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Why is January the Best Time to Find a Job?

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January 2020 – Is the Best Time to Find a Job

During the Christmas period it can be a struggle to search for a new job, but once that’s over it is a brand-new year, and some say it is the perfect opportunity to find a new career. January has been classed as the hunting season when it comes to finding a new job. So, if you are one of those people that has ‘find a new job’ on their New year’s resolution list then listed below are some reasons why January is the perfect month to job hunt and what you can do to prepare yourself.

Why is it the best month?

Employers are looking for new employees

In the New Year employers are feeling motivational and are eager to see what talent they can employ. They have a clearer mindset at this time of the year as they are less likely to be tied down to deadlines and projects. As January is the month for job hunting, there is a lot more competition for employers to choose from. Having a greater talent pool will enable employers to choose carefully resulting in a greater chance of your CV needing to impress them.

New budgets

The first few months of the year are normally the best times to apply for new jobs. Many job deadlines close at the end of January, so it allows for candidates plenty of time to apply within the New Year. Employers are also given a new budget at the start of every year, so this gives candidates a better chance at finding a new job and being hired. The salary is the main factor a candidate will look at when applying for a new job, so linking this with a company’s new budgets may mean the company will have more money to give to candidates.

What you can do to prepare yourself

Update your CV

When applying for new job in January it is essential that you keep your CV updated to keep track of your most recent skills and progression. Your CV is the first thing an employer will look at and it is your chance to stand out from the crowd, therefore making it a crucial factor when you are trying to start a new career. The key areas of your CV that you will need to keep updated are:

  • Your skills (technical and soft)
  • Employment history
  • Work experience
  • Qualifications

Once you have updated your CV it is important for you to understand exactly what job you are looking for. Applying for jobs you are marginally interested in will not benefit you in the future as this will impact your engagement, performance and success. Instead of applying for any job, try and find roles that you are passionate about and perhaps create a list that aligns with your personality, skills and interests. From this you are able to understand what companies you want to apply for and why.

You can also register with a recruitment agency that specialise in your area of interest and skills. Having a professional confidant in the industry can help you find jobs that may not be advertised on generic job boards.

 

Practice interview answers

For some it may have been a while since you have been interviewed and therefore it will be beneficial to practice some generic interview questions. If you have been invited for an interview, do not wait until the night before to go through potential interview questions, you should start preparing as soon as you can. The majority of employers will always start with questions about yourself such as ‘Tell me about yourself’ or ‘What do you do in your spare time’. Following this they may ask you some competency questions which are based on your previous experience and certain situations you may have found yourself in. Competency based interview questions are a good way of an employer finding out how you would handle certain situations if they were ever to arise, and this can say a lot about you. It is also a good idea to know what you are looking for from the jobs you have applied for. This way if you are asked during the interview process, you can answer in a matter of seconds.

Some companies will have a long interview process which can last a few months, whereas other companies may invite you in for an interview within the next week. Therefore, you should always be prepared and have an interview outfit ready, so you feel well equipped for when the day comes. You can check out other interview hint and tips here: https://www.digiskills.agency/interview-hints-tips/

 

Update your social presence

Although your CV and cover letter will be the first documents an employer will look at, it is also beneficial to keep your social channels up to date. Recruiters may look at your LinkedIn for example to see if your experience matches up with your experience on your CV. More employers are using LinkedIn and may want to view your profile before calling you. You should ensure that you have a professional photo on your profile, your work experience is up to date and you have the relevant skills listed as this can be a decider for some employers.

 

Good luck! We wish you the best in achieving your career goals this year, and hope you’ll be in touch with us if you’re looking for a change so we can help.

Q1 2019: Tech Industry Round Up

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Can you believe that we’re already at the start of Q2 2019? Filled with warm weather, cold weather, Brexit (still) and plenty of IT news and developments, let’s take a look at the highlights from Q1.

 

Let’s hear IT for inclusion

Diversity and equality in IT have been in the spotlight for good reasons this quarter. Amazon launched Amazon Amplify — firstly, a program of initiatives to increase the number of women in its UK technology and innovation roles. Also the Learning Foundation and Nominet joined forces to ensure that all children in the UK have equal access to digital information and education.

 

IT salaries on the rise

An increase in IT and tech jobs wasn’t the only growth in the UK last year. We saw a significant surge in salaries within the IT sector, most noticeably within machine learning, AI, DevOps, big data, data science and CIO roles.

 

Cloudy with a chance of change

This quarter saw the launch of the FinOps Foundation. The non-profit consortium, consisting of big names including Spotify and JustEat, aims to help enterprises manage their cloud costs better by sharing financial management strategies. It is hoped that this leads to faster cloud adoption and better utilisation of cloud resources across the globe.

Speaking of the weather, the 2019 State of the Cloud Report was released, with some interesting data on the adoption of Azure. While AWS still leads when it comes to the public cloud market, Microsoft Azure is catching up, with interest in Google Cloud on the rise.

Cybersecurity headlines

Cybersecurity remains firmly in the news this quarter, following cyber incidents and data breaches involving Airbus and the Student Loans Company, who suffered a shocking 965,639 cyber attacks in 2017/2018.

In more positive cybersecurity news, Tech Nation launched the UK’s first cybersecurity scale-up accelerator program, and Orange acquired SecureData — making them a leading player in the European scene.

 

 

Speedy Gonzales

Speed enthusiasts will be pleased to hear that Virgin Media began testing 8Gbps this quarter. Eight homes in Cambridgeshire experienced what it was like to download a 20GB ultra-high definition 4K film in 20 seconds. Meanwhile, O2 announced that it will begin rolling out its 5G network this year — a year earlier than planned, and just in time for the new broadband speed regulations. It will also be launching a number of 5G innovation spaces across the UK, allowing businesses to begin testing their devices.

 

 

Hackaone

Stack Overflow hosted its first ever hackathon. Employees working on Stack Overflow products or with the Stack Overflow community were all encouraged to get involved learning where issues were and thinking about how to tackle them next time. Part two TBC

 

It’s been a positive and strong start to 2019! Good luck to all of you for Q2 and thank you again for all your support! If you need any help or advice with your career or your business, please get in touch!

Don’t forget to take advantage of our April promotion and have your CV updated by one of our professionals. Let us take the time, stress and hassle out of changing jobs.

 

  • Data Driven Investor
  • Evolution 

Students learn about IT careers at Bring IT On Event.

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Belfast Met partnered with Women in Business recently to run the successful Bring It On event, bringing educators, teachers, pupils and industry professionals together in order to encourage pupils to take an interest in IT Careers.

Now more than ever, there is an increased effort being made to encourage young women to enter the world of technology careers and to subvert the traditional stereotype of the industry. With the skills gap within IT still quite wide and more jobs to fill than qualified people to do the roles, there is an increased effort to promote the sector to young students as they are choosing their career paths.

Belfast Met recently pulled together to run an event with Women in Business that aimed to give students an insight into what the various local tech job roles entail. The event consisted of a series of talks and workshops, with leading companies such as Fujitsu, Liberty IT, Deloitte, CME Group, Allstate, Graffiti Recruitment and Kainos in attendance. Funding for the vent was provided due to the Department for the Economy, was able to play an important role in addressing skill shortages in NI.

The event was well received by student Niamh O’Connell, who said that “Bring it On was a great event which was very inspirational for young girls and I would definitely consider a career in IT after it.” Katie Hughes, another student in attendance positively commented, “I think the Bring it On event was superb. I have learnt so much about careers that involve IT and have developed an understanding of what it is like to work within IT. At the start of the event I was nearly certain that I did not want a career in IT but by the end I was certain that I did”

The fact that two girls who would not have considered IT prior to the event and now after hearing what the industry entails and what opportunities are out there for them would be keen goes to show the power of education. It’s hoped that introducing the sector to students from a younger age will allow them to develop a passion and an interest that could lead them to pursuing the viable career option, and this event suggested that this strategy works.

 

Source: Belfast Press Release – Sync NI 

Free Digital Skills Summer Camp – Girls aged 15-19

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Belfast I.T Girls – Digital Skills Summer Camp

What will you do?

  • Develop your creative, social and business skills
  • Learn how to develop Games
  • Develop websites using HTML5 & CSS3
  • Create digital content
  • Meet, chat and learn from females in the IT & Digital industries
  • …and more!
This 1 week programme is FREE and open to girls aged 15-19

If you are interested you’ll need to book a ticket below to attend. Should there be no tickets available please add yourself to the waiting list and you will be contacted if a place frees up.

Mon 6th August - Friday 10th August 2018
Belfast Metropolitan College
Titanic Quarter Campus
9.30am - 4.30pm

Why do people stay in Jobs they don’t like?

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Have you ever heard someone complain about their job, and yet didn’t take any action toward changing the situation? They go on and on about how they are mistreated, or undervalued, or underpaid, or bored, or “burned out,” or don’t like the people they work with, and yet day after day continue to show up, continue to endure, and continue to collect their steady salary.

 

The truth is, that’s the reason most people stay, the pay. They would rather suffer for something guaranteed than take ownership of their future. Do you know some like that, or is that someone YOU?

 

 

9 Reasons Why People Stay In Jobs They Don’t Like. 

 

1. Because risk terrifies them. It’s a risk to go somewhere else, “What if it’s even worse?” It’s a risk to try something new. It’s a risk to leave wherever you are and go somewhere else.

 

2. Because learning something new is hard. It’s so sad and yet so true. Most people don’t leave their jobs simply because the thought of having to learn a new process, a new skill set, a new anything is terrifying and exhausting to them.

 

3. Because they love “the golden handcuffs.” One of the greatest double-edged swords of high paying businesses is what’s called “living with golden handcuffs.” Your salary is so good, your benefits are so good, your retirement plan is so good, everything is so good that you’re willing to sit in a cubicle hating your life for 8 hours a day simply because, on paper, you’re “living the life.” This is so common, we only get one life, please don’t waste it.

 

4. Because they secretly love to complain. Another sad truth, but some people love to be miserable. They find enjoyment in showing up to work and uttering the phrase, “I hate Mondays.” They have learned to love their misery–and as much as they talk about leaving, they never will.

 

5. Because it would disappoint their parents. Some of the most talented people end up working jobs they despise simply because they don’t want to disappoint their parents. Or their family. Or their friends. Or anyone else. So, who are you living for, then? Them?

 

6. Because they’ve overextended themselves. It’s amazing how much people prioritise having “things” before they have established the lifestyle they want. They get a job they don’t love, but pays pretty well, and before they know it they’ve got an expensive car payment, high rent/mortgage, and an expensive lifestyle from which they can’t escape. They want to do something else, but by now they’ve accumulated too much overhead. And a shift in lifestyle is unthinkable to them.

 

7. Because they like their “title.” These people stay with their undesirable job simply because of the title they have. They would rather be the Vice President of Boring than be seen as someone who is “trying to make their dreams happen.” Because that road is harder, and isn’t about titles at all, and for a lot of people, that’s too much for their ego to bear.

 

8. Because they have responsibilities now. They have a Wife/Husband, kids, dogs, a mortgage, college funds to save for, etc. By now in their career, they can’t make the move to something else. They’ve crossed the threshold and have decided, “You know what, this is where I am, and that’s that.” They’re comfortable, and so they stay.

 

9. Because they fear being wrong. Or worse, they fear rejection. They care a lot about what people think of them, and the thought of trying to do something unconventional or different they enjoy, and failing, is what keeps them from ever trying in the first place.

 

Imagine breaking free of the Golden Handcuffs and living a life you deserve. What if… you had an ally by your side to ensure you were getting the best possible support & advice to live the life you have always wanted? What if… you were able to get the best industry advice on your career options and local jobs that were suitable to your skill set? What if… getting in contact with Graffiti Recruitment could open some doors to careers that would only improve your lifestyle?

 

JUST IMAGINE… Let Make IT A Reality, Contact us now for confidential advice. 

 

 

Please feel free to share your success stories below, of how you were able to pursuing a career you actually like and inspire others to live a life of fun & fulfilment. 

Tech Education Network – Launch

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The Tech Education Network (TEN) exists to connect the tech community with our wider society, equipping children and adults with information, practical resources and training through its networks, knowledge sharing and programme delivery.

We are a team of techies who work within the tech community and are directly linked with industry. We want to share our knowledge with you, on how we can help raise awareness of technical skills & support within various groups and age ranges in our community. We are inviting you to come along and join us to find out what T.E.N can do for You, Your Business, School, Youth Club or Outreach Group.

Why attend?

What we offer as a group is:
• Access to resources and people who can help you make tech relevant to your audience.
• Bespoke tailored programs specific to group needs.
• Direct access for educators to the tech industry professionals 
• Tackling diversity and making career choices more relevant to student’s actual interests
• Alleviate unemployment, bridge skills shortage to help the industry meet its resource targets.

One of the things we’re excited to tell you about is a new outreach program. A small team have been working hard in the background to create a pilot program to be rolled out to a focused group by the end of July. The pilot is a 6-week course in Digital Marketing and Design, aimed at NEETS.

We want to create more teams of passionate, committed people who want to reach out and help people learn about a wide range of technologies.

We look forward to seeing you on the 28th June and please feel free to share this event with your own colleagues, schools, clubs, groups and peers!

Please RSVP via the Eventbrite link as this will help us as a non-profit to judge refreshments.

 

 

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