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It can be an anxious time for a new mum when maternity leave comes to an end and they need to go back to work. It may be the case that their previous career is no longer suitable if it involved working unsociable hours or required overseas travel and childcare is a problem, they may have to rethink their career path in the light of these issues.

Consideration needs to be given to the type of employment that is suitable with the constraints now in place. If childcare is available this choice is broader but if not, there are limitations regarding nursery drop off and pick up times, so it is worthwhile finding out what is available in the local area.

It may be necessary to update the qualifications that are held to widen the range of jobs that can be applied for. This could involve undertaking a college course or even going to university, an exciting prospect that should not be disregarded as many courses can be completed online. Universities welcome mature students on their courses and research has shown that returning candidates do very well academically.

If the idea of further training is not for you then employment that provides an on site creche may be a possible solution. Many forward-thinking companies offer this facility for their employees as they welcome parents back into the workplace.

If you have applied for a job and been offered an interview, you need to make sure you are fully prepared to give yourself the best chance of landing the job. Lots of people just turn up to an interview without really having done much preparation, but in doing so you may make silly mistakes which could of easily been avoided if you have just put aside a bit of time. There are a few important points to consider prior to your interview the first is research.  You should try and find out as much as you can about the job role and also the company that you wish to work for. Employers like to feel that their staff take an interest in the business and if you can study their website / social media sites or other literature they have available, this will give you a great head start. You often be quizzed to see how much you know about the company and see if you have taken the time to do a little research.

Try and prepare answers to some of the most common questions you are likely to get asked. you will not know exactly what you will be asked in an interview but often they follow a similar format. IF you have previously been to an interview for a similar role then think back to what they asked you and how you could of improved your answer.

Make sure that you fully know what is on your CV. The interviewer will have read your CV and they may have questions they wish to ask you based on what information you have given. It is vital that you know what you have put on their and can explain it in detail if needs be.

With much of Britain slowly starting to return to a new sort of normal and many of us heading back to work, there are some that are finding they do not have jobs to go back to. Unfortunately, even with the help of the government, some businesses simply could not survive the lockdown period and have had to shut their doors for the final time.

Finding work in the current climate can be very hard and you may find more competition than usual. It is easy to quickly get disheartened with applying for job after job with little success and you may start to put off the job search to avoid further rejection. If you have very limited qualifications or experience then you will often find it even harder to land the job you want and may be very restricted in what you can apply for. Lots of companies are offering more apprenticeships and more trainee positions, so if you are just staring out or fancy a new career, this may be perfect for you.

An apprenticeship can be taken in several industries and each course will vary in terms of time to complete and hours you will work during a week.

If you need to undertake training or get a specific qualification to apply for a job then you need to find out how much it is going to cost and how long it is likely to take you. If you are looking at going to college, uni, or attend an online training course you may have to fork out for tuition fees. These fees can range from a few hundred pounds upwards of a few thousand pounds, and this money can be hard for people to find. It may be that the course is full time and you are not able to work at the same time, making money very tight. This is something that needs to be taken in to account. If once you have qualified you are able to get a much better paid job then it may be worth struggling through the time when you are training as in the long run you should be able to quickly recoup the money you lost.

You may be eligible to get help towards fees for training and could speak to your local job centre to see what they can offer. The other way round this is to find a job that offers training such as an apprenticeship. You may be on a relatively low wage whilst you are training but once you have qualified you can expect a rise.

If the idea of working in a factory, office or in retail is not something that you feel you would like as a career, the prospect of working in the agriculture industry may be something that you would like to consider.

There are a varied range of jobs that fall into this category not just working as a farm labourer as many people think. As agriculture is using more modern technology in its operation the need for engineers, scientists and researchers has increased providing a wide-ranging choice of career available.

Some individuals may be concerned about the rate of pay for agricultural workers however the average salaries in agriculture actually exceed the national average and as the need for food will always be there, job security is guaranteed in most cases.

Working as a farm manager is a career option that for some gives the advantage of doing a job that they enjoy without the financial implications of owning a farm. There has been a shortage of people choosing this career path in the past so opting for this employment now would be a good choice to make.

If working outdoors for a good portion of your day, whether rain or shine is for you, consider a career in farming or agriculture.

Leaving college or university is an exciting time in a young person’s life as they start on their chosen career path looking forward to earning their own money for possibly the first time but the prospect of applying for jobs and having to complete application forms can seem daunting. There are some important factors to think about when applying for jobs which are general principles whatever type of job you are applying for.

Firstly, make sure you do some research about the company you are applying to and the role you are applying for. Does this company have something that they are particularly proud of or a history that makes them well known for their products of services? Try to tailor your application to reflect your interest in this aspect of their business if possible.

Make sure that you include in your application form not only the qualifications and experience you have but also how this has helped your development and whether in any previous role, even if on a voluntary basis, these have allowed you to improve your employer’s business in some way.

Always remember to check spelling and punctuation as some application forms never get past this simple first post.

Working as a children’s entertainer is an interesting and imaginative choice of career and can be undertaken on a self-employed basis or working for a company. If you enjoy working with children, it could be the job for you.

If you are thinking of setting up your own children’s entertainer business, you will need to decide what type of entertainment you are going to offer. It may be that you are talented in a particular area such as singing or playing an instrument and can use this in your act. You may decide to learn some magic tricks that you could perform as this is always popular with children.

Whatever you decide you will need to consider any legal requirements that are in place. Public liability insurance is a must and can be tailored to your needs. Having a DBS certificate whilst not essential would be advantageous to your business.

Advertising your business is essential and whether you choose to produce flyers or set up a social media business page you need to let people know about your business and how to contact you if they are interested in employing your services.

Should you want to work for a business, there are many large companies that employ children’s entertainers and so it is worth applying to them directly outlining your skills and qualifications.

Many more women are finding that they need to work on a full-time basis in recent years and may feel that they deserve to treat themselves to a therapeutic beauty treatment now and again. This has possibly been a major factor in the current growth of the beauty and hairdressing industry making it a profitable business to embark on.

The first thing to consider is whether self-employment is for you or whether you would be better placed building up your experience whilst working in an already established salon. Obviously if it is the former, you will need to source suitable premises and relevant equipment which would mean that there would be a considerable capital outlay involved initially.

Ongoing and relevant training is essential to keep up with current trends and innovations. Many further education colleges run beauty and hairdressing courses which can result in a City and Guilds qualification which is recognised nationally. Courses can also be completed online in your own time and at your own pace making it easier to fit training into your work schedule.

It may be worth considering broadening your skill set to include holistic therapies such as reflexology and aromatherapy as these are becoming increasingly popular.

Many parents worry about their child’s progress at school and feel unable to support them educationally. These parents will often seek the help of a private tutor to provide extra lessons for their child.

If you are thinking of starting up a tutoring business and have relevant qualifications and experience there are a few things to consider.

Are you going to offer subject specific tutoring or general support? It is advisable if at all possible to have contact with the school and discuss, with the parents’ consent any areas that the child is struggling with.

Resources that are used need to be good quality and up to date with current teaching methods. The internet is a valuable tool in this respect as there is a wealth of material available to download.

Lessons will need to be planned carefully taking into consideration the age of the child, level that they are working at and timing. The younger the child the more varied activities will need to be as attention span in younger children will be shorter.

Children respond well to a reward system so this can be built into the lessons as a regular feature and provide an opportunity to celebrate success.

As school budgets are tightened, schools are having to have larger classes in order to cut down on the number of teachers they need. This often means you may get two or more year groups in one class, with some small schools having up to 4 year groups all being taught together.

It is essential that teachers know how to teach to multiple age groups to allow all pupils the correct level of work and support they need.

If you are a teacher and have to teach a class of mixed ages, then you need to consider your lesson and how you can tailor it to all the pupils or if you need to split the class in to smaller groups. Working in groups will allow you to give each one a separate task but remember that you may only have one TA or at times no one else to assist you.

You may start but giving the whole class an overview of what the lesson is going to be about and then set different activities for the groups, that are appropriate to their age

At the end you can bring them back together again to do a summary.

Putting children in mixed year classes has shown to help the overall achievement of the class with the younger students picking up information quickly from the older ones. It may be that you decide to split the class in to groups of ability rather than age.