Top five ways to stay up to date with the job market

It's fair to say that the job market has been a difficult place of late. Since the banking crashes and near collapses of 2008, the subsequent recession and ongoing economic problems, many employers are finding themselves forced to make cost costs and minimise recruitment of new staff.

This means that the range and volume of new jobs, particularly in certain struggling sectors, have diminished and competition is fierce. At the same time however, opportunities still exist for those who are ready to capitalise on them.
 

New sectors are actually ramping up their recruitment, for example in the digital technology world, green and environmental areas and the global food production industry. For those with specialist skill sets, the future looks rosy and the truth for most of us is that we'll need to regularly re-assess our skills and look at how we can be flexible to find opportunities in the sectors of the future.

There are also good opportunities for entrepreneurs and those who wish to work for themselves, either as contractors, freelancers, self-employed business people, consultants, franchise owners and more. As with 'regular' full-time employment roles, these jobs are widely advertised on mass recruitment sites and also on more specialist websites.

To stay up to date with the jobs market, you need to be organised and responsive.

Sign up for all of the websites that are relevant for your field of work. These may include generalist sites and sector-specific recruitment sites.

Keep an eye on the changing array of jobs, even if you aren't immediately looking to make a move. It's good to see how the trends are progressing and where opportunities lie - and you may even spot your perfect job while you're perusing!

Read widely about economic trends and regional performance and particularly local labour indicators and predictions. This will help you to get a feel of whether your current region is one with sustainable employment or whether relocation could be beneficial to you.

Start to network with local business groups with a focus on your particular industry. Details of these can usually be found by searching online for local industry meet-ups. Otherwise try contacting your local Chamber of Commerce for more information about what is happening in your area.

Keep an eye closely on the news too, so that you're better informed and can make predictions on the local job market more accurately. Many people nowadays use the online versions of newspaper and news channels to get the latest breaking UK news, but newspapers and periodicals are also valuable for their editorial, insight and analytical content that goes beyond the headlines.
 

Remember too to look at things such as businesses for sale in the back pages, the jobs pages themselves and whether there are any large recruitment drives in certain sectors - or conversely, news of redundancies in local large companies or particular sectors. You'll find that you can quickly build up a clear and accurate picture of the jobs market and give yourself the confidence you need to plan ahead.

Tips to use before you start your job search.

Information on interview techniques.

More information on how to sell yourself at a job interview

Copyright © 2000-2020
Hints and Things
All Rights Reserved.



No portion of this site may be reproduced or redistributed without prior written permission from Hints and Things. All trademarks & copyrights throughout Hints and Things remain the property of their respective owners.

Hints and Things cannot be held responsible for any information given on this site nor do they necessarily agree with, or endorse, the views given by third parties.