The challenges for disadvantaged young people seeking work

via JRF - Combined Feed by daniel.clarkson

What are the challenges for disadvantaged young people seeking work?

Very active job search is important in the current UK labour market for disadvantaged young people – a “job in itself”.

New research for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (Disadvantaged Young People Looking for Work: A job in itself? by Rebecca Tunstall, Ruth Lupton, Anne Green, Simon Watmough and Katie Bates) describes the difficulty of job searching for young people seeking low-skilled work. Studying three contrasting areas in England and Wales, it found that:

• Only 24 per cent of low-skilled vacancies found for the study offered full-time, daytime work. Over half of vacancies stating the pay offered minimum wage, and 78 per cent paid under £7 an hour, making it less likely that jobseekers could travel far for them.
• Employers also preferred local candidates for such jobs. So although jobseekers need to search beyond their immediate neighbourhood, policies demanding wider geographical searches will not necessarily get more people into work.
• Intense competition meant that some employers advertise vacancies online and close them as soon as they have sufficient applicants to select from. Not all jobseekers were aware how speedily they need to respond to vacancies, and those without internet access at home were at a disadvantage.
• Despite public perceptions that employers discriminate against residents from neighbourhoods with poor reputations, the study found no significant difference in positive response rates.

Summary (PDF 4pp)

Full report (PDF 78pp)

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5 Video Channels For Learning Basic Job Interview Skills

an oldie from makeuseof but still useful although I have to admit I thought that much of the advice was too American for a UK audience and I really cringed at the tweeness of some of the videos I watched (even on eHow which I use frequently for craft ideas for the group of kids I have on a Friday night).

eHow

BrianKreuger's YouTube Channel

DenhamResources YouTube Channel

Interview Dos and Don’ts

Career Strides

Try them for yourself and please comment on all or any of them.

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Struggling with the system: the case for UK welfare reform

This briefing paper from Oxfam sets out why Oxfam has chosen to focus on out-of-work benefits, what the system currently looks like, and how it should be changed to help eliminate poverty and suffering in the UK.

It highlights the need for a benefit system which recognises that:

• work should always pay and create incentives to work;
• that is based on cooperation rather than coercion;
• that takes account of people's different needs; and
• recognises the non-financial contribution made by people living in poverty.

This short paper (PDF 16pp) sets out some powerful arguments and makes recommendations for reform.

I am very grateful to Research Online from Skills Development Scotland’s Labour Market Research Team for bringing this to my attention.

Hazel’s comment:
I have to admit that it is not often that I actually read the publications that I find for you but this I did. And I felt ashamed that the service where I spent 17 mainly happy years working on the frontline has deteriorated to the point where Jobcentre staff laughed at someone's aspirations. Tell him that it will be difficult, tell him you’ll do everything in your power to help (which if I understand the present system is not much), but under no circumstances do you laugh AT a job-seeker.

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Christian job search – is it different?

via Business: Job Search Techniques Articles from EzineArticles.com

If you're a Christian, should you look for a job differently? How should that impact your resumé? You might be surprised at the answer.

Hazel’s comment:
As a Christian myself my eye lighted on this but I was not surprised at the answer. Job search is job search is job search! Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist or of no faith at all makes no difference to your skills and abilities in the job. Requiring Friday (Muslim), Saturday (Jew) or Sunday (Christian) as a non-work day is a different issue and is best discussed in a face-to-face situation.

Full article here

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The 12 psychological stumbling blocks of looking for a job

via career(s) information/guidance to TechRepublic

What a lot of career advice doesn't address are the psychological aspects of looking for a job.

Read the full article

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When should a job applicant disclose a disability?

via TechRepublic Blogs by Toni Bowers

Even though the law protects people with disabilities in hiring situations, the issue of when to actually disclose a disability is still a puzzle for some.

Read the full article

Hazel’s comment:
Written for IT job-seekers in the USA but may still help in the UK and for more generalised situations.

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Job interviews – 101 common mistakes to avoid

via Business: Job Search Techniques Articles from EzineArticles.com

Learn the biggest mistakes committed during job interviews. The author provides 101 common mistakes. With preparation and conditioning to avoid these errors, applicants will dramatically improve their job search campaigns.

Read the full article

Hazel’s comment:
If these are common mistakes then I'm appalled, disgusted – add whatever words you like!

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Redundant workers have “six month window” to find work

via NewBusiness.co.uk
Redundant workers have a six-month window to find work before the stigma of unemployment affects them, according to a new report by the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM). With unemployment figures reaching a 12-year high those currently out of work will be alarmed by the findings of the survey, which revealed that 28% of employers are unlikely to hire someone that they consider to be long-term unemployed. “The research shows that it is important for job seekers to try and get back to work as quickly as possible. They should use their time not only job hunting but finding ways to put themselves in front of the competition,” said Penny de Valk, chief executive of ILM.

Read the full report (Bouncing Back: attitudes to unemployment) (PDF 14pp)

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Project Management - who is it for?

via Ron Rosenhead's Project Management Blog

OK, so I've been hoarding posts (and, in the main, deleting rather than admitting to being so far behind) but this about treating job search as a project is really useful.

The current economic climate has resulted in many job losses.
People are out searching for a new job and in a relatively short space of time I
have spoken with many. I suggested they treat job search as a project. I go
through a process where they among other things they:
• have a clear objective
• identify key stakeholders
• identify and develop risk strategies
• develop a practical plan to attack the job market
You would be surprised how their shoulders straighten and they get a spring back in their steps, they are in control using project management tools and techniques.

Full article

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Why Google might be killing your job search

Abridged from USNews.com for The Career News Volume 8 Issue 41 (October 2008)

Columnist Anita Bruzzese solicits advice on managing your online reputation.

"I had a client who had a reputation as a hard-nosed manager. After losing his position after an acquisition, he found himself in a job search for the first time in a number of years. Because he was highly respected, he thought the search would go quickly. On several occasions, he would get to the final stages prior to hiring with a company showing great enthusiasm, only to suddenly be dropped from consideration. At this point he came to see me. We did a Google search and found that when we searched his name, No. 5 in the Google search results was a link to an industry forum page where he was being trashed anonymously by some people that had worked for him, calling him an unfit manager. Here's what we did. We changed everything (resumé, cover letters, online profiles, etc.) to his full name. People will typically Google what is on the resumé. When his full name was Googled, nothing negative showed up. We took advantage of a few key online profiles like LinkedIn. Google loves it and for most people, if they have a LinkedIn profile, it will show up first if you Google them. I also had my client write a book review on his favorite management book and post it on Amazon. This gave the opportunity to show a little thought leadership and demonstrate his management knowledge. This helped counter the negatives. The result was that within weeks Joshua was hired."

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Job hunter: Rethink that social networking site

via TechRepublic Blogs by Toni Bowers on 22 September

A survey by CareerBuilder shows that 22% of hiring managers screen potential staff via social networking profiles.

Read the full article

Hazel's comment:
This survey was done in the USA but there is no reason to suppose that social networking-literate HR managers are not going to be doing the same thing in the UK. The advice that Toni gives is not about using social networks to help you get a job it's about ensuring that the entries on your networks don't take you out of the running almost before you were in it.

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Strategies for staying upbeat in a weak job market

an item in The Career News Volume 8 Issue 35

More and more Americans are being affected by a malady that Randall Hansen calls the "Job Market Blues". Hansen, a nationally recognised career and job-search expert and founder of QuintCareers.com, says that "job-seekers can employ five strategies for staying upbeat and fighting the blues in a weak job market."

Here are his suggestions:

1. Keep a positive focus While it can be extremely difficult to do, job-seekers must show confidence and a positive attitude when job-hunting.
   
2. Surround yourself with support
   Job-seekers should seek the support of family and friends – some of whom may even be able to offer job leads.


3. Don't be discouraged by what you hear or read
   With all the bad economic news that abounds, it's easy to get caught up in the negativity. Job-seekers should focus on positive aspects, such as programs that offer free-job advice and retraining.


4. Have a long-term focus, but short-term goals
   Job-seekers who have the most success in finding a new job are those who set daily job-search goals, such as tracking down job leads, applying for jobs, making new network contacts or going on job interviews.


5. Remember that everything counts
   The job-seeker who gets hired is not always the most qualified but the one who made the best job-hunting effort. Job-seekers should perfect all aspects of job-hunting, including finding job leads, developing strong resumés and covering letters, and polishing interviewing skills.

Abridged: SouthCoastToday.com Springfield, MA

Hazel's comment:
Nothing new there but it is sometimes worth stating the obvious.

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Interview tips for the mature job seeker

abridged from Business Wire in The Career News Volume 8 Issue 2

Make a favourable first impression in interviews.

• Radiate energy, friendliness, confidence and competence.
• Look savvy and contemporary.
• Outdated haircuts and clothes reinforce stereotypes that older workers resist change.
• Sit or stand erect. Slumping projects exhaustion and age.

Demonstrate strengths.

• Arm yourself with examples or anecdotes to reinforce strengths.
• Refer to past accomplishments and skills, explain how you'd tackle problems.
• Show how judgment, experience and consistent achievements enable you to make significant contributions.

Demonstrate enthusiasm and passion for the work.

• Show you're in tune with industry trends and have the necessary technical skills.
• Demonstrate ability to mentor less experienced co-workers.
• Speak comfortably of your flexibility, tolerance for ambiguity, and openness to new ideas.
• Emphasise patience and good health.
• Maintain optimism. Your attitude about age influences how you are perceived by others.
• Accentuate your ability to contribute. Believe you can continue to grow and produce.

Hazel's comment:
Not that different from the advice given to any job seeker to which I'd add one more item.
Don't try to hide your age. Dressing as lamb when you're actually mutton, using "trendy" language to show how "with it" you are or cutting out several years of work experience from your CV will only lead to your downfall not getting the job. And saying that you have six O-levels is a dead giveaway!

You can never be fully prepared for an interview

via TechRepublic Blogs by Toni Bowers on 1 August?

[This was actually dated 01/07/08 but I'm sure I hadn't got that far behind!
Just checked and I was wrong but it's still worth reading.]


All of the reference books and blogs in the world can't fully prepare you for an interview. The reason is that every interviewer and every interviewing situation is going to be different.

Read the full article

New times call for new job search methods

The Career Digest Volume 8 Issue 4 (June 2008) is an American publication that I tend to glance at rather than read but I stopped when I saw the following:

The last time Phylise Banner looked for a job, the job market was much different. And as someone who designs online distance-learning programs for a living, she knows the world has changed since she last pounded the pavement. "This is a different type of search," says Banner. "I'm trying to create my own online agency to promote myself." Banner maintains a profile on several social-networking sites, including a popular online address book that can broadcast her job-seeking status to anyone keeping up with her comings and goings. Banner is ahead of a big curve. "Job seekers today don't realize the extent to which social networks are a good tool to reach someone inside the corporation you've targeted," says Gerry Crispin, a corporate-recruiting consultant at CareerXroads. On her website, Banner has posted the full text of her resume, seeded with key words she's researched for her industry. Time is still of the essence in a job search – it just moves quicker these days. Be among the first to know when a job opens up by also setting up automatic searches on job search engine sites. They'll spider other sites, then send alerts to your email address.
Abridged: Kiplinger.com

Phylise is on Facebook and LinkedIn and if you search for her name using Google you will find that she's not just in the top ten she is the top ten.
Of course it does help that she has an unusual name but it is possible to get into the first page unless you happen to be John Smith or David Davis (you get British politicians).

I'm off to church now but will write up Karen Blakeman's post on using tag cloud applications to improve a CV when I return.

Mummy, where do jobs come from?

via Onrec.com - United Kingdom headlines on 26 June

fish4jobs reveals two thirds of school leavers don't know where to start when it comes to getting work.

Read the full article which indicates that careers advice for school leavers is not getting through to the people that need the help.

No comment!

How to get and keep a job

from Fool.co.uk Headlines

People have unnecessary fear about whether they'll get a job, and whether they'll be fired before they can prove themselves! Read why you worry needlessly.

Written for individuals but ... you may like to refer clients to this as it contains some common-sense advice. "Common"? "Sense"? How often is good advice common?

Jobseekers get emotional

via The People Bulletin

Being rejected from a job interview is as bad as being rejected by a romantic partner according to a study from the University of Gloucestershire, with one interviewee comparing it to a "divorce situation where one party thinks they're useless."

Read more...