The average time it takes to find a job is longer than it used to be. But here’s the good news. The state of the UK job market is far better than most people think, says Simon Broomer, Managing Director of CareerBalance Ltd, the Career Planning & Job Search specialists.
The latest Labour Market statistics from the Office for National Statistics show that there are 29.16 million people in employment in the UK. “Why should we be disheartened?” asks Simon.
“Even in the public sector, there are plenty of jobs around,” says Simon, who has recently spotted advertisements for the position of Black Rod in the House of Lords, a Lawyer at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, a Print Manager in the House of Commons, and a Head Of Childcare in a London Borough. For public sector vacancies Simon advises checking the web sites of specific government departments, The Guardian, and the back page of the Sunday Times.
“My clients are finding jobs. Today, around 30 to 40% of job hunters find jobs online, 10% through recruitment consultants, 7% via newspapers and another 30 to 40% via the invisible job market, which involves careful research of target employers and networking.
“Many private sector companies find new staff through their existing employees and through the career section of their own web site. They will advertise jobs on Internet job sites or in newspapers only as a last resort,” says Simon, who advises regularly checking the websites of your favourite companies.
There are other gateways to finding jobs, although they’re not without limitations. ‘LinkedIn is a good way to raise your visibility with potential employers, but publicizing that you’re interested in new career may not go down well with a current employer. Specialist sites where you post your CV can be a bit hit and miss, but putting your chips on the casino board is the only chance you have of winning, so I encourage them,” says Simon.
One CareerBalance client spoke to a recruiter who didn’t deal with jobs in her chosen field. But the recruiter put her in touch with someone else and a month later she was offered a job. Meanwhile, a lawyer who came to see Simon four months ago has now landed herself two good job offers. Her only problem now is which one to take!
Posted by Simon Broomer, Managing Director & Founder at CareerBalance Ltd
