Are you nervous about getting back in to work?

If you have been out of work for a while then you may feel worried about having to get back in to it. It may be that you have had time off due to an illness or due to having to look after a loved one or maybe you have recently had a baby and have had time off from work to look after them until you were ready for them to go to nursery.

When you feel ready to go back in to work you need to decide if you want to go back in to the same sort of job you had before. Think about how satisfied you were in that role and whether you can imagine doing it again. If not then you may wish to do some additional studies to gain qualifications you need to apply for a different type of job. Often this is easier to do when you are already out of work rather than when you are in work.

When applying for jobs, be aware that you may not get offered interviews for the first few jobs you apply for. Do not let this get you down as there may be high competition for places, especially following lockdowns where some people lost their jobs.

It is never too late to follow your dream

For some adults the idea of continuing at school to complete A levels or doing a degree was the furthest thing from their mind when they were teenagers but later in life some perhaps want the chance to improve their chances of getting a better paid job and so consider going to university as a mature student. Although the majority of students on a teaching degree course are school leavers, mature students are welcomed in universities across the UK.

Teacher training courses are popular with mature students who can bring a wealth of experience to the role. Many primary teachers choose to study for a Bachelor of Education degree as within the course there will be a higher percentage of time spent on developing the student’s teaching skills rather than on specific subject knowledge however a teaching career in a secondary school requires a deeper subject knowledge and so many students decide to undertake a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree or even a one-year Post Graduate Certificate of Education qualification after obtaining a degree in their chosen subject previously. Newer courses that allow study whilst working are also popular with mature students as they enable students to earn as they learn.

Are there Jobs out there for busy mums?

Long gone are the days when one partner’s wage would be sufficient for a family to live on as we now expect, in the majority of cases, for both partners to be earning in some capacity. This can be a difficult juggling act between work and childcare with some families having to ask family members to step in at times to help. For many mums at home looking after children there is not the time to go out to work so what other options are there to bring some money into the home whilst still looking after children?

Childminding is one way that a parent can earn money whilst at home, but it will be necessary to register with Ofsted as a childcare provider and possibly complete a training course. A first aid course will also need to be completed.

Doing outwork from local businesses is another way of earning money at home. This could be quality control sorting, assembly tasks or packaging and as long as you have the space to do this it could be right for you.

Some businesses employ homeworkers to do proof-reading in a range of applications such as for authors or for academic papers. This role requires a good standard of English as spelling and grammar will need to be checked whilst reading.

Bored after retirement?

Most people long to finish work and look forward to the days when they no longer have to get up and ready for the early morning commute to work but instead can choose how to spend their time.

The reality is however for some retirees that this change is great to start with but there are aspects of their working life that they miss such as the companionship of work colleagues and the structure to the day. It is for these reasons that after a while some retirees look for some form of employment but finding a job that is suitable for someone who is retired can be problematic as some employers do not offer part time roles and it may be that you do not want to spend all your time at work at this stage in your life.

Some more forward-thinking companies actively encourage older people to apply for roles as they have seen the benefits of a more mature approach to working. Retail and hospitality sectors are particularly open to recruiting an older workforce.

Working with children in some capacity could be a rewarding position to take on as often children respond well to older people in the community and many schools do welcome volunteers in school to help with craft afternoons and hearing children read.

Finding a job in the retail industry

If you have been looking for work in the retail industry then you have probably written off the last 12 months. Since Covid arrived in the UK over a year ago, retail has taken a massive hit. Many shops have had to close for long periods of time and even when they were open, not many people have been buying clothing because they have had no where to go. The retail industry is set to start to reopen again later on this month but shops will have a hard time in getting rid of their backlog of stock, much of which is probably left over from Christmas so may not be suitable for this time of year.

If you are looking for a job in the retail sector then now is the time to start applying. You may wish to register with an agency or you could go in and approach then shops directly. Some major high street stores may require you to apply to head office or online whereas other stores will accept your CV as an application. It is important that you demonstrate how keen you are to work for a company without being too pushy. If they tell you they have no current vacancies then you could always ask if it is possible to be put on a waiting list.

Experience is often something that is not essential in retail, but a benefit. You may even deice to volunteer in your local charity shop or bric-a-brac store to gain some experience. You may have decided that you do not want to work on the shop floor but rather behind the scenes. There are a number of different roles within the retail sector making it quite diverse. If you have a flare for design then you may decide to try and get into the design and marketing aspect of retail. This could include choosing the displays to have in the windows, using the social media platforms to share news and information about new products or stores opening or to keep the website updated. This may require you to have previous marketing experience or even have a programming background.

It is often fairly quick to move up in the retail industry if you prove yourself. If you stay with a company for a while then you may be given the opportunity to progress to store manager or even regional manager if working for a big company. This often comes with other perks such as a company car and higher wage.