Looking for a creative career?

It may be that a career change is something that you have been thinking about for a while but at present feel it is the wrong time. If you are finding that work is getting scarce then you may actually find that now is the perfect time for a change.

If you are a creative person and enjoy art and design then you may be wondering what types of jobs there are available in the field. You can go to college and university and do an art degree or a design and technology course but what careers can it lead on to?

Creative jobs range drastically from a fashion designer to an architect to a games animator and everything in between. People often decide in advance what part of the art and design industry they want to go in to so they can focus their education and training specifically in this area.  There really is a huge number of roles within the art and design industry allowing people of all experiences and interests to get their foot in the door.

Many vacancies within the design industry are quite well paid and offer flexibility that is attractive to a number of people. You may find that the job is also every changing so no tow days are completely the same.

Have you considered getting a temp job?

Following on from lock down where a lot of businesses had to make the hard decision to get rid of staff or close down all together, unemployment levels have risen.

If you are currently looking for work you may find it a lot harder than before as competition levels are high so unless you have all the skills and qualifications / experience they need, you may not even get as far as having an interview. Although you may want a permanent position you may need to look at taking temp work for the time being. With Christmas fast approaching, there soon will be many temporary jobs available in the retail sector. These can be great for people looking to boost their income with a second weekend job or for people who need to find work for a short period of time. Often if you can prove yourself as a good employee when on a temp basis they may be able to keep you on long term after the initial contract period has finished.

Temp work I the retail industry may be relatively low skilled work such as resupplying shelfs or doing stock takes but that doesn’t mean that you couldn’t advance to more interesting work if you prove yourself.

How to make sure your nerves don’t get the better of you in a job interview

Many students are eagerly awaiting their exam results this month and lots will then be in the process of looking for employment. Once you start applying for jobs you may find that the job interview invites coming flooding in.

When you fill in an application form or send your CV to apply for a job, the employer will have a read through. If they are impressed with you (enough to want to find out more) then they will most likely invite you in for an interview. Attending an interview can be a very nerving experience, but there are a few tips that you can follow to try and stay calm and collected.

There are many ways to prepare for an interview, some of which may require you to give up a few hours each evening beforehand. During this time, you can research the company that you have got the interview with and practise your interviewing techniques. You may even ask a friend or family member to ask you some common questions that you may be asked to allow you to practice. Being prepared in this way will give you a lot more confidence.

Most of us make mistakes when we panic and get flustered and this is exactly the same when it comes to interviews, so it is vital that you stay calm. You may only get one chance to show off your skills and expertise so you want to be sure you not only can do this but also that you come across in the right way.

Is job satisfaction important?

With many of us finally heading back to work after lockdown you may either be feeling excited to get back to it or dreading it. For lots of people, work is just something they have to do to take home a wage and they don’t see it as important to enjoy it. Job satisfaction is important and you should at least get some satisfaction our of your work. If you don’t then it may be time for a career change.

Lots of people assume that those that work from home are very lucky and must enjoy what they do but this is not always the case. Working from home can be very lonely and you may miss the interaction with others that you would have in a workplace. It is also very easy to get distracted at home and find it hard to separate home and work life.

Research has shown that not many people say they are happy in their current job and often that they have little or no job satisfaction. This can not only be demoralising for the person but can also make them less productive at work.

Low or unfair salary, long or odd working hours, lack of responsibility or too much responsibility and not getting on with co workers are some of the main reasons people do not enjoy their job.

Before up and leaving your job try to understand that you may be able to make some small changes and become happier in your role.

How to shortlist CV’s for job vacancy

As an employer, recruitment can be a hassle and often is not something that many companies like to do. It is often quite a worrying time especially for businesses looking to employ someone who will be given a lot of responsibility. It may be that you are hiring someone that will have access to a lot of sensitive data or that will be talking to your main clients. This requires a huge element of trust and finding the right candidate is vital.

Following the lockdown and a number of people losing their jobs, it is predicted there will be a huge amount of people looking for work in the coming months. This means that companies advertising positions are likely to see an influx in CV’s and application forms.

Each employer will have a different method for narrowing down CV’s. Some are very ruthless and if there is a spelling or grammar mistake in the CV will immediately dismiss it, but by doing this you may miss out on a candidate that was idea for the job.

Ideally you want to go through and scan read all CV’s. You can usually eliminate a large number just from this process and then spend a bit more time reading through the other CV’s in detail.

If you are struggling to find the time to read through all the CV’s then it may be worth using a recruitment agency who will filter the CV’s for you.