Joanne Caine

Sharper increases in permanent placements: There was a marked rise in permanent placements in January, with the rate of expansion highest since April 2015. In contrast, growth in temp billings softened to a 10-month low

Permanent placements expand at softer, but still marked, pace: Permanent staff placements continued to rise across the UK in February. Though sharp, the rate of expansion moderated slightly since the start of the year. Temp billings meanwhile rose at a faster pace midway through the first quarter.

Recruitment agencies can be a mixed bag. However, the best ones will help you find a job that’s a great match for your skill set and career ambitions. Beyond that, you can expect career development and enhanced salary expectations too.

Your heart beats faster. Your palms are sweaty. Your voice trembles. Or maybe not. Because do you know something? Interviews don’t have to be the anxiety-inducing calamities many people fear them to be.

Graduates are disappearing from the south west. And we’re not talking about the odd few thrill-seekers swapping green fields for the bright lights of the big city. You expect a few of those. This is a more serious desertion of skills from our region.

When it comes to interview questions for managers, knowing what to ask isn’t always straightforward. The stakes are high. But with our ideas, you can’t go wrong.

There’s more to working in the West Country than surrendering to the magnetic pull of Bristol and Bath. If you are prepared to broaden your horizons it’s possible to find fabulous jobs in truly gorgeous parts of the region - such as Devon, recently voted by Country Life Magazine to be the best place to live for quality of life in England.

At this moment, in an office far away, an interviewer is shuddering at the prospect of asking the same question for the umpteenth time today. The simple fact is that some interview questions are asked more than others. And that’s good news for you and your job hunt.

It’s a wonderful thing - the energy and dynamism of a motivated group of people. Problems get solved. To-do lists are crunched. Work begins to feel much less like work.

Petrified of your interview presentation? Don’t be. You belong to a bloodline of fabulous storytellers. It’s the whole reason you are here, walking the earth.

Welcoming someone new to your team is always exciting. But it’s not without risks. Hiring the wrong person is an expensive mistake. That’s why it pays to find out as much as possible about a candidate before you commit.

There’s more to Devon than rural charm. With more organisations choosing the South West as their home, there is steady demand for executive talent. (We know because we help hire the best.)