identifies you from your job application. Things that are often removed from a blind application include your name, gender, age, and education. Immediately I'm wondering why on earth education would be removed from an application, considering the fact that you need B.Sc's, B.A's, PhD's, A.B.C's and the…

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February 1, 2018
Read more about the article How To Create a Good Computer-Readable CV
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How To Create a Good Computer-Readable CV

I've previously written about what information should appear in a CV, and how to divide information between a CV and a cover letter (here if you didn't read it yet). The points in my previous writing were concerned with general C.V writing. This post, however, focuses specifically on how to write a good CV for online applications. The title above, 'How To Create a Good Computer-Readable CV', is illuminating. Many job-seekers aren't aware of the fact that the actual layout of their CV can impact their chances of getting the job they're applying for. This is because many companies use…

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December 1, 2017
Read more about the article Top 3 Reasons You’re Not Getting the Job
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Top 3 Reasons You’re Not Getting the Job

1. You’re over/under-qualified. This is the number one factor that determines whether you get to interview stage or not. It’s no surprise that if you’re under-qualified you don’t have a chance. If the job listing asks for five years experience in an office and you have three, don’t bother applying. It’s tempting to say ‘but I have three years experience, surely this is enough’. Granted, asking for this much experience for a relatively low-skilled office job is a bit much. I see ads like this all the time where the requirements are truly out of reach for the average job-seeker. I find it…

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February 28, 2017
Read more about the article The Benefits of Using Recruitment Agencies
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The Benefits of Using Recruitment Agencies

Last month’s post listed the benefits of approaching employers directly when applying for a job. The findings were clear: the second point in the post asserted that targeting employers is quite simply the best way to find a job. This is true if we consider the high percentage of unadvertised jobs. Recruitment agencies can generally only access jobs which are advertised on the open market. Therefore, using their services means that the job applicant is only applying for at most 40% of the actual jobs available. This seems to be a dreary forecast for this post. However, it must be…

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October 30, 2016