When you’ve finally made it past the first hurdle and secured an interview, you might be thrown by the idea of doing one with lots of other people, so here’s my advice about how to approach group interviews. They are currently common in many graduate processes and some other interviews, so it’s worth understanding how to prepare for them.
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With the UK job market tougher than ever, more candidates are experiencing ghosting in the recruitment process. While the term ghosting might have been coined to mean someone disappearing from conversations when you’re dating, people are now using it in relation to job searches – and not only at the first stage.
Continue reading “Ghosting in the recruitment process: a new thing, or tale as old as time?”
It’s a tough market out there if you are searching for a new job; cracking how to stay motivated is a large part of the battle.
There’s been an increase in redundancies recently, and employers appear more cautious about recruiting – likely driven by cost pressures, economic uncertainty created by the US’s Hokey Cokey on tariffs, and higher labour costs thanks to National Insurance and National Minimum Wage increases.
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You are not imagining it – job searches are taking much longer than they used to, leading to candidates getting fatigue. A survey of 2,500 people found it takes, on average, 3.8 months to secure a job after investing 6.5 hours a week on searching and sending off 162 applications.
It’s no mean feat, then, to secure your next role, and no wonder people get worn out by the process. Here’s how you can combat job search fatigue and win.
If you’re being made redundant you may already have been offered support to find a new job, but are outplacement services worth it? We think so. They put you in a stronger position for finding your next role, help you understand your strengths and what that role could be, give you support to freshen up your CV and get you ready to sell yourself at interviews. That’s why you should ask for outplacement support as part of your redundancy package.
I am often asked how to choose between going to university or doing an apprenticeship – often by 18-year-olds just about to finish their A levels or college courses, as well as by parents who are considering the benefits and costs of both options.
So what’s the answer? Well of course it depends on several factors. Currently, higher education and uni are still the most popular option (according to the latest data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency) but apprenticeships are increasingly recognised as a viable alternative path to future employment – if you can find a good one. Continue reading “How to choose between university or an apprenticeship”
With news that UK employers are preparing for the “biggest redundancy round in a decade” (The Guardian) many people will be facing losing their jobs. Losing your job at any point is a scary thing to face, but it’s even worse when lots of people are in the same situation and the job market is saturated. Here’s my tips on how to tell people you’ve been made redundant and why it matters.
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I always encourage my clients to get in the habit of carrying out a quarterly career check up – or a ‘career MOT’ as I like to call it. Getting in the habit of regularly stopping to monitor your current career position with a mini appraisal can really pay off, whether you’re happy where you are or looking for a new role.
Here’s a quick look at what a career check up is and why a little effort can go a long way.
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If you’re being made redundant you might have heard the term, but you may not know exactly what outplacement is and what the benefits are.
The word itself is HR jargon used to describe the process of placing someone out of the business. In practice, it’s used to refer to the support provided to people who are leaving the organisation and is sometimes referred to as career transition support.
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Being stuck in a job you’re not all that keen is never ideal – but if it also happens to pay a great salary and offer some generous benefits, you can end up feeling really trapped. If you’re torn between passion and pay, job satisfaction over salary, and you’re wondering what to do, here are a few things to consider to help you make a decision on which way to turn.
How a career coach can help you take control after redundancy
With the current economic situation, many people are finding themselves at risk of redundancy – or with the option to choose it if that suits them. In the three months to December 2024, there were around 114,000 redundancies made in the United Kingdom, with more expected in 2025. It can be a strange time, but a career coach can help you take control of your next step.
The professional perspective of a career coach can really help you work through the change that has been imposed on you or that you’ve chosen, provide time and space to talk through your thoughts and feelings, help you explore options as well as come to terms with, accept and heal from the change.
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When you’ve decided you want a career change or a new job, how on earth do you figure out what to go for when there are so many options?
To have the best success at securing a new job without spending what feels like all of the hours you have spare on the search, you need a plan. Having too many ideas is just as tricky to manage as having no clue what kind of role to look for, so here are my tips for refining those ideas for a career change and coming up with a plan. Continue reading “Career change – Tips for deciding your next job role”
