If you are currently in a job and want to improve the satisfaction you get from it, you may look at how you can improve your performance or what changes you can put forward to the company that will help you feel happier but also work better. It is easy to become complacent in any job after a certain amount of time and this can often be seen in people who do the minimum to get by in their day to day job role. Over time this may start to show and will not only look bad to your employer but can take away a lot of the satisfaction you have in a job. When analysing your performance look at items such as your time management, organisation skills and quality of your work. Write down a diary of what you do in a day and how long each task takes you. You could also star rate each task to show how much enjoyment you get out of it. If at the end of the week you see that you are spending a lot of time doing tasks you do not enjoy then you need to start to try and find ways to make the process quicker or more enjoyable. If you find that you are struggling in a particular area then you could ask your employer if it would be possibly for you to receive more training either internally or by going on a course.

Most of us have to work, unfortunately it is a fact of life as we often have mortgages to pay, children to look after and other bills such as gas and electric etc. Sadly, for many of us, we actually find ourselves worse off in work than out of it and this does not seem right. With the way the benefits system works, you can be in a situation where you get a job and actually end up with less in your pocket every month because you work. This is why it is no wonder many people chose to stay at home than have a career.

There are millions of people who earn just to much to get any help with costs but still have to pay out a fortune in child care and travel etc, so they are able to go to work. If you are a mother or father wishing to return to work after the birth of a child and are considering full time nursery care then you have to consider the fees compared to the actual earnings you will be taking home. Putting a child in nursery full time Monday to friday will cost between £800 – £1000 per month and with a monthly salary on a basic wage of not a lot more it is time to really consider your options.

Office work is one of the most popular jobs in the UK especially amongst school leavers and young people as there is often a large amount of these roles available and often many of them do not require experience.

Working in an office is a good way to gain experience and see how a business is run from behind the scenes. You will often get to liaise with different departments and get to understand how the company works.

There is often a huge variety of office roles available, for example office junior, office manager, account manager, human resources roles and IT related roles all of which can vary in the day to day tasks substantially. For some people they are able to land the job of an office junior straight out of school or college. This can often allow them to quickly progress in to other more skilled roles as their confidence and experience levels increase. In order to progress up the ladder, they need to show a positive attitude, be reliable and hard working in their current role.

The salary for working in an office varies depending on who you are working for and what your job role is.

If you know what industry you want to work in it can help you narrow down your job search. If you want a job where you will mostly be based in an office then you may well be suited to a job within eh finance industry. There are a huge variety of jobs within finance meaning that you do not necessarily have to have years of experience or an accounting qualification to land a job. If you are willing to start off in a junior position, possibly taking a pay drop then you can usually work up through job roles overtime. So of the top jobs within finance offer a great rate of pay so it is worth sticking with if you are happy to work in that environment.

A GCSE in maths is usually required to work within the finance industry and if you have an A level or additional maths or accounting qualification you may find it easier to get in to a role.

If possibly, it is great to have an AAT qualification, although some employers will put you through this course as part of your training.

Finding a job in the UK is becoming seemly harder and harder for most people but if you have the option is it better to be looking for work in a city or in more rural areas?

In a city there is likely to be more positions available just because of the sheer size and population difference in a city as opposed to a more rural area, however, there is also likely to be more applicants applying for each role, therefore competition can be much higher.

Most inner city jobs will also come with a much more competitive salary as the cost of living tends to be higher also in a city with things such as transport costs and food prices averaging up to 40% higher.

Any jobs where travelling is required such as sales representative or account managers may benefit the applicant living close to main access routes so these roles may not be as suitable for those in rural settings.

For most people finding a job in a city can be easier than in the countryside as there is more choice and generally bigger companies that offer a wider range of working opportunities. However, city working life can be stressful so if it’s a more relaxed working style that you are after then a rural setting may be the best option for you.

If you are an employer looking to recruit for a new position, it may be that you struggle to write a job specification as the role is very new to the business. You need to try and cover what are the main job tasks that will be expected and also what skills, experience or qualifications you are looking for.

It may be worthwhile reviewing other company’s adverts to see how they are advertising a similar post and adjust yours accordingly.

When it comes to pay, it may be that this is dependent on experience. Always try and put a starting salary or a range of salaries as to avoid applicants that are looking for a lot more money, this will just waste everyone’s time.

In the interview, you will have the opportunity to expand more on the job role that the candidate is applying for and be able to discuss other responsibilities that they may have to undertake further on down the line.

From when I first started working at the age of 16, I decided that I wanted to gain as much experience in different areas within a job role as possible. Some people are happy to go into one role and stick at the same tasks day in day out but for me, I was constantly looking for the next stage.

May employers like to see members of staff that are willing to learn and get involved in new projects? Sometimes a company may be looking to expand and take on new staff. As an existing employee, you may have the opportunity to apply for internal vacancies prior to them being advertised elsewhere. If you have shown that you like to try new things and have already proved your worth in your existing job, then you have a good chance at being offered a job in the new role or a new department.

It’s a sad case, but unfortunately, some industries in particular do take a massive interest in where a potential employee was schooled. We are not talking about the grades that they received, the actual school they attended.

This year again showed that privately educated students continue to dominate Oxbridge intakes, the government, and the media. This could be seen as discrimination against those students whose parents could not afford a private education, basically stating that they will not be as good. You can have an extremely bright and capable student that has attended a state school that would be as good as if not better than someone that attended a private school, surely it should be more down to grades and attitude?

Ways in which this can be measured and tracked to ensure that every pupil has the same rights is currently being debated so we will have to wait to hear the outcome.

Following the recession, many people found themselves out of work for reasons that were beyond their control. Getting back into work can be tricky especially if you are lacking in skills or experience. Young people that had just finished education often struggle as they do not have any work experience that they can offer when applying for a new job.

The government have recognised this and have started up programmes to try and aid these people to be able to find a job. There are many incentives for employers to take on new members of staff, especially ones that have been out of work or that will start as an apprentice.

Work Together programmes are designed to allow people to do some volunteering work to build up the experience they need. Often the Job Centre will be able to offer these to you and you may also be able to get help with childcare costs and travel costs.

Many skills we learn are transferable between jobs even if they are in different industries. Good time keeping, organisation and people skills are required in nearly all jobs and once you have mastered the basics of these, they can help you quickly adapt to a new role.

If you have been in a previous job role and have come across a situation that was hard to manage, then you may have learned a new skill that helped you in the future. This skill may be needed time and time again in subsequent roles and therefore it is vital not to forget it.

If you are struggling with one or two particular skills then there is no shame in asking for help and advice. Many employers actually look fondly on employees that do this as it shows that they are evaluating their own work and performance and picking up on areas of improvement that are needed.