Category: Advance Advice

The decision to take a job abroad is a big one, so before you bite the bullet and begin the international recruitment process, carefully consider all the facts. Read our checklist to make certain you’re fully prepared for a new venture overseas.

Culture

Accepting Differences

Adjusting to a new culture could be a challenge. If you don’t agree with local attitudes to women and or children, racial, political or religious beliefs then perhaps you’re considering the wrong place. A new system of values will almost certainly affect your life, so do your research and make sure your location suits all your living requirements before you take the plunge.

Language

Learn the language. If you can’t speak the native language and the locals can’t speak yours then finding work will be tough!

Health

Healthcare entitlement

Some countries may have government funded health initiatives; however, most will require you to take out your own private cover. If you do need insurance be prepared for all eventualities; get it factored into moving costs and in place before you set off.

Children and family life

Partner/spouse

If you’re moving with your other half, what career implications will the move have for him or her? Dual career relocation is double the challenge.

*The most common reason listed for overseas assignment failure is a lack of partner satisfaction.

Know what you leave behind

When you emigrate overseas, I doubt you’ll be taking everyone you know along with you. How do you feel about that? How often do you plan on visiting home? Will visiting be financially viable? Leaving loved ones behind is tough, consider this realistically, especially if you have ageing or poorly relatives or rely heavily on your family support network.

Education systems

Schooling systems vary dramatically from country to country, so if you decide to move to France in the middle of your child’s A-Levels he or she will most likely find the French bachelorette system difficult to adjust to! However, international schools are available so do your research to limit any disruption.

Finance

Is the salary or rate in the chosen country acceptable for you?

Taking a job abroad could mean taking a pay cut and although the cost of living may be less, this could make visiting home a very expensive trip. Alternatively, your salary could be rising, if this is the case don’t be caught out;  investigate the true cost of living in your chosen location.

Work permits

Do you need one and can you meet the necessary requirements? Check out the local embassy regulations before you get your hopes up. Once you have obtained your visa make sure you know your rights of employment and are fully aware of the regulations under which you have been allowed to reside.

Counter-offers are becoming increasingly commonplace in today’s competitive skills market. The noticeable skills gap plaguing the engineering sector makes finding replacement staff an arduous and expensive task for employers. Not to mention the time it takes to find suitable candidates, interview them, negotiate terms and wait through their notice period, all before they can even start.

Understandably employers want to hold onto their best people and nobody can complain about a pay rise, so why should you think twice about accepting a counter-offer from your employer?

Our Guide:

  1. Firstly, there must have been a reason you were looking for a new opportunity in the first place. Take a moment to think over your current situation. Are the original reasons you wanted to leave going to be resolved if you accept? Remember, over 50% of employees who accept a counter-offer end up switching jobs within the next 2 years anyway.
  2. You may be planting a seed of doubt into your employer’s mind if you accept a counter-offer. They might privately question your loyalty or wonder if you’re still on the market for another opportunity. In time to come, you might find that you’re passed over for promotions or could even find yourself near the top of the list if the company makes redundancies.
  3. You might be burning bridges with your prospective employer and your recruitment agency. Your chances of ever landing a job with them in the future will be slim to none and going forward you’ll probably find the recruitment agency will be hesitant to pass your CV onto other clients.
  4. In more extreme circumstances, a counter-offer might just be your employer’s short-term solution whilst they find somebody to replace you. The increased cost of your salary in the short-term is a small expense compared to weeks of an empty chair at your desk. Whilst it might seem a little far-fetched, it has certainly happened to many people.

If you decide to decline the counter offer, be sure to keep your bridges intact by being polite and thankful to your employer. Assure them that you’ll do as much as you can to make the transition to your replacement as smooth as possible by providing a suitable handover. Send a thank you note around a week after you start your new job, it may just be the olive branch you need if things head south in your new role.

In the UK alone, more than 10 million workdays are lost each year as a result of work-related stress. In comparison, just over 4 million workdays are lost each year as a result of work-related injuries. Stress is the frequently overlooked silent killer of the workplace, chipping away behind the scenes, often with no visible symptoms or indicators.

Check out our top five tips to combat stress!

1. Eat well.

It can be quick and easy to pick up processed foods or ready meals but you’ll be lacking that vital nutrition that comes from fresh meat, fruit, and vegetables. Aim to eat five portions of fruit and veg a day and steer clear from short-term energy boosts such as caffeinated drinks. Caffeine blocks the neural signal that tells your body that it’s out of energy, leading to that late afternoon crash.

2. Get active.

Exercising for just 20 minutes per day can reduce stress and depression, simultaneously boosting self-esteem, energy and sleep quality. Not only that, but regular exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer, by up to 50%!

3. Plan your day.

Prioritising your workload is essential to combating stress at work. Ensuring that you get the most important tasks finished first will go a long way to putting your mind at rest. If you can’t get everything done in your work hours, take solace in the fact that what’s left is less important than what you’ve accomplished.

4. Switch off.

The UK has the longest work hours in Europe and workers are commuting longer than ever before. This means people are spending less time doing the things that they enjoy. Take a couple of evenings a week to ignore your emails and spend time doing the things that make you happy.

5. Get social.

A problem shared is a problem halved. Having a supportive network of friends, family, and co-workers to discuss troubles with has been proven to reduce high levels of stress.

Competition is rife; the current job market is flooded with candidates who could stand in your way to securing that perfect next career move, so how do you make sure you come out on top?

Andy Ridout, Managing Director of the recruitment agency, Advance TRS, gives us an insight into what employers are really looking for…

Get your CV in shape

Over the course of my career, I have read hundreds of thousands of CV’s and can safely say that employers have too, this is why it is so important to present yours correctly.

Presentation

We are looking for CV’s that reflect professionalism and to achieve this, presentation is key. A good CV should begin by listing your educational attainment, followed by your most recent, relevant jobs with dates of employment; underneath each job include a short summary of the responsibilities and duties you were given whilst in the role highlighting your achievements strengths and expressing your ambitions.

Make your summaries to the point and relevant, this will ensure we can quickly access your best features and match you to a role as fast as possible.
It can be very easy to get carried away with fancy fonts and italics but in my experience, this rarely looks professional. I would strongly recommend that text is kept to a standard size (10/11) and a professional and clear looking font (Calibri is a favourite of mine)

Read the job description

Unfortunately, all too often we receive CV’s from candidates who have not read the job description correctly; an absolute pet peeve for employers. So, before you apply, please make sure you have all the necessary qualifications and experience; if you don’t we will not send your CV to our client.

Make your CV role specific

Once you have established that you meet the role’s requirements make sure you tailor your CV accordingly. It can be tempting to try to cut corners with a generic ‘one size fits all’ CV but unlikely you’ll display your abilities to their full capacity or get the intended response. Do your research; know the company and re-word your CV to demonstrate that you are the right person for the job.

Go Niche

I have made a successful recruitment career from understanding the specifics and technicalities of the Rail industry. At Advance TRS, we deal with jobs in 4 different sectors, making us specialist recruiters in Rail, Property, Construction and Water. This allows us to be the first point of call for candidates who require a recruitment team who understands industry jargon and has solid relationships with the top employers in their field.

The interview

Once Advance TRS have secured you an interview we will do everything we can to help you through the process.
Interviewers are looking for people who will fit in with the company’s current employees as well as the professional image and reputation they wish to portray. It is essential that your clothes, body language and conduct reflect this since first impressions definitely last.

It is a good idea to stage the interview with a friend or family member the night before. This will give you the opportunity to practice being put on the spot and allow you to prepare your answers to any tricky questions, undoubtedly boosting your confidence during the actual scenario.

Remember, the service we provide you with is free, we don’t get paid unless we find you a job so, if you suit our client’s requirements we will do our best to help you secure your dream job.

For your next career move get in touch with a member of the team at Advance TRS on 01483 361 061.