Candidate newsletter

The onset of winter has come early across most of the UK and Europe and as usual in the UK this has ground roads and rail networks almost to a halt.  This might make it tempting to think of jobs abroad, which you can read about below.  

It’s been another challenging year in the jobs market and in Europe we have seen signs of recovery in places like Germany and Switzerland and to a smaller extent, even in the UK. On a macro level, although vacancies have risen, time to hire is still long (for contract and permanent) with hiring managers afraid of, or restricted from, making decisions.   

As this is our last newsletter for 2010, we wish you all a pleasant end to the year, happy holidays and that 2011 brings a successful year ahead for you.

Moving from a permanent to a contract role?  How to make it work

A recent survey found that more than 2,000 freelancers had been inspired to work independently by celebrities.  Nearly 20% of respondents voted J.K Rowling, author of Harry Potter, as the most inspirational female celebrity and more than a quarter voted for Lord Alan Sugar as their inspiration.  

There is an estimated 1.4 million freelancers in the UK and more of us are opting to go freelance at a young age, but have you ever considered taking the plunge as a contractor?  We often talk to candidates who consider making the change from permanent to contract work.  Sometimes it’s redundancy or other economic considerations that prompt a move and sometimes it’s just the desire for a new challenge, or perhaps a more flexible working life that act as a catalyst.

Either way, contracting offers an attractive way of working for those who are prepared to deal with the challenges it offers.  Flexibility is a key factor and will often protect you from local or temporary variations in demand for your skills.  Variety is also important and contractors regularly face new challenges.  But above all, contracting gives you the freedom to arrange your work to fit your life, rather than having to fit your life around your work commitments. 

On the other hand, contracting carries responsibilities and risks of its own. Don’t expect contracts to simply drop into your lap; it takes time, dedication and legwork to build up the network of contacts necessary to ensure a reliable supply of regular work. Many of the standard administrative tasks such as taxation and pension payments become your responsibility. But above all, you need to be sure that you can give your best effort with no-one to push you but yourself.

If you are considering making the change, there are some key questions that you should ask yourself before you decide whether contracting is right for you.

1. Can you sell yourself?

Take an objective look at yourself and your marketable skills.  Can you ‘sell’ all your strengths effectively to a prospective employer?  Don’t be afraid to think laterally, as experience in one area can often transfer to another.  At the same time, don’t claim skills that you are not completely confident of - employers and agents know what questions to ask to ensure you are a good fit for the role they’re seeking to fill. 

As a contractor, your CV is your most important marketing tool.  Keep it up to date and ensure it clearly describes the skills and experience you can offer.  You may need to adjust the tone - you are selling a specific resource rather than a long-term investment.

It is also important that you maintain your skills and stay up-to-date in your specialist areas.  Contractors are expected to ‘hit the ground running’ and must be able to adapt quickly to working practices so a thorough knowledge of the latest technologies and techniques is essential.

Visit http://www.vineresources.co.uk/top-tips-creating-your-cv for tips on how to write your CV.

2. Getting the best from a recruitment agency

To be successful contractor you have to find work and many contractors use agencies to source some or all of their contracts. 

A good recruitment consultant will take the time to get to know and understand you so that they can find you the most suitable contract positions.  Make sure that they understand their clients too - the most successful recruitment happens when a consultant knows their clients and the candidates so well that when a role arises, they can immediately create a shortlist of ideally suited candidates.  

Develop a list of agencies that you regularly use, and keep the list under review, to ensure that you have the best possible access to the available opportunities.

3. How to interview successfully

As with your CV, you will need to adapt your interview technique for contracting.  A contracting interview is like sales pitch: your aim is to convince the customer that they should buy from you, by showing that you understand their business and the specific problem that they wish to have solved, and that your skills and experience make you the best person for the job. 

You will need to balance your ‘sales technique’ with the ability to show that you will be able to fit in and work as part of a team.  It’s often just as important to demonstrate compatibility and the right personality for the role, even if it’s not permanent.

Visit http://www.vineresources.co.uk/interview-guide for our tips on how to interview successfully.

4. Doing things the right way

The manner in which you make the switch from permanent to contract, can have a long-term effect on your contracting experience.

It’s natural to want to keep plans for a change of career quiet for as long as possible, and to want to have a ‘safety net’ of confirmed contracts in place before resigning from your current employment, but this leads to a delicate balancing act.  Leave it too late and your notice period may well extend beyond the date you hoped to start your contract work. If you are are on three- or six-months notice  it may prove difficult to time things right and breaking your existing contract is not the best way to embark on a new career where you may wish to stay in contact with your previous employer. 

The best way to ensure a smooth transition is to propose a timetable when you resign, allocating adequate time to hand-over your role to a successor.  Depending on your employer, you may be able to negotiate a shorter notice period, or agree a phased handover whereby the final weeks of your employment are worked on a part-time basis. 

Don’t solicit or entice customers or colleagues from your existing company for at least three months following your departure.

Don’t take any intellectual property or database information with you when you leave.

Do: check your contract for notice and termination clauses and any restrictive covenants before you resign.

Many contract opportunities will require the successful candidate to start immediately, so research the opportunities carefully and try to submit applications so that leaving permanent employment coincides with the beginning of your contract career.

Above all, remember that you may wish to request a reference from your current employer or approach them for contract work in the future, so try to leave on the best terms possible. 

At Vine Resources, we often work with contractors, providing advice, support and reassurance.  A selection of useful articles, resources and links can be found at http://www.vineresources.co.uk/candidate-resources.

Latest on The Apprentice

As the series continues, the contestants are for the most part, providing a weekly demonstration of how not to conduct business.  But what stood out in episode seven was the appalling leadership demonstrated by winning team leader, Stuart Baggs, who only proved that he won’t last much longer.

Past episodes of The Apprentice have seen disastrous sales tactics and incorrect pricing in a new product task; questionable judgement and retail skills in a pop-up fashion shop task; and political incorrectness and flawed branding in an advertising task.  Episode seven saw the two teams battle it out to sell virtual reality DVD experiences in Westfield Shopping Centre and ended with recruitment consultant, Sandeesh Samra being fired.        

The episode provided yet more examples of how not to look after customers with Stuart raising the price on DVDs after customers had already seen the original price.  “Sandeesh deserved to go, but I would have got rid of Stuart as well,” comments David Lawrence.  “His attempts to increase the price once it had been widely promoted was unforgiveable.”

The rest of the team agreed with David:

Ian: “Stuart should have been in the boardroom for the way he managed his team.”

Marie: “I’m very disappointment that Stuart’s team won as I would have loved to have seen him get fired.  He was an awful Project Manager.”

Norma: “I found it quite interesting that the winning team changed their mind late during the day.  Luckily it worked.”

Eric: “Of the last three, Sandish had no chance, but Stuart is the real loser of this episode.”

Missed it? Our UK readers can watch The Apprentice using BBC’s iplayer http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/tv

Would you move abroad to improve your career prospects?

According to a recent opinion poll, more than half (55%) of the UK's working population are currently considering moving abroad, with one in five (21%) thinking it will speed up their career progression and over a third (38%) believing it will make them a more desirable candidate in the future.

So if you are offered the opportunity to work abroad, what could you expect to gain from the experience? 

David Lawrence explains:  “There is no doubt that working abroad will enhance a candidate’s CV and it can be an incredibly rewarding experience,” he comments.  “However, it’s also worth noting that even though the IT recruitment market is picking up in the UK, it is picking up more quickly in Europe and further afield and so for many of our candidates, their willingness to work abroad broadens their marketability and increases their chances of securing the best position.”

The opinion poll also showed that whilst one in six (18%) respondents said they would like to take up an opportunity abroad within the next five years, 9% of those polled said they would move abroad within 10 years.  The most ambitious group was men aged between 16 and 24, with 80% willing to consider opportunities worldwide.  Respondents based in London also demonstrated a greater willingness to relocate, with two thirds saying that they would consider it and 83% viewing it as a good career move.  Although a third of respondents would never consider moving abroad for work, one in ten has already done so and 8.5% would do so if their current employer asked them to do so.  

Vine Resources works closely with candidates to ensure that all aspects of an overseas contract are taken into consideration.  “Visas and work permits can be difficult to obtain unless you know the right people and relocation can be a minefield,” explains David.  “Our contacts and experience in the overseas markets within which we operate make the process easier and less stressful for our candidates.  This means that they can relocate, settle in and start their new job with the minimum of disruption.”

Visit http://www.vineresources.co.uk/living-and-working-abroad for our guide on living and working abroad.