NES talks about career management
Posts tagged engineering
IT and the perm to contract switch…
May 25th
While its specialist engineering division has been working to promote the benefits of permanent work to a hardened contract workforce during the recession, the IT specialists have had to adapt to a switch in the opposite direction.
With a former preference for permanent employees, IT continues to see a growing preference for temporary workers, who can be appointed or released with ease according to project demands. More >
Switching from contract to perm – why, exactly?
May 13th
The contract market within the engineering market has been notoriously lucrative in former years. Contractors, while forfeiting their right to benefits like company cars, pensions and healthcare, earned considerably higher rates than their permanent counterparts and the flexibility from the labour market that they facilitated was welcomed by hiring managers.
Contractors were appointed for a project until their skills were no longer required and released with a typical notice period of just a week – when the contractor could look towards their next role or take the family away over the school summer holidays! More >
Negotiating your graduate salary
Apr 9th
Recent research (by totaljobs.com) highlighting unrealistic expectations and lack of preparation for the job market suggests that graduates are leaving university somewhat deluded about their immediate prospects!
Salary negotiation can often be a tricky one and it’s even more difficult for recent graduates. Of course it is! The global economy is in crisis! Unemployment is a worry for jobseekers with years of experience, some of which have been out of work for months or sometimes years at a time, despite having good skills and qualifications. More >
Increase your earning potential: get chartered!
Apr 7th
Within the engineering community, it’s widely agreed that Chartership is one of the most successful ways to demonstrate your commitment to the industry as well as to continuing professional development (CPD).
Unless you’re prepared to familiarise yourself with new developments and constantly add to your skill set, you’ll come up against certain limitations throughout your career – and earning potential is one of them! More >
Long-term career planning
Mar 31st
For those who’ve suffered as a result of the recession – taking redundancy, accepting a reduction in hours or overtime, or agreeing to a pay cut or salary freeze – thinking long-term about career progression can seem almost laughable, as fewer work opportunities create an all-round sense of gratitude by those lucky enough to hang onto their jobs and a sense of urgency among those looking for work.
While it’s completely understandable that jobseekers responsible for various financial commitments (mortgages, bills and looking after a family, etc) are less concerned about whether a position meets overall career aspirations and more about whether it brings in enough money to put food on the table, it can mean that long-term career planning takes a backseat during an economic downturn. More >
What makes companies prefer contractors?
Mar 18th
While the contract market within the engineering industry has declined as a result of the global economic downturn, a trend in the opposite direction – away from a permanent workforce – has been seen within the IT sector, at least in the UK.
The engineering industry has succumbed somewhat to ever-tightening budgets, but it appears as though in IT, appointing certain skill sets on a short-term basis in line with project demands is a more attractive option than hiring a permanent member of staff. More >
Five advantages of contract work
Mar 3rd
Highlighted in the previous blog, one of the most widely debated topics within the engineering community is: “Contract or perm?” Inevitably, there are pros and cons of both types of work, and listed below are five advantages of working on a contract basis. More >
Five advantages of permanent work
Feb 24th
“Contract or perm?” – It’s one of the most widely debated topics within the engineering community and, as with most things in life; there are pros and cons to both.
This is the first in a series of blogs addressing the advantages and disadvantages of working on a permanent or contract basis – for you and the company hiring you. More >
Flexibility for a successful job search
Feb 17th
We’ve all heard about unemployment rates, hiring freezes and redundancies and few of us are under any illusion that finding work will be a breeze. Wherever you’re working, whatever role you do; if you’re looking for a new job, you’ll face stiff competition and a tough selection process as you battle against other candidates for that role.
There are ways that you can increase your appeal to employers and one quality in particular that can have a profound affect on your job search success is flexibility: flexibility with your salary or rate expectations; flexibility with the type of work you do; and flexibility about where you are prepared to work. More >