We have finally made the big move to Fore Street and are so pleased with the new office.  Phil in Accounts has a window seat in his room which is a favourite spot of Dex’s for some sunbathing.  The main offices are on the ground floor so we can watch the world go by, and the world can watch us eating breakfast, elevenses, lunch, high tea and, sometimes, supper.  It does seem a bit strange to be in a different office after 20 years but Fore Street already feels like home and we have had lots of people popping by to check out the new pad and have a glass of bubbly.  Please come and see us soon!

We are pleased to be supporting the exciting community project that is the Never Ending Mural.  Phase 1 is near to completion on the Ipswich Waterfront and it's a brilliant eye catching work of art developed by artist John D Edwards and the St Matthews Youth Group.  Follow the link below to read about how we're involved.

http://www.ipswich.gov.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=1334&pageNumber=10

Find A Job has recently welcomed a new member to the team – a fox red Labrador going by the name of Dex Dexter.  He is 13 weeks old so is still learning the ropes regarding what is his to chew but, on the whole, the experience of having a dog at work has been a positive one.  Research has shown that a dog in the office is one of the best ways of beating stress at work.  Other benefits include reduced nerves, indigestion, headaches, coughs and tiredness.  Usually all common ailments at around 3pm in the FAJ office!  Although Dex has only been with us for a few weeks he has made himself at home and ingratiated himself with his colleagues by only eating his own food and not having any nasty accidents.  Let's hope his exemplary behaviour and the positive vibe continues!

Introducing Find A Job’s newest recruit – Dex Dexter

Dex is joining the Find A Job team in May.  During his brief career he has spent much of his time on a farm in Hasketon, establishing a pecking order with his many brothers and sisters.  Find A Job’s Director, Faye Stephenson, says ‘I am delighted to welcome Dex Dexter to our team.  Although he does not have much experience in recruitment he has already shown the ability to charm anyone who has had the opportunity to cuddle him.’ 

So pleased (and relieved!) that Find A Job has passed the REC inspection carried out on Tuesday 1 March.  Although we were relatively confident that we were doing things properly it was still pretty nerve wracking when the inspector went through our contracts, work seekers documents and files with a fine tooth comb and asked plenty of questions.  It is second nature to us to do everything ‘by the book’ and so we were passed on site with flying colours!  Delighted that our ethical, honest and meticulous approach has received the official seal of approval!

Its January – a new month and a new year.  You may be looking at overhauling a few aspects of your life such as diet, life style and wardrobe – why not your CV too?  Maybe it’s a bit lacklustre, dull and not functioning on all cylinders.  Your CV is important as it is, after all, your introduction to a new company and first impressions do count!  Follow these top tips to make sure your CV is working for you.

• Keep it uniform - use the same font throughout

   

• Use bullet points to list duties

   

• Make sure your CV is no longer than 2 pages

   

• Check the spelling again and again, and then get someone else to check it too

   

• Write in the third person.  A CV is not ‘A day in the life of me’.

   

• Photos, flowery borders and jokes are not necessary

   

• Get to the point!  We don’t need to know about your tea making experience

   

• Don’t write long paragraphs – use bullet points

   

• Work experience should be in reverse chronological order – current job first

   

• Only list relevant qualifications and awards – brownie/scout badges are very commendable but not relevant on a CV

   

• Explain any gaps in your work history – travelling, maternity leave, education

   

• At the top of your CV there should be a couple of lines saying who you are and what you can do

   

• Tweak your profile to be relevant for each job you apply for

   

• Blue sky thinking

   

• Thinking outside the box

   

• Brainstorming

   

• In the loop

   

• Flag it up

   

• 360˚ thinking

   

Twitter and Facebook have fast become the most talked about social networks on the internet. Follow tweets from @FindAJobEA or become a Facebook fan to find out about the latest jobs, updates and news.

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), the trade association for the UK's private recruitment industry, has announced plans for its flagship event, National Temporary Workers Week, which runs from 1st - 5th June.  Around 1.2 million temporary, interim or contract staff go out on assignment each wee, unfortunately though, not all are through Find A Job!  National Temporary Workers Week serves to highlight how invaluable agency workers are in keeping thousands of UK businesses on track during difficult or busy times.  Temporary work can also provide another work option for job seekers.  A Temp placements can keep funds rolling in, skills updated and often lead on to a permanent role.  It always looks better on a CV that candidates have been temping whilst looking for permanent work.

We are always looking for new temps to join our team.  We supply temps to a variety of different companies - insurance, property, legal, construction, manufacturing - for a variety of differnt roles - PA, admin, customer service, secretary, data entry.  Please do contact Find A Job on 01473 258277 if you are interested in temporary work.

The news was dominated yesterday by the headline ‘ unemployment has risen above two million for the first time since 1997’.  This makes scary reading and it looks like this figure will increase.  However, at Find A Job we are remaining upbeat and positive as new vacancies are still being placed with us – albeit at a slower rate than this time last year.  WE ARE STILL REGISTERING CANDIDATES so please do contact us regarding any vacancies we are advertising on the website.  Even if we do not have a suitable position for you it is worth your while to go through the registration process with us so that we can submit your CV as soon as a position comes in.  Competition is fierce for each and every vacancy with an average of 10 people for any new job advertised so the quicker we can get your CV to our clients the higher your chance of gaining an interview.

DON’T DELAY – REGISTER TODAY!

Your CV is a very important document to give employers the best impression of you, so here are a few tips to consider:

  ·         Main elements of a CV to consider:

 o        Personal summary - highlight skills and positive traits about you that are relevant to vacancies

 o        Employment history - starting from most recent first, give an outline of duties and achievements for each position

 o        Education -  again, most recent first is the most relevant way to document info

 o        Interests – give the potential employer an insight to your character, e.g. if you are captain of a sports team this will show leadership skills

  ·         A concise, bullet pointed layout that is chronologically laid out is much easier to read than writing an essay/story style format.  Employers may receive 100’s of CVs for a vacancy so you want your details to be eye catching and to the point.  

 ·         Select where to place your emphasis: e.g. if you’re applying for a graduate position you may want to put your knowledge and education details at the top, highlighting your degree.  Or, start with your experience if the role requires applicants to have previous experience.  You want to generate immediate interest to a potential employer.

 ·         Always check for errors. Run a spelling and grammar check and ask someone else to read it for you. Read it aloud to the dog. The employer may question your communication skills if your CV is full of mistakes.