Summertime and the livin’s busy here at Firstcall Recruitment. The sun is shining and job market is hot, hot, hot.
This is the time of the year when people typically feel happier, more optimistic, and more likely to test the water and look for a better job. The good news for job seekers is that this Summer is particularly hot, in fact it might be the best time in decades to look for a new job.
We’ve been working round the clock, placing more people in work than ever before. The jobs market is so tight that the balance of power has shifted in favour of workers, with companies clambering over each other for recruits.
In the local news there’s been a lot of publicity about the shortage of tradesmen, bus drivers and hospitality workers. What’s less publicised is the high levels of recruitment in financial and legal services. The Firstcall name is synonymous with these sectors, and we’re noticing particular hotspots in trust and fund.
The point we’re trying to hammer home here is that there is an abundance of opportunities, and now is a great time to be thinking about a new job and dusting off the CV. The other thing to stress is that you don’t have to be the perfect candidate.
You don’t have to meet all the criteria and requirements set out in the job description. This comes as a shock to some people, but when employers set out their requirements it’s a wish list, they are guidelines.
As long as you meet the hard and fast fundamentals, it’s fine to put yourself forward as a candidate. In other words, your dream career might not need to be deferred.
This advice is especially relevant for women candidates, because women are more likely to suffer from so-called ‘imposter syndrome’ and they think they must meet 100% of the requirements. Research has shown that men will generally apply for a job if they can tick off 80% of the requirements.
The reality nowadays is that employers are navigating the hot labour market by using skills-based hiring. Sometimes being able to demonstrate transferrable skills will get you the job. It’s a good idea to show work samples or a project that you did in the past.
You should be able to learn some skills on the job, so think of examples when you’ve done this. A CV can be about your future, not just the past, and you can smooth over employment history gaps.
Passion and enthusiasm are important, after all, you can acquire skills but not passion. Employers are putting more emphasis on soft skills like communication, the ability to work collaboratively, and think creatively.
They are thinking about their workplace of the future, and how teams will work together. In other words, they’re not hiring you to do the job today, they’re hiring you for tomorrow. It’s worth noting that younger companies, especially start-ups, tend to be more flexible about who they employ.
Most people fear change to a certain extent, but the best-selling author of ‘Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway’, Susan Jeffers, says that living well sometimes involves taking chances. Her advice is to learn to let go of negative programming, and say yes to opportunities.
We recruit across multiple industries, but especially financial and legal services. Register with us as a candidate, or an employer. We’re brimming with useful information and we’re ready to guide you in your hot job Summer.
