Jobs

New jobs can be daunting at the best of times, but what do you do if you find you are struggling with the job in hand? The last thing you may want to do is to say to your new employer that you cannot do the tasks you have been set but keeping quiet can actually often be much worse and could make the problem larger than it needs to be. Firstly, you need to consider what you are struggling with. Is it something physical that you cannot do such as being on your feet for long periods of time or is it that you do not have the tools, software or resources to do your job properly or maybe you are struggling mentally with the workload or the pace you are expected to work? Whatever the reason, don’t suffer in silence. You may wish to speak to a colleague first but be aware that they may mention your concerns to a manager before you have had the opportunity to. Whatever the reason for your struggles, it is always best to approach the subject head on with your employer but ideally go to them with a solution not just a problem. You may say to them that you are struggling to do your work as you have not got access to a piece of software that you think you need. Give them the details of the software and any costs involved and ask if it would be possible to have it. If they are not aware of the issue they cannot help.

Over the past two years the number of people working from home has sky-rocketed. Employers have embraced this new way of working even if initially they did not have the confidence that their business would not suffer, and they may have worried that their employees would use it as an opportunity to work less. In fact, research has shown that the opposite has been true and that employees have been more productive as they have spent less time commuting and feel that they have a better work life balance now.

For employees, working from home may seem like a great idea but it is important to be disciplined as there may be lots of distractions to contend with such as family interruptions, household tasks to be done and coffee readily available for numerous breaks throughout the day. Being a successful home worker means being highly self-motivated, especially if you’re working freelance.

The benefits of home working will depend upon the agreement you have with the employer as some will expect you to be available for video and phone calls during a particular period of the day and others will be happy for workers to just fulfil the contracted hours. It is worth establishing the requirements at the outset so that both employer and employee know where they stand.

Getting a post either in a mainstream school offering support to children with additional needs or a school that is specifically geared to these children can be a very rewarding role as the difference this support can make to a child’s achievement and development can be tremendous. The job is varied and may involve adapting learning materials so that it is accessible to the children, encouraging children to complete work set and teaching small groups of children a modified curriculum, as necessary.

Building a good relationship with parents and carers of children with additional needs is vital as a team approach is always more beneficial to everyone concerned so good communication skills and a compassionate outlook is essential.

When working in a school with pupils of any age or ability it is required that you have an enhanced DBS check, which stands for disclosure and barring service check. If you are employed by the school this will be carried out as part of the application process. Specific qualifications can be obtained that help the teacher to understand the particular difficulties that children with additional needs have and how best to adapt their teaching methods to cater for these children. Ongoing training is an essential part of the job so that you are kept up to date with new teaching methods and resources.

Social media has created a problem for job seekers in recent years as some would be employers search for applicants online to find out a bit more about them and their views. This may seem unfair to some, but it does happen so be aware that what you post on social media can be detrimental to your job prospects. An example of this may be if you post pictures of a night out with friends and then comment the next day about having a hangover and being unable to attend work. If this happened regularly then any potential employer may understandably be worried about your reliability and may think twice about employing you.

Another pitfall is If your posts contain comments that may be considered by some to be racist or sexist. An employer may turn down your application because they are worried about your views and their company’s reputation should they employ you and clients see your posts.

It is vital therefore that you are extremely careful that your social media profiles are secure and privacy levels are set to prevent unwanted intrusion into your personal life and the possibility that you may be unfairly penalised for innocent social media posts meant for family and friends.

Since the turbulence in the employment market in recent months some workers have begun to think about changing their career. This has been particularly true in the health care sector for obvious reasons but what are the pros and cons of changing career after working in a particular sector for years?

It used to be the case that people would stay in a job from leaving school until retirement, but this is no longer the case, and the employment market is much more fluid now. It is however easier to diversify rather than embarking on a totally new career.

One of the career changes that some opt for is to change from working in an engineering environment to a teaching post. Applicants will need to have a relevant degree or be working towards one. Primary school teachers usually study for a B Ed degree as the course focuses on developing teaching skills alongside subject knowledge whereas a BA, BSc or even a one-year PGCE degree after obtaining a degree in your chosen subject is better if you are considering a career as a secondary teacher.

Should your previous career have been in the care sector it could be that you want a role which does not involve direct contact with patients in which case possibly an office based job may be worth considering.

As a supply teacher, it is even more important that you establish classroom control early on.

You will often have to go in to different schools and classes and you may have concerns about how you will handle a new class that you have not taught before.  If you have previously worked in a permanent position in a school, you will have had the opportunity to bond with the class and work out what works best in terms of keeping them interested and keeping a correct level of control. As a supply teacher, you will most likely not have had this opportunity unless you are on permanent supply at the same school.

You need to be able to assert your authority instantly to gain control of the classroom and although you may not want to go in heavy handed, it is better to go in firm and lighten up as the day goes on rather than the other way round. Without control you may find a number of pupils mis-behave which can make it very difficult for the remaining pupils to concentrate and learn what they need to.

Sometimes it can be worth while trying to speak to the TA’s before the class comes in and ask them if there is anyone in particular you need to keep you eye on.  

So many people have found themselves out of work or working from home over the past 18 months. The job that they were used to doing may of changed significantly or may simply not be there anymore. As restrictions are starting to be lifted this month, it is likely that many people will go back in to the work place to resume their job. It is likely that even after they have returned there will be some changes to the position that may be here to stay. Many businesses have implemented procedures in place to avoid or reduce the amount of physical contact they employees have with customers and also with other members of staff. These types of regulations may be around for some time as the less contact we have the less likely there is to be a Covid outbreak at work which could force everywhere to shut down again.

If you are worried about returning to work it is important to talk to your boss before you are due to go back. Ask them to explain what your job role will be like and if there are going to be any major differences that you need to be aware of. Often being prepared is enough to take the worry and concern away.

The job of a TA (teaching assistant) can be very rewarding. You do not have to have any formal qualifications but many schools will favour those that do. You will need GCSE’s as a minimum and A qualification in nursery work, childcare, play work or youth work will give you an advantage.

Even if you have the formal qualifications you need to ensure that you also have the right personal skills and attributes to be a TA. One of the most important qualities you need is patients. You need to be able to listen and work well with others whether that be teachers, children or parents. You may not get to choose what age group you work with so you will need to be prepared to work with reception children right up to year 6. The role may be quite different depending on what age you are working with and also which teacher you work with. Some teachers rely on their TA’s a lot and will call upon them to work closely with them throughout the day others may just delegate jobs to them such as making displays etc.

The wage for a TA is not great but you can go on to become a higher level TA which often comes with a pay rise.

The NHS has been in the news a lot over the past 12 months and many people have come to appreciate what the NHS offers us and how lucky we are to have a system like it. Many NHS staff have been on the front line of the pandemic and have had to work long hours to copy with the increase in demand. IF you were considering changing careers or thinking about future job prospects, you may consider a position within the NHS. There are a huge number of jobs within the NHS from working on a reception desk in a department within the hospital to carrying out operations as a surgeon. All of these jobs are very important and obviously require a very different sort of training. There can be many perks to working within the NHS and recently lots of retailers have offered NHS workers discounts as a thank you for all their hard work, but often jobs in the NHS do require a lot of flexibility and may require you to work unsociable hours. The pay can vary a lot from job to job, but some of the lower skilled jobs tend to often only pay minimum wage or just above. Many people work for the NHS because they want to give something back, even if the wage is not great.

Many parents have again found themselves in a situation where they are having to work from home. With all the schools currently closed (apart from the key workers child who can still attend), parents are being expected to step up in to the role of teacher once more. During the first lockdown, all schools were closed but there wasn’t as much pressure out on the presents to ensure that work was being done from home. During the second lockdown, the schools remained open but this time the schools are closed and parents are expected to ensure that their child is completing all the work set for them.

If can be hard enough trying to get your child or children motivated and engaged in home learning but if you are also trying to work at the same time you may find it impossible. Ideally you need to try and set dedicated times as to when they need to work and when you can do yours. If you have older children, they may just be able to get ok with the work set for them but you get children will often need a lot of guidance and support as they go through the work that has been sent by the teacher.