For more career advice, visit the Career Energy homepage

A report published by the CBI and recruitment consultants Harvey Nash shows that employers and staff are working together to protect jobs by increasing flexible working and by freezing pay and recruitment. The CBI hails this saying that one of the recession’s “most positive and striking aspects has been the commitment of many businesses and their staff to work together to try to trim costs and save jobs”. It is indeed a welcome trend, although unfortunately there are many companies and staff, who have a diametrically opposed position.

(more…)

There are reports that some companies who outsourced their manufacturing processes to China are thinking of moving their operations back to England. It may be more expensive, but it will allow companies to get products on sale quicker and to have greater control over quality and stock levels.

(more…)

A new and potentially highly dangerous trend is emerging in the workplace, driven by the the impact that the recession is having on all our lives. (more…)

The word career comes from the Latin carriara meaning a carriage way or road. It can mean to move at full speed, in old English it meant a course, as in race-course. It is this idea of a course, or a marked out track, which has led it to become associated with the jobs we do; according to the Oxford Dionary a career can mean a person’s course or progress through life. (more…)

Leaving aside the social and moral issues, yesterday’s announcement that the Chief Executive of RBS is to receive a £9 million salary package will come as welcome news to many. Not because it shows that elements of the City are not prepared to establish a new salary regime but because of the statement it makes about the demand for top talent in the City and the implications for those who believe they fall into that category. (more…)

According to a report published this week, 28% of managers are unlikely to hire someone whom they consider to be long term unemployed. But 84% of managers would have no concerns if the unemployment period was less than six months. This is more encouraging than one might have expected, but it does leave some important questions to be addressed by those who find it is taking a long time to get a job.

(more…)

It is being predicted that up to 10,000 jobs could be lost in the legal profession over the next two years. That is in addition to the 16,700 (including non-legal jobs in the sector) that went last year  and however many have already been lost this year. There are only 83,000 private solicitors in the country, so this is a big shake out. (more…)

British Airways is asking staff to work for up to one month for nothing, in order to rescure the company from collapse. The Chief Executive (who earns more in a month than most of his staff earn in two years) has agreed to give up his salary for July. Although BA is not the first company to make such a request of its staff, the approach is still quite novel and it will be interesting to see what sort of response it gets. Staff do have the option of a month’s unpaid leave instead.

(more…)

One in ten employers in the UK are finding it difficult to recruit the staff they need, according to Manpower’s Annual Talent Shortage Survey. The Managing Director of Manpower interpreted this figure as meaning that employers are still struggling to recruit people with the skills they require. But even if this interpretation is correct, does this report paint a black picture, or a rosy one?

(more…)

Self awareness lies at the heart of every successful career decision. Unless you are as objectively aware as you can be about your skills, about what you need from your career and what you offer to employers you will never be able to assess a possible career move accurately. Which is why self assessment is the first, and an essential, activity in every Career Energy programme.

(more…)