Infinity Recruitment

Author: Anthony

  • Searching for flexible working

    If you are currently in a situation where you need to find work but are limited on what hours or days that you can do, then you will need to look for a job that will offer flexible working. It may be that you have to fit in around school drop offs and pick ups or that you need to have certain days off when you have other commitments.

    Running up to Christmas is a great time to find a job in the retail sector. If you can work weekends then you will be a very attractive candidate to businesses as this is when their busiest times are. When searching for a job it is important to be upfront from the start and let the company know what hours you would be able to work. If there is some flexibility on this then it is a good idea to tell them that.

    If you want to apply for a job that does not advertise that they offer flexible working then you may wish to contact them before applying to see if that may be a possibility. It may be that you will only require flexible working for the next 6 -12 months which may fit in with some job positions and will hopefully allow you to alter your working hours as circumstances change in your life.

     

     

     

  • Forming a covering letter for your CV

    Many employers ask for a covering letter to be sent with your application form or CV when applying for a job. This letter is designed to give the potential employer an overview of who you are and why you would like to be considered for the position.

    A cover letter should ideally only be one page long and is usually made up of 3 or 4 paragraphs. The first paragraph is where you should introduce yourself and say what position it is you would like to apply for. The second paragraph should be a review brief overview of experience and/or qualifications that may be relevant to the job and the third is often a closing statement to say thank you for considering you for the position, you are happy to answer any questions and that you would be happy to attend an interview.

    It is vital that you have all your contact details listed and that they are correct on your covering letter. Be sure to double check it for spelling and grammar mistakes and that the layout is in the correct format for this type of letter. You will often need to amend your covering letter each time you apply for a different job as it should be specific to the position you are wanting to be considered for.

  • Can early career choices affect job prospects in later life?

    From a very early age we are forced in to thinking about what sort of job we would like to have. At the ages of 14 you are expected to choose your GCSE subjects and this can have an impact on choices you need to make later on such as A Levels, apprenticeships and College. If you have not got the right GCSE’s to do a certain A Level, you may find that you have to take that first before you can progress.

    Once you have done your GCSE’s you may decide you want to go to university so will need to look at what A Levels are required for the course you are considering. If once you have completed you’re a Levels, you  are not accepted on to your chosen course you may need to rethink your career path.

    It may be that you decide to leave school after your GCSE’s and go straight in to work. If you then have a number of jobs over a short space of time, you may find that further on down the line, when you come to apply for other jobs this may be questions and you may need to explain why you did not stick at the jobs you were in.

    So yes, early career choices can have an effect on your later working life but that doesn’t mean that you cannot change your career path if you need to years down the line.

     

  • Working well with others

    When writing your CV or filling in a job application you may need to consider how well you work with others. The majority of jobs available involve working with other people to some extent. In some jobs, such as a carer for example, then you will be working closely with members of the public. If you are looking in to a career in the police force then you will probably be working closely with the public and other work colleges, or if you are looking at jobs where you are working alone then you may have only a small amount of contact with others.

    When employers are looking for new employees this is often a big factor for them. Managers often have very little time to sort out disagreements within the work places and do not want people that are going to be causing animosity and a low morale amongst other work staff.

    Try and emphasise where you have demonstrated that you can work well with others and what this has achieved. It is also good to say that you are also happy to work alone if needed so that they know you can adapt to the situation.

     

  • Is there any age limit for starting a new career?

    The answer is no, not really. Any one can change their career and you must try not to think that you are too old. If you want to be a doctor for example, then you will have to bear in mind how much studying and training you will have to do, so if you are already in your 50’s you may wonder if it is worth the time as you may not have much time once you have graduated to actually follow your career path.

    One of the main things that holds people back from studying for a new career when they are older is money. Unless you can find a job which offers training whilst you work, you may have to go in to full time studies and lose out on an income for a number of years. This can put a lot of financial strain on an individual.

    IF you are able to, you may consider doing an evening course at college or an Open University course so you can still keep working full time. This is very hard work and you will have to be extremely disciplined in order to manage both effectively.