One of the roles that is in demand at the moment is that of carer in the community and so if you feel that you would like a career that is rewarding and can make a huge difference to peoples’ lives this may be the career for you.

The care sector of employment covers many varied roles and includes care of mentally and physically disabled children and adults, care of the elderly and vulnerable in their own homes or in care homes in the community. Each role requires slightly different skills but a compassionate and caring nature alongside the ability to cope calmly in emergency situations are essential to the job.

Qualifications for working in the care sector will depend on the role. A medical qualification is useful but not always necessary as ongoing training should be provided by the employer. Safeguarding is essential to keep clients and employees safe, so correct lifting technique courses should be undertaken by all workers.

Some people find that once they have started working in the care sector they want to further their education and progress into nursing or other related roles and so if you are unsure whether this is the path for you it is worth trying it for a few months to see whether you are cut out for a career in this sector.

Not many of us can afford not to work but even if you can that doesn’t necessarily mean your shouldn’t Unfortunately the way the benefits system works, many people find that they are actually better off for not working in some situations. This means they have no motivation to work and actually may no be able to afford to! For others, they may have made enough money or have inherited money for family meaning that they do not need to get a job and work but it may be that it would benefit them in other way to get a job.

Being out of work can actually get you down and although it is a good idea for everyone to have a break now and again, having a routine can do a lot for your mental health. It can also be a great way to be social and allow you to interact with others outside of your usual circle of family or friends. Even if you do not want to get a paid for job, volunteering can still offer you a huge number of benefits and can be very rewarding. Being able to offer some of your time to help out someone or to help a business can make a big difference.

Once you have advertised a job role, particularly if you have listed in on a job website, you may find that very quickly you are inundated with hundreds of CVs. Many of these will probably not be suitable candidates and it would take an age to thoroughly go through each CV so you need a few ways to reduce the numbers. Firstly I would look through for any CV’s that have lots of errors, this shows a lack of care and attention as even with poor spelling these can easily be corrected using a computer spell checker.

Next I would look for any large unexplained gaps in employment or for people who seem to change jobs very frequently as this shows that they may not stay in this role very long either.

I would then look at relevant work experience as often finding transferable skills can be beneficial for a new role.

Finally I’d check that references have been provided to show that they are happy for you to contact their previous employers. This would indicate that they left the job on good terms.

Reading the personal statement will also give you an impression of what the person may be like on a social level too as this is important for any job role. By cutting applications at the start you will have more time to focus on the better quality applications.

With the price of everything increasing at the moment it’s no wonder that most people are really beginning to feel the squeeze when it comes to their family budget. The average wage is not increasing inline with the average inflation of bills and goods so there’s a very obvious deficit.

So what can you do? It may be tempting to look for a new better paid job however you should always at least give your employer the chance to make you an offer to stay.

Now it wouldn’t be appropriate to go in to a meeting making demands and in fact that’s a sure-fire way to not getting a rise and risk getting fired instead. So how should you go about it. Firstly, these things are always better done face-to-face rather than over phone or email. You should ask your boss whether you would be able to have a meeting with them. Ideally choose a time after lunch but not too late in the day as studies show this is when a person is at their most rational level headed point of the day, not too hungry, not too tired.  Prepare well and state your case calmly evidencing achievements you have made and ways in which you have saved/made the company money. Finally allow your boss time to think about it and don’t apply too much pressure!

If you are interested in programming and want a career with excellent prospects then a job as a computer programmer may be the perfect job for you. The salary for an entry level computer programmer is good as are the prospects for promotion as computer programming is necessary in a wide range of industries from manufacturing where it is used to programme robotics to hospitals where it is used in imaging departments. The demand for good programmers is high and so the chances of obtaining a job in this sector is favourable.

The role of a computer programmer involves creating the code that enables software applications and operating systems to work effectively and without problems. The programmer checks the coding to ensure there are no errors and that the program continues to operate correctly, fixing any issues that arise. It is likely that a few projects will be running at the same time so the transferrable skills of multi-tasking and organisation will be essential.

A career in computer programming requires a high level of technical ability and it is advisable though not essential to have studied for a degree in computer sciences and mathematics however a working knowledge of the major programming languages is vital.

Whenever you want to learn something new, you must be prepared to put the time and effort in. It may be that you can teach yourself how to do it by watching online tutorials or videos or you have to have lessons where someone else teachings you. This may be one on one lessons or through an educational setting such as a college or university.

people learn new skills by reading books but some people find they learn better by actually taking part practically in something rather than just reading about it. This is why many people train whilst they are on the job.

Video tutorials are a great way to see how to do something, often being able to have a visual aid makes it easier to learn that reading about it in a book or on a website.

If you are doing a course at uni or college then be sure to put aside time at home to go over what you have been taught and make sure you have time to review and revisit subjects before you have to sit any exam. This is important as repetition is a great way to help you remember.

Web development or programming is a great industry to get in to at the minute. The way the world is evolving means that there is currently a great need for developers as more and more people use the web to find products and services they need.

To become a web developer you do not need have a degree, in fact some of the best programmers are self-taught, but if you want to land a well paid job straight away (especially in a big firm) then they may request you do.

With web development it often comes down to experience and skills more than qualifications. You will however probably need to start off in a junior role until you have learned enough to progress up.

The first thing to do is learn the languages that you are going to be programming in this may include HTML, CSS, Java Script and jQuery. Having a good sound knowledge of the basics in these languages will help get you off to a great start although as a junior you wont be expected to know everything straight away. 

Make sure you create yourself a website that you can practise on and if you are going to go self employed you will want to list your portfolio. Even if you are wanting to be employed it is good to have an online portfolio of previous works you have done as this is the first thing potential employers will look at when considering you, so it needs to be a real reflection of your skills and yourself.

When job hunting it is important that you make your CV stand out for all the right reasons. You may be up against lots of other candidates so you need to make sure that your CV is going to be noticed.

You do not want the recruiters to remember your CV for the wrong reasons such as the poor spelling or grammar or the pages and pages of useless information, your CV needs to be factual, to the point and written correctly.

A CV should fit onto two pages – you can adjust the margins as necessary, to some extent, but shortening a CV will often involve removing some words as well as clever formatting. There is no need to be repetitive – if you have done two jobs with almost identical descriptions, then refer to the most recent job rather than rewriting every responsibility.

Be sure to include a brief section based on your hobbies and interests. This is your chance to show a potential employer what you as a person are like and for them to get to know a little about you before they invite you for an interview. Often employers like to know the personal side to you to.

The last couple of years have been tough for people who are trying to find work. There have been huge disruptions to almost every industry and this has had a knock on effect on the number of jobs available and the working environments for those positions.

If you are in a position where you desperately need to start bringing money in then you may need ot be willing to take a job that you don’t really want to do until you can apply for a career that you would like.

People that have been made redundant, had to leave a job due to relocation or have been off work for a while and need to return often need help in finding a vacancy that they are suited to, especially if they have not gone through the recruitment process for some time. It can be hard knowing how to layout and what to include on your CV. Your CV can make a big difference when it comes to applying for jobs so it is vital that it is right.

There are a number of careers advisors out there such as at the job centre who are more than happy to offer you advice and help on what sort of role you may be suited for. They can even talk you through the recruitment process and help you set up your CV.

There are many jobs that require you to work night shifts. Some roles only require it occasionally, possibly in a run up to a business period but various roles within the police, NHS, fire service, prisons service and caring often do require you to work shifts which involve night work.

For some people, night shifts are the perfect option. It can fit in with their lifestyle and you often get a few days off in the week which some people prefer.

There are some downsides to working nights are often these are more for people that have to do it on a long term basis. Shift working can be very anti social especially if you work the majority of nights. You may find that even on your days off your body clock is still used to doing nights so you do not sleep properly.  If you have a partner or children it may be that you get little time to spend with them as the days you are off, they may be at school or work.

Night shifts are often better paid than working the same job in the day and this can be very attractive to many.