Employment

Working as a primary school teacher is still a popular career choice for many graduates as it is a job that has good prospects and after the first few years the salary is good.

As a primary schoolteacher you will probably be required to teacher all subjects of the curriculum so the choice of subject to take at university is down to your preference. It is possible now to do a general degree which does not require you to have a specialist subject which is better if you do not want to specialise.

Once qualified, it is time to search for a job. If there are no restrictions to the area you can work in the process of getting a job is far easier as you are free to move to a new area if necessary.

The majority of local authorities who employ teaching staff in schools have an application form that will need to be completed rather than submitting a CV. On the form there will be opportunity to expand on your experience and any interests and hobbies that you enjoy. It is a good idea to tailor the information to the post you are applying for as this will increase your chances of getting to the interview stage of the application process where you can expand further on your abilities and suitability for the position for which you are applying.

Although in some fields there are plenty of opportunities for employment if you want a career with prospects and one in which you can earn good money and receive additional employment benefits you may have to search harder for your ideal role.

The first thing to do is to register your interest in employment with businesses by sending out a well written and relevant CV. This should be tailored to the role you are interested in and include relevant experience that you have had. It is important to review your qualifications to see whether there are any additional courses that you could enrol in whilst you are applying for jobs as this shows a willingness for ongoing professional development.

If you are successful in your application and are offered an interview carry out your own research into the company and the role you are applying for so that you can talk knowledgably about the business and the company ethos and ask questions that are relevant to the role. On the day of the interview arrive promptly, smartly dressed and armed with some questions that you can ask the interviewers.

Should you be unsuccessful then the majority of employers will be willing to give you feedback on your application which will be useful for future job seeking.

You want to ensure that you vet any prospective employees as much as possible before offering them a job, as once you have employed them, it can be hard to get rid of them if they are not suitable. Ideally when looking for a candidate you want to give yourself time to process applications and carry out in depth interviews. This is your opportunity to get to find out a bit more about the applicant.  You should always ask for references and make sure you follow them up. Lots of employers forget to contact references but then find out there is an issue that has occurred before, which they weren’t aware of. IT may be that the applicant has asked you not to contact their references prior to offering them the job, especially if their reference is their current employer. If this is the case then you could offer them a job on a conditional basis that will be confirmed once all references have been completed.

Some employers set mini tasks for people to complete at an interview so they can see their skill set. For example, it could be that they are asked to write 200 words in a certain time frame.

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 have been in the same industry for a number of years there may come a time when you fancy a change. It can be daunting to leave the industry that you have come to know so well to start a new adventure, but sometimes it is just the change we need.

People often decide to have a change in career for many reasons. It may be that their lifestyle has changed following on from moving somewhere new, getting closer to retirement age, just wanting a change or because they have recently started a family. Whatever the reason, it is important to remember that it’s never too late to do something else. If you are reliant on a wage then you may find it more difficult to give up work completely to go back to education, but if this is something that you really want to do, you may be able to manage with the help you may get from government schemes and student loans etc.

There are some great questionnaires you can complete online which will then give you a list of jobs that may suit your likes and needs. These questionnaires often ask you about what you enjoy and what you are good at or not so good at. It may ask you what qualifications and experience you already have before it shows you jobs that you may be interested in.

If you are looking for work during the summer holidays or have a child that is going to be looking for work, then you need to start applying now if you haven’t already done so. Depending on your age and experience there is a number of different types of jobs that you can apply for. Believe it or not, the summer in to autumn months are often very busy for retailers as they start to get ready for Christmas. I know, it may feel like a life time away but having the toys and gifts all ready for the count down to Christmas day is essential to ensure they don’t miss out on the rush up to the festive period.
Some jobs are seasonal, so for example you may be able to get work on a farm helping with the harvesting of crops or preparing the farm for winter. Fruit picking is also a very popular summer job, often with no experience needed.
If you fancy something indoors then why not head to your local shopping centre and start doing a few CV drops. You may need to fill in an application form, but don’t be tempted to rush and do it there and then, take it home and take the time needed to fill it in properly.

If you are toying with the idea of becoming self employed and are currently in an employed position then there are many points to consider before taking the plunge.

With employment, although your job is not guaranteed you have a certain amount of rights which means that you usually will not be laid off without adequate notice or adequate pay. This obviously is not the case in situations of gross misconduct. With self employments you do lose a certain amount of rights, or it is harder to get them. For example you can still claim statutory sick pay and maternity pay if you are self employed but will have to apply for it direct rather than your employer doing it for you. You also lose the right to holiday pay but do have the flexibility to take your holiday when you want when your self employed.

There are pros and cons for being an employee and self employed but you need to weigh up what is right for you in your current situation. If you need the stability of a guaranteed wage then employment may be the best option.

It can be hard trying to get work, especially if you need to try and find a job quickly as you may not be able to be too fussy about what you apply for. People that have been made redundant, had to leave a job due to relocation or have been off work for a while and need to return, often need help in finding a job role that they are suited to as it may be they have little experience in any other job roles.

With competition at a high for jobs, you need to be on top of your game to be able to compete against other candidates. Relevant experience and good qualifications are often the main reasons for an employer choosing a particular candidate but even if you are not as qualified as others, you can still land a decent job.

Your CV and cover letter is often the first impression your potential employer will have of you, so it is vital that this is correct and that you have written it in such a way as to highlight your assets. Not only should you ensure that all the information is accurate but also that it is written and displayed in the correct way.

There has been a lot of talk recently about the education system and the effect that this is having on our teachers. The government have failed to meet the deadline for the recruitment of teachers for the fourth year coming and this is causing concern for many in the education industry.

Many schools are relying on teachers with no more than an A-level to teach their students on a daily basis and this is a worry for many parents and students.

Out of the teachers that are coming through the recruitment system, one in four will quit within their first year. This is an alarming statistic and shows that something needs to be done and quick.

After talking to a number of teachers, they have confirmed that the main reason for leaving the profession is due to high stress levels and lack of support. Many are expected to work well over their contracted hours with very little in return and they feel that they do not have the adequate time or staff members to deal with the students in their care.

If you are thinking about becoming self-employed then there are a number of things that you should consider. Self-employment can work well for many people but it does take a high level of commitment and excellent time management skills. No longer will you have someone telling you that you need to complete a task in a certain time frame, it will be your responsibility to ensure that all work is completed on time and to a high standard. Going self-employed can have implications on your credit rating as many lenders will want to see at least three years’ worth of accounts before they will offer you credit and even then, if you have not made a decent amount of profit you may still get rejected.

If you are considering going down the self-employed route, why not speak to someone that has already done it and get advice from them regarding how they work and keep track of their finances.