Archive for the ‘jobs’ Category

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Summer Intern Jobs for Graduates

Tuesday, July 19th, 2011

If you’ve just finished university, then your first priority will probably be to find work in order to start earning money as quickly as possible, but if you want to get a kick start on a career, it’s worth looking at summer intern jobs for graduates to help you get valuable experience.

A lot of employers take on recent graduates for summer internship placements, these can be paid or unpaid depending on the company, and are usually for an agreed term – although great staff may well find that they get an offer of permanent work at the end of their stint as an intern.

Typically, summer intern jobs for graduates are offered for a 3 month placement, and in most cases, the company will pay expenses on a day rate basis rather than a salary.  This would normally be enough to cover travel and food, but not normally enough to also cover accommodation in a major city.

How Summer Intern Jobs Compare with Temporary Jobs

Normally a temporary job obtained through an agency will pay a relatively low wage, however in most cases, such roles are not challenging and tend to be very junior.  You might find that you spend 6 weeks making cups of tea and working on data entry which will not provide you with much experience that you can carry forward into a future role, or boast about on your CV.

Summer Intern Jobs For Graduates

Summer Intern Jobs For Graduates

If you take a summer intern job instead, then you will normally find that the responsibilities are much higher.  Often companies take on interns to handle a specific project, and this will provide you with a higher level of skill and give you a better piece of experience for the long term.

It is also important to remember that if you are appointed to a role on a temporary basis through an agency it is very rare for this to lead to a permanent position, as the agency will normally request a finders fee – up to 25% of the first year’s salary if you are taken on permanently.  When you get an intern role, the same conditions will not normally apply.

4 Tips for Finding a Summer Intern Job as a Graduate

The simplest way of finding a summer intern job when you graduate university is to make a compelling case to be taken on.

1: Do some research on companies that you want to work for.  Find out about their business, identify key people within the organisation, and connect with them via social media.

2: Pick 1 thing about each company that you think they could do better.

3: Make a plan for what you would do to improve that one thing.

4: Think of a relevant and innovative way of presenting your idea – maybe a youtube video, and contact the key people to let them know.

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Giving your notice

Monday, June 13th, 2011

For many people, the hardest part of getting a new job can be handing in your notice to your current employer.  This can be made even harder if you have a strong relationship with your boss.

It can be nerve wracking to walk into your boss’ office and hand in a letter confirming that you are planning to leave your job, and many people end up avoiding this to prevent them having to go through the conflict that it ensures will happen.  Here are 5 tips to help you give your notice.

1: Do it!

Don’t wait around until the right moment arrives, because it simply won’t, there will always be something that gets in the way of you doing it.  Give your boss time to sit down in the morning and let them get a coffee.  Request some time with them to tell them what you need to.

2: Be Polite!

It can be really tempting to simply tell your boss exactly how much you hate them and why they are the reason why you are leaving, but this is rarely a good idea.  The chances are that you will have to work a period of notice while you are replaced, and a boss you have rubbed up the wrong way will not be fun to be around.

3: Be Honest!

If you are leaving a job for more money, then be honest, if it is a lack of progress, tell your boss about why you have become frustrated.  This can help your former company to get better at providing staff with what they want and improving things all around.

4: Be Firm!

Most companies will give you a counter offer – if you’re any good!  Be realistic.  If you are leaving for reasons other than money, will more money make a difference to you?  Will a promotion in the company you are currently at be the equivalent of the one you could go to?  If the answer is no, then do not be afraid to say no.

5: Be Helpful!

When you leave a company, you will create a hole that needs to be filled.  Recruiting a replacement for you can be expensive – some recruiters charge 20% of salary for finding a new person.  This is not your responsibility, but you should always be courteous, and if your current employer needs you to work your full notice period, then don’t be difficult – unless your new employer cannot accommodate it.  You never know when your path may cross your boss again.

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Find summer jobs

Monday, May 30th, 2011

With the cost of education rising year on year, it is becoming increasingly important to have a summer job to earn a little extra between college terms.  A lot of students simply pick relatively low paid jobs such as bar work in order to earn extra cash, but as the graduate job market becomes more and more competitive, it is getting more important to find summer jobs that also provide relevant experience ahead of starting your career.

Summer Intern Positions

A popular choice of summer job for many students is a short term internship, which provides experience in a particular role.  Typically, the internship is for either 3 months or 6 weeks, and rather than paying a salary, the company will cover your expenses.

There are several companies that organise intern positions for students over the summer, but in many cases, it is as easy just to contact firms in your chosen industry directly.  If you are looking for a summer internship, a good starting point is to find companies that already works with your university to provide work experience to students, as you will not struggle to get in touch with the right people.

Paid Summer Jobs

If earning cash is more important than earning experience, then finding paid summer jobs needs to be your priority.  One mistake that a lot of students make is to try and stay in the same town as their university or college during the summer.  If a large share of the population is made up of students, then employment opportunities during the summer can be reduced.

Always look for the best available paid summer jobs during the university vacations, and try to find positions that offer some transferable skills.  Rather than working in a bar, where you will get few new skills, consider a position within a retailer where you can get experience of merchandising.  Rather than working in an amusement arcade, why not look at working at events where you can pick up organisational skills that you might not get otherwise.

A lot of students end up working in fast food outlets such as McDonalds during the summer.  This is not as foolish as it sounds.  Many of the larger chains will provide additional training, and some degree of progression that will include supervisory responsibilities is possible if you apply yourself hard.

Long Term Summer Jobs

One thing that is important to remember when choosing a summer job is that if you work hard, and impress the company, you will be able to return in the future.  Gaining a good reputation will also ensure that you are able to get a good reference, which you can use in addition to your new skills to help you take an additional step on the corporate ladder once you leave college.

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Jobs in Civil Engineering

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011

Civil Engineering jobs include a variety of different roles in the construction industry with a focus on large projects such as road and bridge building or major earth works, rather than the construction of buildings.

One of the main attractions for people in the industry is the opportunity to work in different countries around the world over the course of their career.  Many of the larger civil engineering firms operate worldwide, and take part in high profile projects including major motorway building and design companies including Balfour Beatty, Lombardi Engineering,  and WSP Group.

Major projects can last for several years, and jobs in civil engineering will normally be awarded for the duration of a particular contract, however many people do move from one project to another due to promotions being made, and changes to the team.

When Civil Engineers get jobs overseas, they will typically receive a remuneration package that includes a generous salary along with cover for living expenses, schooling and healthcare – depending on the country where they are posted.

There are a number of specialist recruiters who deal with jobs in Civil Engineering on a regular basis and specialise in this type of placement.  By working with a dedicated civil engineering recruiter, candidates will find that they are able to match their skills and experience with available positions all around the world.

Civil Engineering Jobs: Requirements

Degree Level Education (Engineering)

Experience of working in the industry

Foreign Language Skills (Not Essential)

Management Experience (Senior Engineering Positions)

Membership of relevant Professional Body.

The principal civil engineering professional organisation in the UK is The Institution of Civil Engineers.  In the US.

One of the best places to find jobs in civil engineering is the New Civil Engineer Magazine, which is available in both on and offline editions.

Some

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Covering Letters

Sunday, March 6th, 2011

All too often I see covering letters sent in to accompany applicant CVs that are really poorly written anc contain loads of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.  It’s almost as though people have spent all of their time working on a CV and then simply thown together the rest of their application.  Aside from being sloppy, this is pretty disrespectful.

The thing you should alwayes remember when putting in an application for a job – any job – is that you are asking another person to trust you to do a good job, and to be a good use of their money.  Do you think that you would be trusted with any position if you cannot be trusted to spell check your initial letter?

When you are applying for a job with any company, here are some great tips to consider when writing your covering letter:

#1 Personalise the greeting – at least know who you are applying for a job with

#2 Be Brief – No one wants to read your life story – they hardly know who you are.  Your covering letter needs to be no more than a side of A4 long.  It also needs to be no less than a full side of A4.  Look like you’ve put some effort into your application – especially if you have!

#3 Say why you want the job – Your CV gives the facts, the covering letter says who you are

#4 Spell check the letter – show some attention to detail

#5 Get a friend to read over the covering letter – You might feel like a bit of an idiot getting a friend to read over the letter, but it will give you a different perspective, and help you put together something appropriate.

#6 Be yourself – It can be tricky to put across your real personality within a short letter, but try and do that.  Once you have written the letter, read back over it, nd try and give it some personality.  There is a lot of competition for jobs right now, and you want to stand out.  Be Yourself.

#6 Spell Check it Again – There is no (and I mean no) excuse for having any errors in your CV or covering letter.

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Tips for getting a new job for 2011

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

For many people, a new year is a great time to start looking for a new job.  A disappointing pay rise coupled with the increasing cost of living means that more and more people will be competing for roles in the new year.

More people leaving jobs means more new jobs being available.  The best time to start actively looking for a new job is in February, but in order to be ready to do that, you need to start getting prepared.  Get you CV up to date, practice those interview techniques, and have a good think about what you want to do next.

Over Christmas, Jobatwit will feature a number of great articles and posts designed to help you plan for the new year.

Don’t forget to register for an account as a job seeker, and you can start to promote your CV via one of the largest social recruitment websites on the web.

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HGV Driving Jobs

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

After the economic uncertainty of the past couple of years, many people have found themselves looking at new opportunities in different industries.  Bankers are becoming teachers, office workers are moving into social care, and many people currently in industrial roles are choosing driving jobs in order to earn a living.

In the past, many people have moved from redundancy into roles as taxi drivers, becoming owner drivers, and taking the jump into becoming self employed.  The advantage of this is that it is a role which requires no specific qualifications beyond a driving licence.

It is essential for owner drivers to purchase specific taxi insurance as part of their job, and they will also need to get a licence to carry passengers if they want to be a Hackney driver, rather than just run mini-cab work.  The licensing comes from a local council, and they do put restrictions on the number of people within a region who can operate as a Hackney Driver.  Despite this, the market is often quite constricted, and increased competition in a depressed market place where people are looking to cut costs means that the salary one can expect to earn as a cabbie is much lower than it might have been in the past.

As an alternative to tax driving, the job of haulage driver or HGV driver is an interesting option that is rewarding.  Most driving licence holders will be able to drive a reasonably large van, but it is important to check what your licence covers, and request the appropriate driver training to equip you to drive.

If you look for an HGV driving job with an existing company, you will only need to pass the interview, and demonstrate the ability to drive your chosen vehicle.  Salaries for drivers are highly competitive due to the specialist skills required, and this can be well above what an office worker may expect to earn.

Becoming an owner driver or haulage operator is a different option, and will typically offer higher rewards financially, although, these are not without risk, as without existing contracts, you may struggle to work consistently.  Costs include the purchase of a truck and infrastructure, the ongoing cost of fuel, and also a requirement for either HGV Insurance, or Goods In Transit (GIT Insurance) depending on what you are carrying.

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Promote Your Recruitment Business

Sunday, March 7th, 2010
Job@twit has been established for nearly a year, during which time we’ve gained more than 2000 followers on Twitter, found jobs for dozens of people by letting them publish their CVs on our website, and advertised hundreds of jobs.  Now, we are delighted to announce a great new addition to our suite of features – custom profile pages!
job@twit profile page

A sample profile page

From now, companies who advertise jobs on job@twit can create a dedicated profile page containing all of their contact details, and links to the most recent jobs advertised on job@twit.
Setting up your profile page and getting listed on job@twit couldn’t be easier.  Simply register or log in to your account, and click on the dashboard link to “Create Profile”:
Click on the create profile link

Easy to add your profile!

Simply fill in the details of your company in the form, and upload a copy of your logo (you can use GIF, JPG, and PNG files – they should be square, around 150px by 150px, and less than 20K).
Profile Page Creator Form

Profile Page Creator Form

Once you have saved your profile, it will be linked to fr

Easy to update your status and edit your details

om the home page of the job@twit website so that users can easily find the jobs that you are advertising:

We’ve also added a status function to your profile, so that if you have any special opportunities coming up, or want to provide users with some news about your business, you can let them know without having to upload a new job.
Once your profile has been added to the site, you can edit it, and update your status message direct from your dashboard.  So what are you waiting for? Create your free profile page now, and add an extra way to promote jobs on job@twit.

Good Luck

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9 Handy CV Tips

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

Whether you are looking for a promotion or your first job, having a compelling CV is essential if you want to impress a potential employer.  Having a Curriculum Vitae that really sells your skills and promotes you as a person can make a huge difference to your chances of getting a job.

You need to remember that any job that you find attractive enough to apply for will also attract the attention of other people.  Some of them, shock horror, might be better qualified, or have more experience than you – however this does not necessarily mean that they will get the job in front of you.  If they present a CV that does not emphasise how great they are compared to you, then they might not even get an interview.

Here we have 9 handy tips to help you improve your CV and boost your chances of getting a new job!

1 – Short is Sweet

Keep your CV to a maximum of two sheets of A4 – an employer wants to know enough, not everything.  Also, you might have used your IT and Microsoft Office Skills every day in each job, but you don’t need to list them every time.

2 – Keep it pretty

Take a good look at your CV – would you like to receive it.  There’s no need to get silly with rich backgrounds, and manic fonts.  Simple is best, but it needs to be well spaced, clean, and interesting to look at.

3 – Stick to the facts

Does the employer really care whether you loved your previous job?  No, they want to know what you did, and how you did it.  You can communicate your enthusiasm for filing and making cups of tea when you get the interview.

4 – Accuracy is Everything

Spell check, proof read, spell check again, and read it aloud.  Then get someone else to do the same.  Would you employ a person who can’t spell.

5 – So be Honest

Don’t forget, an employer isn’t going to give you a great job with fantastic pay without checking you out.  They will contact your referees, and if they can’t back up what you are claiming, then you are not going to get very far.

6 – Keep it Relevant

You might have plenty of experience looking after cats, but if you’re going for a web design job, then it isn’t going to impress the boss.  Keep your experience on topic, and adapt your CV for different opportunities.

7 – Sell Yourself

Put a bit of life into the CV.  Stick to the facts yes, but add a little bit of colour too – your statement should impress, and also give a little idea about who you are.

8 – Keep it in order

Put the most recent jobs and qualifications at the top. They are the ones that your potential employer wants to read first

9 – Remember the Covering Letter

You should always send a covering letter along with your CV.  This should always be unique to the job you are applying for, and include a few points from your CV.

Bonus Tip!

Whether you are actively looking for a job now, or simply want to keep your options open, don’t forget to add your new CV to jobatwit – upload your CV now, and promote it to thousands of employers via Twitter!

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Top 20 Best Paid Jobs

Saturday, October 24th, 2009

Although the recession is still continuing in the UK, employers are seeing improvements in the economy, and the number of vacancies is now increasing. Salaries are however not forecast to increase significantly this year as most companies are still keeping careful about money.

There are still great paychecks to be had though – provided you are prepared to work for them.

Below is a list of the top 20 best paid jobs in the UK according to the ONS.

Job Title Salary
Directors and chief executives £212,910
Brokers £94,293
Financial managers and chartered secretaries £77,931
Aircraft pilots and flight engineers £63,664
Managers (mining and energy) £58,802
Managers (research and development) £54,950
Police officers (inspector and above) £54,241
Managers (marketing and sales) £54,029
Lawyers, judges and coroners £52,049
Air traffic controllers £51,911
Legal professionals £50,649
Personnel and industrial relations managers £49,717
Managers (purchasing managers) £49,148
IT strategy and planning professionals £48,787
Managers (advertising and PR) £48,258
Management consultants and economists £47,517
Finance and investment analysts £46,718
Local government officers (senior) £44,755
Financial and accountant technicians £44,204
Fire, ambulance and prison officers (senior) £43,810

One thing to note about this table is that the salaries listed above are averages for the role, and do not include any bonuses.  Some roles, such as “broker” could well result in a much higher take home wage.  Some roles that you might expect to see such as “musician” or “footballer” do not appear as the vast majority of professional sports people earn a much lower wage than the highly paid members of premiership sides.

What is quite surprising about this list is that there are so many public service jobs listed (5) – although what this reflects is the competition for good people that the public service faces these days.

There are also many roles in Finance listed in the top 20 best paid jobs list above including brokers.

The thing that is most notable about this list is that almost all the jobs listed above require the employee to have a degree  - while there may be some debate about the value of a university education, it appears that a degree is a necessity for the kind of strategic roles that deliver a substantial wage.

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