- 22 - 02 - 2012 £2.5 million boost for UK space technology industryGrant funding totalling £2.5million is being made available to twenty two innovative British companies to help them develop commercial products and services using space technologyThe funding – from the UK Space Agency, the Technology Strategy Board and the South East England Development Agency– will support twenty eight fast track research and development projects, each lasting [...]READ MORE
- 15 - 02 - 2012 Latest Employment figures – REC responseUK unemployment rose by 48,000 to 2.67 million in the three months to December, official figures have shown. The unemployment rate is now 8.4%, although the number of job vacancies rose to 476,000 in the three months to January. The ONS data also showed that average earnings increased by 2.0% in the year to December, [...]READ MORE
- 14 - 02 - 2012 Dyson to create 300 jobs after hitting turnover recordThe engineering firm Dyson says it has made £1bn ($1.58bn, 1.19bn euros) turnover for the first time and will create 300 skilled jobs, around 8% of its workforce. The firm, best known for its bagless vacuum cleaners, said sales rose by a quarter in 2011, with some markets growing by 30%. The company’s new chief [...]READ MORE
- 14 - 02 - 2012 Permanent placements rise in UKThere has been a rise in the number of people being placed into permanent jobs in the UK, according to the latest industry survey. The new Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC)/KPMG Report on Jobs shows that there was a modest rise in permanent staff appointments for the first time in four months during January. It [...]READ MORE
- 14 - 02 - 2012 Employers offered wage subsidy for hiring young people‘Take a chance on hiring a young person’ urges Grayling Ministers have urged employers to claim their share of a £1billion government wage subsidy to recruit up to 160,000 young people. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and employment minister Chris Grayling announced today that the wage subsidy will be available through the government’s ‘Youth Contract’ [...]READ MORE
- 14 - 02 - 2012 ‘Counter-offers’ for resigning staff on the riseBut workers rarely accept money to stay, survey shows It is becoming more common for employers to offer resigning staff a counter-offer to stay with their company, research has shown. As employers worry about losing key talent, one in four (23 per cent) senior HR professionals say their organisation is now more likely to make [...]READ MORE
- 08 - 02 - 2012 UK Aerospace has reasons to be cheerfulWith the trans-European plane maker Airbus revealing at its annual press conference that it took in a record number of orders for new commercial aircraft last year, a leading aerospace analyst believes that the UK industry has plenty of reasons to be cheerful.“Recent order pronouncements from significant airframe manufacturers clearly illustrate that global conditions are [...]READ MORE
- 06 - 02 - 2012 Reed: Jobs in January up 9% on previous yearNew jobs in January were 9% higher than the previous year, despite decline in demand in a number of sectors from banking to energy, reports the Reed Job Index. At 123, the index remains above the 100 level set as a baseline in December 2009 and 9% higher than the January 2011 figure of 113. [...]READ MORE
- 01 - 02 - 2012 Age discrimination? Supreme Court to decide if it is ‘justifiable’ to retire older employees to make way for young talentA landmark legal dispute brought by a solicitor who claims he was forcibly retired at 65, came to the Supreme Court this week, when the decision will be made legitimate and justifiable for law firm Clarkson Wright and Jakes to ‘retire’ him. The case is set to throw into the spotlight, the question as to [...]READ MORE
- 31 - 01 - 2012 Being mindful of mental healthWomen more at risk of depression during child-rearing years. Mental health disorders, such as depression, schizophrenia, panic disorder, insomnia, drug and alcohol dependence, will be the core health challenge for this century according to a study carried out last year in 30 European countries by the European College of Neuropsychopharacology (ECNP). The report highlights that [...]READ MORE
Candidate Tips
The Interview
Whether you’re feeling confident or need a bit of a boost, it’s always good to ensure that you’ve covered the basics so you can concentrate fully on winning that job.
Plan
- Do you know where you’re going, how long it will take you to get there?
- Allow plenty of time for your journey and arrive at least five minutes early
- Do you know the names of the people interviewing you and their positions within the company?
- Practice saying their names if they are difficult to pronounce
Prepare
- There is no such thing as enough preparation for an interview
- Find out everything about the company and what it manufacturers or produces – look on their website
- Look for current news, show you are up to date
- Remember, employers buy experience.
- Second guess the employer’s ‘shopping list’
- What skills / qualities / experience do you have to match?
- Think about what evidence of achievement you can talk about
- Rehearse your success stories
- Have a minimum of 5 questions prepared on paper to ask the interviewer towards the end of the interview – this shows you are interested in getting the position
Presentation
- Work out what is appropriate in terms of everything you present
- Look the part and you will feel it
- Being over-dressed is far better than being under-dressed
- Dress as if you are already in the job
Practice
- Be your own worst interview nightmare
- What is the most difficult question you may have to face?
- Practice the answer, practice again
Positivity
- Employers latch on to negative messages, so don’t give them any
- Remember to smile where appropriate!
- Watch your body language, don’t cross your legs or arms as it can look defensive
- Always look the interviewer in the eye
Repeat
- On balance you will be rejected more times than accepted.
- Even if you don’t get the job, you can learn a huge amount about your perceived market value.
- Ask for feedback from your recruiter as to why you didn’t get the job this time. This can help you rectify any problems and help you get the job next time.
Remember – there’s a job out there for you somewhere so read our recent candidate success stories for inspiration or browse our latest engineering, technical and sales vacancies.
