Articles
Finding a good job in the current economic situation
Whether you are looking for jobs in Kent, Cardiff or Kirkcaldy, you could be forgiven for thinking that the current economic climate will have a negative impact on your chances, especially if you regularly watch the news on TV. The problem with national news coverage is that it focuses on the big picture, and while this is understandable, it is also true to say that it does not provide the detail that you need to get an accurate impression of your local job market. Searching, for example, jobs in Kent at reed.co.uk can give you a much better idea of the jobs on offer near you, because national trends are simply that – they don’t tell the story of what is going on in the local economy.
The current economic situation simply means a lot of change in the job market, so where some jobs are in decline, others simply adapt, while many new roles are also being created. As well as full and part time employment, an increasing number of jobs in many industries involve self employed workers. At a human level, this presents the opportunity for reinvention: in the world of work, who do you want to be?
Some industries, such as print journalism, now employ very few full time staff, and commission writers on a project by project basis. This form of self employment can often be complimented by part time work, or by having several different types of self employed jobs, and switching between roles as opportunities arise. Having several strings to your bow can be an exciting way to work, ensuring that fresh challenges are never in short supply.
Self employment can also be a great way of gaining experience for a new type of job, allowing progress to be made step by step, without the need to abandon a more steady job which pays the bills in the mean time.
Formal education is often required to gain entry to many fields, such as IT, but again this can be achieved on a part time basis at evenings and weekends, avoiding the expense of giving up work to study, or paying to go to college or university full time.
Voluntary work can fulfil the same function for many jobs in sectors like social work and social care. Volunteering for a few years is often necessary to gain entry to social work training, but once ready to make this jump there is often funding available - in the form of bursaries or grants - to help out students while they gain the qualifications necessary to start a new career.
Taking a longer term view of securing a good job is practical on several levels. Taking longer to prepare and gain experience will make you a more competitive and attractive candidate, but perhaps more importantly it can help you find out more about the job you are pursuing, and whether it will actually suit you over the long term.
In the mean time, the definition of a good job in your local area can be one which allows you enough time to develop new skills outside of office hours. Thinking that your next job needs to be the one that leads to a career for life can make the job hunting process a very difficult task. Instead, it can make more sense to view each job as a stepping stone, which thanks to its flexibility, or an aspect of the work which provides valuable experience, moves you closer to a longer term goal.
