Ulster Gazette - Features - Jobs across a number of different sectors

Features

Jobs across a number of different sectors

Tuesday, 24 August 2010

There is a lot of doom and gloom in the media regarding the British job market right now. The recession has hit recruiters hard and as a result the country is currently experiencing higher levels of unemployment as fewer jobs are available. There may be fewer jobs, but that doesn't mean that there is a complete drought of employment; it is just a case of finding the jobs that are out there.

Whatever stage you're at in your working career, whether you've just completed compulsory education, have embarked on further education or have recently been made redundant from your long term employment, many people are in the same boat. While some individuals will be more qualified than others and some will have greater working experience, many people are undertaking the somewhat daunting task of looking for a job.

We are constantly being told that there are a large number of applicants for the jobs that are becoming available. This is currently the case right across the board, with an average of 69 applicants for each graduate vacancy, while the 200 jobs that were up for grabs at a new Primark store in Blackburn saw the retail outlet receive more than 4,000 applications. While the latter is an example of how competitive the job market is currently, it also shows that new job opportunities are becoming available too.

The new Primark store located in the north-west of England is an example of the availability of the kinds of new jobs Manchester and the surrounding area has to offer people. Manchester in particular is a place that many companies, including the BBC, are relocating to as they move out of London. The result is that more employment opportunities are springing up in the area and the thriving city could well turn out to be a hub for new positions in the future.

While Manchester can boast an increasing number of jobs London is still where a sizeable chunk of the country's employment is to be found. The English capital is home to a wide variety of positions to suit people with different skill levels who are looking to go down a particular employment avenue. If you're looking for high-end jobs then London is certainly the first place you should look, while graduates would also be well advised to focus their hunt for jobs around the vibrant city.

Whether you can travel to London or not will depend on your location to a large extent and whether you're prepared to re-locate to further your career. In these current times many job seekers are finding that they have to widen their search for employment, rather than just look for jobs within a short distance. Whether you're prepared to relocate for work will be down to the stage of your career you're at and the responsibilities you need to fulfil.

If you have recently finished your education, then London may well be your ideal location for work. In addition to the lifestyle it offers people, the city is home to a number of the country's most successful companies, which many job seekers would love to become a part of. You'll have to bear in mind that many people in a similar situation to you will have the same thoughts, though, so expect competition for employment in the capital to be as tough, if not tougher, than anywhere else in the country.

The location in which you wish to work is likely to depend on your access to transport as well as your current residence. London is somewhat unique as there is plenty of public transport available for you to make use of and consequently many people commute to the capital every day. Across the rest of the country, though, you will be largely limited in the locations in which you can work if you can only travel a short distance on a regular basis.

If you are tied to a certain area and have limited access to personal transport then the location of employment is likely to be your first concern. If however you are fairly open in regards to the location in which you wish to work, then the industry or sector of your future employment is probably more important to you.

The economic downturn and shrinking of the British job market has resulted in many people having to change the sector in which they work and move into an area where more employment opportunities are available. If you are just starting out in full time employment, then you may have to consider where you feel your future lies and be more open and flexible in terms of the industries in which you're prepared to work. While it's good to be focused and have a clear goal, there is also a need to be pragmatic and respond to the opportunities out there.

If you are a recent graduate then your degree may lend itself to a particular route of employment, with mathematics graduates ideally suited to a career in accountancy, for example. However, many degrees, particularly those that are arts based, teach you a broad range of skills that could be put to good use in a number of different employment sectors. If this is the case for you then you'll need to target a specific industry to make applications in, yet be flexible enough to change direction if another opportunity arises.

Whichever direction you decide to go in, it is essential that your CV highlights your talents fully. If you have only recently become unemployed then it is imperative that you update your CV, while graduates will also have to make sure their document is up to date. Once you've given your CV an overhaul it's important you tweak it to ensure it's targeted to the specific application you're making.

The British job market is very competitive right now and jobs are at a premium, but that doesn't mean that there aren't employment opportunities available to you. It's just a case of you selecting your ideal job location and sector, and then doing your utmost to ensure you're the most attractive candidate.