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Unemployment fell slightly last month, by 3,000. The previous month’s figures had shown that that the rate of unemployment was slowing down, so the latest statistics seem to confirm that we are at a turning point. Things seem to be improving, though this is of little comfort if you are looking for a job; the competition is still immense and I have to say there are some funny attitudes out there. (more…)

We continue to see conflicting signals from economic data about the pace of recovery, or even if there is a recovery at all. It was announced yesterday that retail sales at Christmas had beaten expectations. A good sign, you might think. But it was also announced that the pace of house price rises has eased. Not such a good sign. And in the USA there has been a surprise rise in job losses. What are we to make of it all? And there is a wildcard in the pack. What impact will the recent weather have? (more…)

Race equality campaigners are pressing the government to make “anonymous” CVs compulsory in job applications. This follows research conducted by the Department of Work and Pensions, which found that that job applicants whose names suggested British ancestry had a far higher chance of being invited to interview than those than those whose names sounded ‘foreign’. (more…)

The job market in the run up to Christmas is always quiet. This year is likely to be even more so. Since looking for a job can be a lonely and demoralising process, it is important not to have realistic expectations this month. If you come across even one or two realistic vacancies you will be doing well. If you get even one interview, be satisfied. (more…)

Next month the government will introduce a new list of occupations which are understaffed. This list, known as a shortage occupation list, is based on information supplied by the Border Agency. Employers will be able to offer jobs which appear on this list to migrants, confident in the knowledge that they will be able to obtain a working visa. (more…)

It is generally not a good idea to start a new marriage or relationship by frequently referring back to what you did in the last one. But this unfortunately is what many people do when applying for new jobs- they find it difficult to move on from the one they have just left behind. (more…)

Redundancy is difficult for everyone, but one of the worst affected groups are those who have been in their job for a long time and have not been in the labour market for maybe ten years or more. I meet people on a daily basis who feel unfamiliar with the job market and say that this is hindering their prospects of conducting a successful job search. (more…)

Sometimes amazing things happen to us, for reasons we don’t understand. We put them down to luck, or chance. Whilst things can, and do, happen by luck or chance, more frequently outstanding things happen to us because we make them happen, even though we don’t realise it. (more…)

A fifty seven year old man came to see me. He had come to this country as a young man, a refugee from war in his homeland. His immediate need when arriving in the UK was to earn money to send home and he got himself the first job that he could, a fairly menial job which paid relatively well given what he was used to, but which did not stretch or challenge him in any way. (more…)

I was invited into the BBC TV studios yesterday to talk about Prince Williams’s career options. He had just announced that he wanted to be more than just a royal ornament and the BBC were interested to know what else he could realistically do. (more…)