Jobs

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 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.

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.

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.

Despite what many people may think teaching can be an extremely stressful job. Recent research has shown that many teachers in primary and secondary schools often feel stressed in their role. Not only do you have to find ways of dealing with disruptive pupils but also must ensure that they learn what they need to, to help them in further education and to ensure they have the knowledge to pass their exams.

Teachers will also have to cope with Ofsted inspections which are usually carried out every three years or so and this can add a lot of work to an already busy schedule without even considering the added pressure of having someone watch how you teach and report on it.

Teachers often do not just work 9 till 3 with many of them doing work most evenings and weekends. Although teachers are usually given PPA time which is usually a few hours every week, this is no where near enough time to complete everything they need to do. Along with teaching they also have to be able to mark work, set homework, wrote reports, plan and carry out parents’ evenings plus other commitments such as assemblies and after school clubs. With this huge work load it is no wonder it is a very stressful job but on the plus side it can also be extremely rewarding.

Almost all of us have to work in order to afford to live but work can very easily take over our lives, which isn’t always a good thing.

If you have a demanding job you may have to work long hours which means there is little time left to spend with loved ones. Over time, this can become an issue and you may find that you need to rethink these in order to get the balance right. There is not necessarily a right or wrong but many of us would like to have more time at home but simply cannot afford to work less hours.

It may be that you feel you need to earn as much money as possible, so grab any extra overtime with both hands, but if you have no time to enjoy that extra money it can seem a little pointless. If you are saving up for something in particular then set yourself a goal and try and ensure that you still have some time off work in-between.

When looking at the balance between the two, try and see how well your job fits in with the other people in your house. If for example you have children at school and a partner that works during the day, then working normal day shifts are probably going to allow you the most time together.

If you are wanting to find work through the summer holidays then you need to start applying now. The schools break up during the last week of July but the colleges and universities often break up a few weeks before that.

Summer jobs are often a little hard to come by as many people are applying so competition is high. If you can get in with a company and prove yourself, then you may find that they will use you again during other holidays.

When applying for any job regardless of whether it is a permanent position or a temporary one, it is important to ensure that your CV is up to scratch. Make sure that you have an up to date version and that it is correct in terms of contact details, qualifications and employment history.

It is always a good idea to do a CV drop and visit local businesses that you wish to work for and leave a copy of your CV with them. Even if they are not currently advertising for members of staff you may find as soon as they do need someone, your name is first on the list.

Registering with an agency is also a quick way to find work although you may need to be flexible and be open to working at different places day to day.

With technology ever advancing at an increasing rate, it is vital for many businesses to have a good grasp on what technology can do for them and how best to use it within their business. Some companies take it upon themselves to research new software, programmes and technology than can be used within the day to day running of the business and to work out how effective these solutions will be for them. 

If you are struggling for time to do this, or want to have an experts opinion then you can opt to use an IT management consultant. The job of an IT management consultant is to offer the best advice on developments and offer cutting edge technology strategies that are bespoke to the needs of your business. This may be anything from upgrading internal PC’s to sending staff on IT related training courses. They can also advise you on where you are overspending on IT and where you can cut costs to bring you’re spending down and increasing your profits. 

As a business consultant you may find the job very rewarding at times, but you also may feel that it can be quite stressful and there is often a lot of pressure. The main part of your job will involve going in to businesses and looking at the way the business is ran and offering suggestions about it can be improved. It may be that you think improvements can be made in terms of their finances such as reducing overheads by using different suppliers or cutting down on staffing costs or that you think they need to invest more on certain marketing avenues.
Firstly as a consultant it is important that you know about your client and their industry inside out. You will need to work out what their companies USP is, who their competitors are and what their customers like / dislike about them. Knowing the history of the business and their finance information is vital. You should try and memorise some facts and figures such as turnover, profit and loss and where the biggest spend is. As a good consultant you should look to increase a business’s profits by increasing sales and cutting down on spending.