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National Careers Week: Advice from our specialists


Posted in Candidates

Posted by Joanne Caine
Published on 08 March, 2021

As we wrapped up National Careers Week last week, the one key takeaway we hold with us this year is just how volatile the jobs market has been as direct result of the pandemic, and how this has adversely affected so many people’s careers over the past 12 months. 

It’s been a challenging time, but as we start forging a new path – one of recovery – the light at the end of the tunnel gets a little brighter every day. To round up the end of National Careers Week, we turn to a few of our recruitment specialists here at Cathedral Appointments who have some great words of wisdom to help you either take those first steps onto the career ladder or take that next step up. 

Andrei Shelton – Engineering

Over the past 12 months, the Engineering market has most certainly narrowed in terms of volume of work, but it has remained relatively buoyant compared with other sectors. It’s encouraging to see local business continue to invest in research and development, and improvements to production efficiencies as business seek to remain competitive.

For any candidate, new or experienced, looking to break into a new role, the key is to make sure your application is specific to the job you are applying for and bespoke to the specific company. Small details such as including some research you’ve done on the company or referencing members of the senior team will ensure you stand out from a huge pool of talent. 

Candidates must also rely on their own connections and ensure they do a lot of networking to leverage the people they know in the current time.

The good news is, that with Brexit finally underway and the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out well and truly in motion, people are once again ready to invest, and the market will undoubtedly be very busy for the next couple of years. 

Dani Osborne – HR 

HR is a totally different landscape compared to only 12 months ago. HR managers are having to deal with things they have never had to deal with before and for many, there is no previous guidance on how to deal with these unknown scenarios and so it has been very much trial and error. 

I would advise that now is not the right time to be looking for a full-time role in HR if you’re not within the industry already. Instead, for those looking to cut their teeth in the sector, opt to look at interim roles. This will give you an incredible chance to gain work experience while putting pennies in the bank and I’m sure that over the next 12 months, we will see a lot of these interim roles being moved into permanent roles as the land lies a little steadier. 

Lynsey Skinner – IT 

IT has been one of the steadier sectors over the past 12 months. With the rapid adoption to moving from home and this new virtual era we are witnessing, the call for IT specialists with niche skills, such as coding languages and programming knowledge, has never been higher. 

Newer candidates fresh out of university are in the most advantageous position at the moment. Their up-to-date knowledge and ability to fill employers’ current skills gaps stands them in good stead to clinching that dream job. Ensure you don’t get complacent though, keeping in the loop with all technology changes and advancements is crucial throughout your career. If you can stay disciplined and consistently learn, you’ll never be out of work. 

For anyone who is within the sector but is looking to move up – now is the time to look over your CV and fill in the gaps. You also need to be hot on all the new technology, languages and trends too. Someone who can jump straight into a role without needing too much training will be the winning candidate. 

The jobs landscape has been a daunting and uncertain place for a long time. However, as the UK looks forward to greener pastures, now is the time to really think about what your next step might be and how you can get there. 

If you would like to seek advice around your next career move, please feel free to get in touch with one our specialist recruiters who will be more than happy to help.

 

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Managing Director

Jo joined Cathedral Appointments over 25 years ago and now leads the business alongside Clodagh, who joined the company in 2021. Jo is a local employment expert and a former board member of Exeter’s leading business membership organisation, Exeter Chamber. She is also a Fellow of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and has an Associated CIPD membership.

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National Careers Week: Advice from our specialists


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