Category: Career

In the ever-evolving landscape of the built environment, professionals face the imperative to stay ahead of the curve to remain competitive in the job market. Adapting to industry changes, embracing emerging technologies, and meeting the evolving demands of the job market are pivotal for sustained professional success. In this blog post, we’ll share valuable insights on how individuals can proactively navigate these challenges and position themselves as sought-after professionals in the dynamic built environment sector.

Embrace Continuous Learning

Remaining competitive begins with a commitment to continuous learning. In an industry marked by technological advancements and changing regulations, professionals must actively seek opportunities for skill enhancement. Attend workshops, enrol in relevant courses, and stay informed about industry developments to ensure your skill set remains current and valuable.

Stay Informed About Industry Trends

Being aware of current and emerging industry trends is crucial. Subscribe to industry publications, attend conferences, and engage with professional networks to stay informed about the latest developments. This knowledge not only enhances your professional acumen but also positions you as a forward-thinking individual who can contribute effectively to projects. Don’t forget to keep your recruitment consultant in the loop—they’re your go-to for market insights, trends, and potential opportunities. Be sure to follow Advance TRS on LinkedIn as we share the latest market news.

Adapt to Emerging Technologies

The built environment is increasingly shaped by technological innovations. Stay abreast of advancements such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and sustainable construction practices. Acquiring proficiency in these technologies enhances your versatility and makes you an attractive candidate for employers seeking forward-thinking professionals.

Develop Soft Skills for Effective Collaboration

In addition to technical expertise, soft skills play a vital role in professional success. Effective communication, teamwork, and adaptability are highly valued in the built environment. Cultivate these soft skills to facilitate seamless collaboration with multidisciplinary teams, clients, and stakeholders, making you an asset in any project setting.

Diversify Your Experience

To remain competitive, consider diversifying your professional experience. Explore different sectors within the built environment, take on challenging projects, and seek roles that broaden your skill set. Diversification not only enhances your adaptability but also opens doors to diverse opportunities in the job market.

Position Yourself as a Problem Solver

Employers value professionals who can navigate challenges and find innovative solutions. Showcase your problem-solving skills by highlighting instances where you contributed to overcoming obstacles in previous roles. Being recognised as a resourceful problem solver enhances your appeal in a competitive job market, setting you up for professional success.

Create an Online Presence

In the digital age, having a strong online presence is essential. Develop a professional LinkedIn profile, participate in relevant online communities, and share your insights through blogs or articles. An active online presence increases your visibility and can attract opportunities that align with your career goals.

Seek Mentorship and Mentor Others

Mentorship is a valuable resource for career growth. Seek guidance from experienced professionals who can provide insights based on their own experiences. Additionally, consider mentoring others, as it not only contributes to the industry’s growth but also helps you solidify your own understanding of key concepts.

Remaining competitive in the evolving built environment job market requires a proactive and adaptable mindset. By embracing continuous learning, staying informed, cultivating a strong network, and leveraging technological advancements, professionals can position themselves as leaders in this dynamic industry. Stay ahead of the curve, and success in the built environment will follow suit. Advance TRS is here to empower your journey and provide unparalleled opportunities in the industry.

Explore Opportunities: Take the first step in shaping your future by exploring exciting job opportunities on our exclusive job board. Register now to access a myriad of roles that align with your skills and ambitions.

Submit Your CV: Showcase your expertise by submitting your CV. Let your qualifications speak for themselves as we match you with positions that propel your professional success to new heights.

Connect with Our Consultants: Our dedicated consultants are ready to guide you through every step of your career journey. Get in touch with them for personalised insights, industry advice, and tailored opportunities.

Stay Informed: Follow us on social media to stay informed about the latest trends, job openings, and industry insights. Connect with a community of professionals passionate about the built environment.

Eira Burnett is a Sales Support Manager for the rail team in the Guildford office. Eira joined the company in June 2022, having previous experience in administration work with a desire to develop her skills further. Eira now assists our consultants with relationship management for large clients within the company, creating multiple job boards across various sites every day to find the best suitable candidate for a range of supplied roles.

In her time in the role, Eira has developed a strong relationship with the sales team, with effective coordination and efficiency displayed throughout her time with Advance TRS. To support business growth, Eira is now seeking for a Sales Support Administrator to help assist as we continue to expand our client services offering.

Our Senior Marketing Executive, Harry sat down with Eira to understand more about her role, life at Advance TRS, and what the ideal candidate looks like for the role:

“So Eira, what responsibilities occur in your day-to-day?”

“My day-to-day involves processing CVs through client frameworks, booking interviews for both candidates and clients, updating our data within systems, and creating detailed job adverts across various high-profile job search engines.”

“What made you take the job at Advance TRS?”

“Advance TRS gave me an opportunity to grow with the company as I progress my career to a senior administrator role. From the interview stage onwards, their clear vision and belief in my contribution excited me to be a part of this project!”  

“What was your own onboarding experience like?”

“My onboarding experience was extremely welcoming, a helpful factor to this was the social incentive shortly after I joined the company.  All the staff enjoyed a day out at the races to celebrate success and I had a brilliant time bonding with all the teams! In relation to my duties at work, Jess and Ella were a really big help with learning new systems, job ad formatting, and reporting also.”

“What is the ideal candidate you would like to join the team and support your responsibilities?”

“The ideal candidate would be a friendly team player, who is somewhat IT savvy and has good copywriting skills. Huge bonus if there is admin experience for protocols, but a positive and kind individual is the key to the right fit with Advance TRS!”

“What is the best thing about working with Advance TRS?”

“100% the people. The togetherness and fun culture that we have here is a truly rare find, with many social incentives and other company benefits to make our time here that little bit more special.”

About Our Sales Support Administrator Role

This unique opportunity presented is to join our established managed accounts team to deliver recruitment frameworks with key client partners within established service level agreements. This opportunity lends itself to someone who is comfortable on the phone, with an eye for detail.

If you are interested in applying for the Sales Support Administrator role and learning from Eira on the sales team, please view the specified job descriptions here.

If you are interested in pursuing a different career with us, we are always hiring! Find out more about our current opportunities here. Alternatively, you can speak to one of our dedicated team on 01483 361 061.

Advance TRS and Alstom are delighted to announce a huge milestone achieved in our recruitment partnership as our 300th permanent starter joins the business this week, following 3 years of tremendous growth across the business!

Advance TRS are the recruitment partner for Alstom UK & Ireland’s rail recruitment programme, sourcing rail signalling management, engineering, and installation professionals. The Advance TRS and Alstom UK & Ireland partnership has placed over 300 new professionals in permanent roles across the business.

Working in a truly collaborative manner has been a vital factor in the success to date which has seen both businesses work tirelessly to attract and engage with some of the brightest and most committed individuals across the country. Whilst in the company, the opportunities have not stopped with new starters building development career paths, taking on additional responsibilities, and achieving promotions as the benefits of working for a leading global engineering firm become a reality.

Having taken a proactive approach to appoint a diverse workforce, we have seen numerous key roles being filled by candidates outside of the sector, with management driving a recruitment focus on individual skills & behaviours rather than time spent in the railways. This has led to fresh ideas, new approaches, and opportunities for people to join and excel in the industry.

But the hard work doesn’t stop here! Thanks to an enviable work bank and constantly expanding product offering, Alstom is growing further and can offer outstanding opportunities across engineering, operations, and management as we gear up for the years ahead.

Find out more about the Advance TRS recruitment partnership with Alstom.

ALSTOM IN IRELAND

Advance TRS & Alstom are recruiting Commercial, Planning, Engineering, Management, Health & Safety professionals for the Cork Area Commuter Rail (CACR) upgrade, a transformative rail improvement programme for the Cork Rail Network.

The Cork Area Commuter Rail programme is the heavy rail element of CMATS and is a transformative rail improvement programme for the Cork Rail Network. Delivering increased train capacity and frequency, providing for more connected communities and a more sustainable transport network, the project represents the largest-ever investment in the Cork Rail Network.

The programme involves developments and enhancements to the rail network from Mallow through Cork to Cobh and Midleton and will include the delivery of new rail infrastructure and electrification and re-signalling across the 3 main lines of Mallow, Cobh and Glounthaune to Midleton.

The Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme is being progressed through a number of separate but interrelated projects which will be delivered in specific work packages.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work on the Signalling and Communications Upgrade to facilitate the proposed capacity and service frequency increases across the Cork Area Commuter Rail network. The preliminary design of the project is well-advanced, and the implementation stage is starting now.

View the latest Alstom jobs in Ireland.

BUILDING A DIVERSE WORKFORCE WITH ALSTOM

A key focus for Alstom is to build a diverse and entrepreneurial workforce with inclusivity at its core. Alstom knows that employee empowerment is crucial to its success and continues to strengthen its culture by promoting diversity and entrepreneurial spirit with a fundamental commitment to integrity and high ethical business standards and practices.

This key commitment has been embraced and mirrored by Advance TRS, working together to establish a non-discriminative recruitment process to ensure a diverse candidate pool is available, and promoting opportunities for under-represented communities. At Advance TRS, we believe everyone deserves the same opportunities, and that the diversity of the workforce is an essential part of success. We are committed to supporting clients to build work environments that are free from discrimination and promote equal opportunities for all.

View the latest Alstom Jobs.

QUALITY CANDIDATE CARE

At Advance TRS providing a premium quality service to candidates and clients alike is a core founding principle and forms the backbone of how we approach our work.

We pride ourselves on our exceptional level of customer service and seek to create long-lasting and dependable relationships. Advance TRS support candidates throughout the entire process from initial contact and interview, through to remuneration negotiations and onboarding.

ALSTOM PRIORITIZING CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Professional development is part of Alstom’s recruitment strategy, with the organisation firmly believing that employee motivation and performance are intrinsically linked and that the nurturing of employee potential and competencies are key to ensuring the ongoing success of the international brand.

All employees are offered development opportunities via the ‘People Management Cycle’, which helps line managers and HR to design a bespoke training plan for each employee. This offers high-quality learning and development opportunities and supports employees through professional mentoring or coaching.

For those hesitant to take the next step in their career and explore opportunities, such a solid investment into personal development has proven to temper nerves and ease the transition when joining the business.

“My favourite part of my role is enhancing and developing new skills and expertise in the development of people. I have fully embraced Alstom’s People Management Cycle and encourage the development of my team members.”

Lead Commercial Manager, Alstom.

“Alstom has committed to training the right candidates to be the perfect fit for the business. They understand that not everyone will be the finished article straight away, but their development opportunities are really encouraging and quick to materialise.”

Principal Project Engineer, Alstom.

Find out more about life at Alstom.

FIND YOUR IDEAL ROLE

Across the UK, Alstom is winning new projects and securing exciting packages of work, opening up huge opportunities for professionals across the UK.

Are you looking for your next role and does Alstom sound like the right fit for you? View our live jobs or speak to one of our Alstom delivery teams today.

Periodically, you may find yourself feeling undervalued and looking for a pay rise. Increasing your salary may be as simple as speaking to your employer, but being prepared will always help you to achieve your aims. Here are some things to consider when seeking in increase.

Speak to Your Employer:

Are you looking for an increased salary with your current employer? Knowing how and when to ask increases your chances of approval. Here are several factors to consider whether the time is right for such a demand:

  1. Recent achievements still in memory: If you can recall and bring attention to when you exceeded an expectation set in recent times, this can reinforce your explanation of how valuable you are to your company and why a pay rise is deserved.
  2. The financial status and performance of your employer: Employers are more likely to focus on staff retention and approve a pay rise when they are performing well as a business and improving in all financial areas.
  3. An upcoming performance/employee Review: If you have a performance review meeting soon coming up, it is best to hold any discussions till this period as it is a natural and respectful time to talk about salary.
  4. Added Responsibilities or Signs of Growth Within your Role: Lastly, if you feel like your responsibilities have expanded from your contractual agreement and you are being asked to do more or higher-quality work, this is proven to be a great time to sit down and discuss your salary.

Researching Your Market value:

Putting in research to either see what your expected salary for your role should be, or to potentially explore options elsewhere with better pay is a great way to achieve a satisfactory wage. Especially due to the higher cost of living in recent years, putting in the effort to find out what wage is justifiable can be the difference-maker to achieving your end goal.

Here is a calculator tool If you would like to find out your worth in-terms of your job role.

Contact a Specialist:

Another efficient way to find out how much your skills and qualities can be worth is to talk to a specialist recruiter like us. Given our knowledge of the engineering and infrastructure sectors, not only can we advise on a wage you should expect, but we can also educate you on other opportunities available that can achieve or even surpass your salary expectations!

Perhaps Time for a Change:

We know how frustrating it can be to have promises made by your employer unfulfilled or requests to not be considered or even heard. Sadly, the option to find somewhere else where you are more valued for your output is what is best for your quality of life. It is also proven that switching jobs means you are more likely to get a pay increase at all, and likely to get a significantly higher one, than you are if you stay in your current position.

DID YOU KNOW – the average range of salary increases for people switching jobs tends to hover around 5-10%.

Contact Advance TRS:

For more guidance as you consider your job change, take a look at our advance advice page. We have a variety of job searching articles available, from CV writing tips to interview techniques.

Be sure to contact us today at 01483 361 061 or head to our contact us page. to talk to one of our friendly & helpful consultants, who offers a free confidential conversation about your place in the recruitment market and what opportunities are out there within the built environment.

 To check out our latest roles and opportunities online, visit our jobs page here.

So, you have been interviewing for a new opportunity and have been offered the job! Hooray! But when you go to hand in your notice they offer you a counter offer to tempt you to stay.

How should you handle a counter offer?

Stop, Think, and Remember Why You Were Looking for a New Role in the First Place

Before considering the offer in front of you, take the time to think about the original motivation to move. Do they provide the solutions required for you to be satisfied? Do they offer the additional training, support, and stress relief that you were originally wishing for? Will the agreed changes be permanent or only a temporary fix? Do you honestly see yourself remaining with your current employer for the next 5-10 years?

DID YOU KNOW “80% of candidates who have received a counter offer tend to be back on the market within six months for the exact same reason!”

This is an important career and life choice for you. Take your time, don’t rush, and evaluate your options and think long-term before your big decision.

The Mask Behind a Counteroffer – What it Really Means

We understand that a sudden pay increase seems positive at first thought – You may feel like your value to the company is finally respected. However, don’t let this fool you! Often the purpose behind the counter offer may not relate to meeting your needs, but to simply avoid the potential cost and time to replace you in the short term. Employers often know what you want to hear, as there are many hidden intentions behind a counteroffer which you should be made aware of before you consider accepting a counter offer.

Consequences to Consider:

  • After accepting, your employer is aware of your unhappiness. Your loyalty will now always be in question, impacting potential promotions in the future.
  • Remember that the company that you chose to stay with only respected your worth when you threatened your own position. Hindsight for future requests.
  • Once word gets out, the relationship with your co-workers may not be the same.
  • If the business decides to downsize, your employer will begin the cutbacks with you.
  • Accepting a counter offer causes other employers to question your commitment knowing you were bought out of a move.
  • The same circumstances which now cause you to consider a change will likely repeat themselves in the future

Make a considered and informed decision that’s right for you

Remember that you now have an offer for a new start with new opportunity and the decision in your hands, you have come a long way to reach this point. Make sure you make an informed decision that makes the most sense for you.

Speak to your recruitment consultant if you are considering a counteroffer and discuss your options with them – they will have a strong understanding of the market, your value as a professional and likely know what upcoming projects are being awarded that can forecast future workstreams.

If your current employer is the one for you, it is for them to convince you of how your solutions can be met. With respect and honesty, you can ask the right questions and communicate with your employer to find out the reason behind the counteroffer. Why did it take the threatening of your own position to find change?

Lastly, considering the significance of either accepting or declining, don’t be afraid to ask for time to consider your offer! No matter the decision, it is always best to be polite, honest, and respectful. Take into consideration how it would feel for your new employer to receive initial acceptance, only for your offer to then be turned down later.

Contact Us for Support

If you seek more guidance with difficult career choices, contact us today at 01483 361 061 or head to our contact us page to talk to one of our specialist recruiters, who offers a free confidential conversation about your place in the recruitment market.

How could using LinkedIn help me find a new job? 

LinkedIn now holds over 850 million users, with over 35,000 skills listed to filter. With the ability to personalise your own profile, you can display previous experiences, useful skills, portfolios, and CV’s. We all know LinkedIn is now known as the perfect personal branding tool to find work. Hence why it is key to update and maximise your profile, as the aim is to get noticed by potential recruiters like us. 

Update Your LinkedIn Headline & About Us 

For your profile to maximise reach into the right people, reference industry-specific keywords that can go into your LinkedIn Headline & About section. Avoid generic phrases and think about specific knowledge useful in the type of jobs you’re seeking. All technical terms for your specific areas of work are a bonus, this can be education or expertise related also. Use it to highlight who you are, and what you do, you could also include what kind of opportunities you are looking for if you are openly looking for work.  

For example, instead of;  

  • Senior Management
  • Consultant
  • Engineering
  • Project Manager
  • Surveyor

Why not try;  

  • Possession & Worksite Management
  • Project Planning
  • Document Controller
  • Commercial Management
  • Document Controller
  • Signalling Projects
  • Principle/Civil/Senior/Project/Geotechnical Engineer
  • Client Management

Personalise Your LinkedIn Profile 

As essential as it is to have a professional outlook on your page, remember that it is still a social platform and a good visual of your character!  

  1. Update your profile cover. This is a good way to show your interest, ambition, or lifestyle. You could use an image or graphic that represents your work or the business you work for.  
  2. Update your profile picture. We highly recommend displaying an up-to-date, clear, and professional profile picture of yourself so people can put a face to your name! 
  3. Post about your achievements and engage with others in your industry/company. This helps you build your presence on the platform as an engaged member of the LinkedIn community.  
  4. Update your employment history and detail your key responsibilities and achievements for each role.

Let Recruiters Know You’re Open to Work 

If you are actively looking for a new role, you can let your network and recruiters know by using the #OpenToWork feature. Here you can select the types of roles you are interested in, and your preferred location. This will help promote your profile to recruiters who are searching for candidates.  

#OpenToWork also gives you control of who can see you are looking for a new opportunity. You can select from 2 levels of visibility:  

  • All LinkedIn Members: This also includes recruiters and people at your current company. It also adds the #OpenToWork photo frame. 
  • Recruiters only: People using LinkedIn Recruiter only. To protect your privacy, we take steps to prevent LinkedIn Recruiter users who work at your current company from seeing your shared career interests, but we can’t guarantee complete privacy. 

Contact Us

Be sure to contact us today at 01483 361 061 or head to our contact us page. to talk to one of our friendly & helpful consultants, who offers a free confidential conversation about your place in the recruitment market and what opportunities are out there within the built environment.

For more guidance as you consider your job change, take a look at our advance advice page. We have a variety of job searching articles available, from CV writing tips to interview techniques.

Are you looking to make a change in your career? Are you looking for that next step up, learn new skills or do you just need a change of scenery?

Our team are specialists in their markets and have extensive knowledge of the current market opportunities and of what skills and experience are most in need today. If you aren’t sure how to maximise your chances of finding your perfect role, they are always on hand for a confidential career consultation.

In the meantime, here are some helpful steps you can take to help give you that edge when rebooting your job search.

Update Your LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn is one of the largest career networks and 8 people every minute find their next role through LinkedIn and over 75% of recruiters use LinkedIn to headhunt the top talent. LinkedIn has a number of tools to help your next role find you with minimum effort on your part! So take advantage of them!

  • Update your skills and experience – make sure you include your transferrable skills – think of your profile as your digital CV
  • Set your profile to ‘open for opportunities to tell recruiters you are on the market
  • Refresh your CV

Update your CV with your latest achievements, roles, and responsibilities. Depending on how long it has been since your last CV update you may want to update the formatting too to reflect the role you are looking for. The key to maximising your CV is using keywords. These will pull your CV in relevant searches employers run on CVs. Think about the keywords and skills that may be searched for by a potential employer and make sure these feature in your CV. Check out our full tips on how to update your CV. 

  • Update your CV on Job Boards

Once you have updated your CV, make sure to share it on the leading job boards in your chosen career. There are lots of specialist job boards out there and by registering for these and updating your profile, you can help recruiters and hiring managers find you!

  • Register for job alerts on the Advance TRS website

Register with Advance TRS to access our candidate dashboard – designed with you in mind to make your job search as seamless as possible. You can also set up alerts for any roles you think look exciting!

  • Speak to a Recruitment Consultant

At this stage, you should have an idea of the type of role you envision yourself in. An effective and proven way to then find work that best suits your qualities is through a specialist recruiter. Good recruiters will comprehensively understand the field you desire to work in, whilst also being aware of the current opportunities available. Engaging with recruiters who specialise in the field you desire (like Advance TRS for infrastructure) can be a quick and effective way to tap into your hunt for the right opportunity.

Be sure to contact us today at 01483 361 061 or head to our contact us page. to talk to one of our friendly & helpful consultants, who offers a free confidential conversation about your place in the recruitment market and what opportunities are out there within the built environment.

For more guidance as you consider your job change, take a look at our advance advice page. We have a variety of job searching articles available, from CV writing tips to interview techniques.

The First Steps to Career Change within Infrastructure

Have you ever felt stagnant, bored, or stuck during your work routine? Do you appear to ask yourself the “what if’s” and fantasize about a fresh start? We assure you that these thoughts are valued and relevant, as it is always healthy to reconsider the longevity of your current career path. We encourage you to listen to your mind and body when you desire a change, and this article will help assist in explaining how our friendly Recruitment Consultants can help convert your thoughts into fruition.

1. Ask Yourself First Why You Are Looking for a Change

Firstly, you should be comfortable in explaining the ideal working life scenario for you. Whether that is following your passion, progressing to a higher role, a fun working environment, or a desired location/setting. Being more self-aware of your need for a change allows your new role to align with your career goals.

Avoidance of doubt and regret to follow when decisions are made is our utmost priority, hence why Advance TRS always encourages you to think thoroughly so the step in the right direction is made. It also massively helps as a recruiter since we can then help find the best match and fit for both you and the employer. If you struggle with reasoning for the change, try speaking to a family member or a friend, since they can be a great advocate for you. A follow-up with one of our staff is highly recommended as we can identify your strengths and match your skillset and experience to an ideal career change.

2. Identifying your interpersonal and transferrable skills

Here, we advise you to list all the qualities, skills, and proud accomplishments that could potentially become beneficial for you in adapting to a new or improved role. This can help assist with generating ideas and push you towards a recurring theme or direction. “The great news is that you probably have the skills you need, you just don’t know it yet!”

In the engineering industry especially, you are well-educated on the different roles within projects, whilst also acquiring an engineering degree. Therefore, your expertise and cross-section skillset potential are much more attractive than the ordinary applicant. Hence why you see many power or software engineering entrants take on an assistant project managerial role. As not only do they see an improvement in responsibility and salary, additionally they develop all the qualities necessary to run as a project manager over time. To conclude, we understand that the process of planning a career change can be tricky, reason why this step has such significance as it is deemed as a great kick-starter for outlining your skills to infrastructure employers.

3. Visualize Your Future Self

The next step to planning your career path is to visualize your future self and where you want to be within a year, 5 years, or even 10. To get inspired, be sure to look through enticing job descriptions within your industry and observe the skills required. Then, compare the experiences you have today to see what is needed to be mastered for the future. Once you identify the gaps, you can develop those skills much easier. Remember, the learning curve for such tools and software in the “required” conditions is much easier than you think. Employers highly value external efforts to progress in their field/industry, not to forget that they also offer specialized training upon your arrival. Nonetheless, It is key to approach this task with high optimism and belief in yourself and your capabilities!

For more guidance as you consider your job change, take a look at our Advance Advice page. We have a variety of job searching articles available, from CV writing tips to interview techniques.

Be sure to contact us today at 01483 361 061 or head to our contact us page. Talk to one of our friendly & helpful consultants, who offers a free confidential conversation about your place in the recruitment market and what opportunities are out there for you.

23rd June 2022 marks International Women in Engineering Day, giving women engineers around the world a profile in an under-represented profession. As of June 2021, figures show that 16.5% of engineers are women. It’s an important day to recognise those paving the way and encourage young women to take up engineering careers.

Why do we need more women in engineering?

There are many answers to this question, but ultimately studies have shown that diverse teams tend to perform better. With different approaches to tasks, various skillsets and ways of thinking, diverse teams can strike a great balance. Men and women often have different strengths, which can create a powerful result when combined.

With quickly developing technology and the 21st century advancing quicker than ever before, we need engineers with a wide range of skills and abilities. There are countless options, fields, and industries available to an engineer. From the built environment which encompasses roads, waterworks, railways and much more, to tackling climate change.

What can be done?

There are a number of organisations promoting the education and development of women or young girls to fulfil their potential and pursue engineering careers.

It’s important to shake the bias that girls can’t be or are not good in science and mathematics. From a young age, we can encourage girls to develop these skills. Such as learning code, carrying out science experiments (safely!) and taking these subjects through to further education.

STEM Women run graduate careers events and promote jobs aimed at university students and recent graduates who identify as women or non-binary, and study a STEM-related subject; science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.

At the start of the year, they published a Whitepaper exploring students’ and graduates’ attitudes towards gender issues prevalent within STEM.

As a society, we should be shining the light on the contributions of women in engineering and encourage female innovators. Films such as Hidden Figures, Engima, Gravity and even Big Hero 6 are a great representation of women in STEM. We should also improve the images used when talking about science and engineering. A quick search online will often show images of men on a construction site and very few women. Imagine getting to a point where you don’t have to specifically search for “women engineer”.

The Women’s Engineering Society is a charitable company founded to support women in engineering. They were the ones who founded International Women in Engineering Day. Their vision is to see an engineering industry that employs the diversity of the society it serves, solving the biggest societal issues of our time. It is their mission to support women in engineering careers to fulfil their potential and support the industry to be inclusive.

We’re Hiring

At Advance TRS, we believe everyone deserves the same opportunities, regardless of age, race, gender, religion or sexual orientation. The diversity of our workforce is an essential part of our success. As such, we are committed to supporting contractors and staff to work in an environment that is free from discrimination and promotes equal opportunities for all.

We are currently recruiting for a number of positions across our Guildford and Port Solent offices. Check out our latest opportunities.

This year for the first time, Advance TRS are delighted to launch a summer internship for someone looking to develop their skills in social media representing a brand. As a Social Media Intern, you’ll work alongside our Marketing Executive and Marketing & Development Director on all social media content & creative strategy; making sure our business’s content is on-brand, reaching the right people, and converting them into candidates or new recruits for our growing team.

View the full job description or apply.

You’ll be working on core channels across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and supporting our LinkedIn strategy. So if you’re passionate about social media and content creation – then this is the role for you!

Ella Gardiner, our Marketing and Development Director began her career in marketing by completing a summer internship that lead to a permanent role and has never looked back. 

“After graduating from university I was unsure as to what steps to take to start my career in the professional world. I was fortunate enough to land an opportunity as a summer intern for a non-profit group and got stuck right in. It was a great way to get my first taste of office life after full-time education without too much pressure. After a number of weeks in the position, a permanent role became available and I was over the moon when my application was accepted.” 

Ella explains. 

“Although I had had part-time jobs in retail, child care and hospitality throughout my teens and university career, working in an office environment was a big adjustment and the internship was a great way for me to get adjusted, meet people and learn how I could best apply my skill set and experience to supporting a brands marketing strategy”. 

Ella has progressed her career since beginning in marketing and was recently promoted to Marketing and Development Director at the award-winning £30 million turnover company based in central Guildford. Since joining the business 6 years ago as Events and PR Coordinator, Ella has grown with the business and developed skills across the marketing, training, and development fields. 

“As our business continues to grow and the opportunity for our brand to be represented in new ways on new channels increases, this is a great time to extend this opportunity to someone looking to apply their skills to an established brand and have some creative fun too”. 

This year signifies a high growth period for the business, with a new office planned for central London and large intakes of new staff at both existing offices in Guildford and Port Solent, this is a great time to join the business with a number of significant marketing campaigns and events planned for the new Intern to get stuck into.

The Opportunity

The successful candidate will be;

  • Building & developing your own, and the company’s, approach to social media content. 
  • Applying original thought to create beautiful content for our channels.
  • Working on social media strategy and constantly optimising campaigns to achieve the absolute best results for the team, taking into account performance across different channels.
  • Assisting in the growth of our Influencer Marketing service. 
  • Planning & booking influencers to drive revenue for our clients.
  • Supporting the Marketing Executive to report on and analyse performance and engagement.

The ideal candidate will:

  • want to build a career in Social Media Marketing, and see yourself growing within a fast-growth agency.
  • be an enthusiastic & passionate person, who genuinely cares about your work and wants to do the absolute best you can.
  • be creative and have experience with creating content, and have the desire to continue growing those skills.
  • have strong organisational skills.
  • need to be curious and adaptable: it’s a fast-moving company and social advertising even more so, products change and adapt weekly and you must be happy with keeping up to date with changes and learning about how they may impact our output.

View the full job description or apply for our Summer Social Media Internship.

If this sounds like the perfect opportunity for you or someone you know, please have a look at what it’s like to work for Advance TRS, check out our company Instagram or contact Ella for more information. 

Celebrating the achievements of women across the built environment industry

Tuesday 8th March 2022 marks International Women’s Day, a day that celebrates the achievements of women and marks a call to action to accelerate women’s equality. International Women’s Day has been marked for over a century, with the first gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people. Today, it belongs to all groups everywhere, not country, group, or organisation specific.

This year’s theme is #BreakTheBias, advocating a world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that is diverse, equal, and inclusive.

Today we sit down with two of our successfully placed female candidates. Both have found placements within the rail sector as Specialist Consultants and Safety Assurance Engineers. They’ve spoken to us about their experiences and achievements in their chosen fields.

When did you first consider pursuing this career?

Nicky – Well I didn’t really plan on doing this career. A friend sent through a short-term opportunity which was so interesting. I found I met most of the criteria they were looking for, apart from sector knowledge/experience. Using an agency like Advance TRS helped me see that I had transferrable skills that I could use across sectors. Their knowledge gave me the confidence in my capabilities when I couldn’t see them myself, which was really encouraging.

Ria – I’ve actually been in the rail sector for 12+ years now. Originally, I was working in the aviation and maritime industry, but then offered a new opportunity when my company moved offices. I felt this was quite a good move to make, I had skills that could be transferred across, just had to learn more about the rail industry and technical aspects.

What was your experience of entering the industry?

Nicky – It was good. I found the industry and people very welcoming and didn’t feel like there were any barriers holding me back.

Ria – Generally very smooth sailing. Early on in my career as a junior it could get a bit intimidating being the only woman and have your voice heard, but on the whole, there were never any hindrances.

What made you want to pursue/continue with this career choice?

Nicky – I enjoyed the prospect of being challenged by something new, it was a good opportunity. The scale of projects is interesting; you’re involved in something that is there for years to come. I feel rewarded knowing that I’m making a difference to people’s lives, or making their journeys easier. I also get to work with world class engineers, highly specialised in their roles and incredibly knowledgeable, it’s very fulfilling work.

How important is diversity and inclusivity when you are job searching?

Nicky – This is always at the top of my list. We all have different circumstances, situations, backgrounds etc and the industry needs to be, and generally is, very understanding of that. It’s so important to feel part of a diverse workplace, where you can be heard, no matter what your experiences, or where you are with your life or career.

Ria – At the start of my career it wasn’t something I really thought about, however I was aware that I was one of very few women, and the only woman of colour. In recent job searches I am more aware of it and have noticed a lot of progress, lots more inclusion/diversity. However, I have still seen instances where for example a job description is written in the male pronoun, using “he”.

STEM Women have compiled an in-depth Whitepaper that explored students’ and graduates’ attitudes towards gender issues that are prevalent within STEM.

The report found that from 2019 to 2021, the percentage of respondents that see diversity initiatives as extremely or very important when accepting job offers rose from 74% in 2019, to 83% in 2020 and 89% in 2021.

From 2019 to 2021, the number of respondents who said that the gender balance of a company would influence whether they would accept a job offer rose from 54% to 67%, that’s an increase of 13%.

What would you say is your greatest professional achievement so far?

Nicky – I’ve been very fortunate to work on several ground-breaking campaigns, introducing new technologies, working with amazing teams and clients. Even though I might have played a small part in the project, it’s so rewarding to see the result and know you’ve been a part of that. Balancing work and family life is also something I feel proud of.

Ria – Completing my master’s degree in Railway Systems Engineering & Integration. I completed this whilst working full time, studying part-time and expecting my first child. It was a lot to take on but brought a lot of value and additional knowledge that I didn’t have before.

How would you describe your experience of being a woman in your industry?

Nicky – While diversity and gender balance are improving, engineering is still a male dominated sector and you’re sometimes aware that you are working in an environment where you are the minority. However, I’ve never had any negative experiences or felt like being a woman is an issue. I’ve seen a big improvement in equality and more women are coming into the industry. There are many opportunities for women to enter and it’s good to see a greater variety of roles beyond engineering. This includes senior roles, management roles and apprenticeships.

Ria – It’s never felt like a barrier. You have to find your voice and fight for what you believe in, not afraid to say how you feel. I do feel like my degree has helped empower me and prove to people that I do know what I’m talking about.

STEM’s report also found that in 2021, 57% of respondents said they had suffered from or experienced imposter syndrome. Many highlighted that this arose from feeling like the ‘odd one out.’ To read the full article click here.

Have you been given any advice that has helped shape your career?

Nicky – As early as possible, find your niche. If you can find something you enjoy doing, get really good at doing it. It took me a while to understand what that means/what that is but try anything! Don’t be afraid to try different things to narrow down what it is that you’re looking for. Also, take opportunities when they present themselves, until you try – you don’t know.

Ria – I don’t think there has been any specific advice, but I did have a mentor that really supported me. She helped me navigate and overcome challenges that I was having and encouraged me in recognising my achievements. Sometimes it’s hard to recognise these in yourself but she really saw the best in me. It’s hard to explain the value and impact this had on my career.

Do you have any female role models that have encouraged you in your career?

Nicky – Yes, I have a strong network of men and women and I’ve received some great advice from them throughout my life and career. I always listen carefully and learn from them – to take on board their suggestions and advice and carry it forward in what I do. It’s important to welcome and consider any feedback you receive – from everyone.

Ria – I’ve got a good friend who’s a chartered engineer in a senior role. She’s also a mum of 2 so it’s really inspiring to see someone else managing both career and motherhood. It helps me recognise what I can achieve myself. I also think having a female support network around you is so important. Having people looking out for you and wanting the best for you is really encouraging.

Based on your experience, what advice would you give to women considering a career in your sector?

Nicky – You must find your voice, find confidence in what you do and how you do it. In this sector you’ve got to be quite versatile and be able to think on your feet. Do what you can to get as much experience behind you as possible, so you’ll feel more confident and able to succeed. Create a support network. Build your own personal brand! There are many opportunities, go for it!

Ria – It’s a globally growing industry, with many projects starting up. This sector needs female intelligence, the way we think and being able to provide a different perspective. Believe in yourself and challenge yourself, don’t be afraid to go for it – take a chance!

Why Advance TRS?

At Advance TRS, we believe everyone deserves the same opportunities, regardless of age, race, gender, religion or sexual orientation. The diversity of our workforce is an essential part of our success. As such, we are committed to supporting contractors and staff to work in an environment that is free from discrimination and promotes equal opportunities for all.

We are a niche recruitment consultancy specialising in the provision of highly skilled technical professionals for the built environment. We provide permanent, contract and temporary recruitment solutions to both candidates and clients across several key technical sectors including rail, construction and water & environment services.

Since its establishment in 2011, the company has shown remarkable growth, delivering MSPs and RPOs for some of the biggest businesses in the built environment. The team continue to work closely together to deliver honest, reliable solutions to clients and candidates.

Take a look at our job board for our latest vacancies.

Delivering premium quality solutions for the technical engineer sector

Tam Shahid is a Delivery Project Manager, Water Environment & Infrastructure Team. He joined Advance TRS in November 2020, specialising in the delivery process for Senior Consultants. Tam generates suitable candidates to match client requirements/expectations.

Group MD and Founder Andy Ridout explains:

“Tam is an absolute asset to the company. In his time with us, he has mastered the complexity and skill required to deliver exemplary service to both clients and candidates. Tam project manages the assignments from our clients and supports our consultants throughout the process. Having the knowledge, expertise, and skillset to source and deliver niche engineering specialists. He provides our clients with an efficient and top quality service, something Advance TRS is recognised for.”

Tam provides bespoke support to our Port Solent based Water and Environment team. The team offer an expert focus and quality recruitment service to both clients and candidates in the sector. They consistently meet and exceed expectations. As a well-respected and effective recruitment partner, the team deliver results time and time again. They offer services for a range of public and private sector clients across the UK. These include consultancies, contractors, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). They place exceptional talent in permanent, contract and interim roles.

In his time in the role, Tam has assisted in the development of a dynamic and efficient delivery function within the team. He is capable of supporting the sales function across market verticals. Tam truly understands the calibre of staff required for our business to thrive.

Today our Marketing Consultants sit down with Tam and his Director to understand more about the role Tam plays in driving the Port Solent office’s success and growth.

So, Tam, what led you to this career?

I started working from the age of 16 part-time within retail, whilst studying full-time. Once I graduated from the University of Portsmouth, I was looking for a change in direction from Retail and came across Recruitment. I saw this as an opportunity to expand on my skills in areas such as communication, time management, persuasion, multi-tasking etc. It also meant I could learn new skills, and learn about the specified markets.

What made you take the job at Advance TRS?

Advance TRS are a growing company and has a clear vision for the future. The company and colleagues I work with have specialist knowledge that enables you to progress in this role. Having previously worked with Rob Kelly at another company, I was managed and trained by him to a high level, so this also drew me to the role. I was excited to be contributing and be part of it all!

How has your role developed since you joined the company?

Initially, I was asked to carry out a Senior Delivery role where I would generate candidates, working on live jobs, advertising roles, writing adverts etc. My role has since developed, and my responsibilities now include supporting internal recruitment. I also project manage the growth of the delivery team, train and develop new staff and provide regular reports on the delivery output. The managing director has approved training to gain my APMP qualification, to become a qualified project manager and progress my role even further.

In what way does your role assist your colleagues and the company?

My role helps support the Senior Sales team workload, allowing them to focus on other key areas and ease some of their work pressures. The process involved contributes to increasing our company’s reputation. We provide a more thorough and polished search, ensuring we are covering all markets and sourcing that ideal candidate for our clients. My experience within the role means I’ve developed a good understanding of the candidates I’ve spoken to, their skills, qualifications, responsibilities etc.

When a client presents us with a role, I’m able to deliver someone suitable and who meets the requirements. Unlike other consultants, I don’t specialise in one area, or one job role. I’ve worked on a broad range of different roles and built a knowledge and understanding based on the job specification and the candidates. Each time we successfully fill a role, it increases our reputation and generates a flow of further work from the clients.

What complexities do you find with this role?

As with the nature of recruitment, it’s always tough when you lose out on a candidate. There may be a number of reasons why they may have rejected a job offer but through experience, you learn when to be persuasive with someone, when you need to be persistent and when you need to be patient. It can sometimes be challenging trying to juggle multiple job roles, so the ability to multitask and be organised is key. You have to learn to prioritise the most important task.

What have been some of your biggest successes?

Since joining the team in November 2020 I have helped contribute to 31 placements for the business. I continually support the business with the growth of the delivery team.

If you are interested in learning from Tam and finding out how you can pursue a career in Delivery, we are always hiring. Find out more about our current opportunities here (https://www.advance-trs.com/about/careers-at-advance/)

Rob Kelly, our Water & Infrastructure Director works closely with Tam throughout the recruitment process. He explains the vital role Tam plays in supporting the candidates and meeting our clients’ requirements.

How would you describe the benefits of having Tam in his role?

Tam co-ordinates between our sales function and candidate delivery function. His role ensures an excellent experience for the candidates, developing a rapport with them throughout the entire hiring process. He has likely pre-interviewed and pre-referenced a volume of candidates and assessed their suitability prior to jobs being advertised by our clients. This provides clients with a more efficient, pro-active service and means we are able to quickly source appropriate candidates. This gives us and our clients an edge over competitors and puts us at the forefront of recruitment.

If you’re interested in joining our team, or viewing our latest sector vacancies, please visit our website https://www.advance-trs.com/jobs. Alternatively, you can speak to one of our dedicated team on 01483 361 061.

Why Advance TRS?

Advance TRS is a niche recruitment consultancy specialising in the provision of highly skilled technical professionals for the built environment. We provide permanent, contract and temporary recruitment solutions to both candidates and clients across several key technical sectors including rail, construction and water & environment services.

Since its establishment in 2011, the company has shown remarkable growth, delivering MSPs and RPOs for some of the biggest businesses in the built environment. The team continue to work closely together to deliver honest, reliable solutions to clients and candidates.

As recruiters, we really understand that talented and motivated staff is the key to any successful business. To help us develop our team into the best they can be, all staff receive invaluable mentorship from our experienced senior leaders and map out potential routes of progression within the company.

The year is coming to an end and it’s usually around this time that many of us commit to resolutions we want to achieve over the next twelve months. If a new job or career is on your list then read our recommendations on what you can do now to set yourself up for success in the new year.

Update your CV

A great starting point – having an updated CV listing your most recent experience and relevant roles is very important. Make sure you keep it short and sweet and don’t include unnecessary detail.

If you’re spending Christmas with your family or friends take advantage of having them around and ask them to check your CV. Some of them might have some great advice on what you can improve.

Don’t forget your LinkedIn profile

Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date too. That way, any recruiters or potential employers coming across your page can get a good overview of your experience.

Time for new goals

Use the time you have off over the Christmas period to set some new goals. Make a plan of how you want to achieve them and in what timeframe. This can really help keep you motivated and on track. Remember to stay SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timebound for the best results!

Find a specialist recruiter

A great way to find a job you really like is to work with a specialist recruiter in your area. Good recruiters will have a comprehensive understanding of your market and current opportunities. Engaging recruiters is a quick way of tapping into this knowledge to help you in your search. 

Advance TRS

If you’re looking for roles in the rail, water or construction sectors, our specialist teams might have the right one for you.

You can contact our Recruitment Consultants for a conversation about your new career, our latest vacancies and to discuss any potential opportunities with them.

While maintaining our strong reputation as dependable, effective and honest, Advance TRS continue to grow. Therefore, we are always looking for driven and ambitious individuals to join the team. If this sounds like you and you’d like to work for a business that values its employees’ contribution, we would love to hear from you!

To find out more about our current opportunities, visit our careers page, or for a discrete conversation, contact our Talent Acquisition Manager, Jess.

At Advance TRS we pride ourselves on being the best we can be and delivering a premium quality service to our candidates and clients alike. In order to deliver this, we look for people with the right qualities and habits so we can equip them with the tools to be the best recruiters. 

Personally, I didn’t pursue the academic route, but that definitely did not stop me. At my peak, I billed over £1million in a year. How? Because I am tenacious, determined, competitive and I work hard. 

This drive has taken me from a recruitment novice to million-pound biller, and from business start-up to successful business owner, founder and MD of a multi-million-pound business. 

Delivering premium recruitment solutions is not easy, it can be arduous and is hard work. However, as a successful consultant, the rewards can be huge. To rival the biggest billers there are a few qualities that are essential for success. 

Here are some we look for in new starters, see if you think you have what it takes. 

Ambitious

Top performers are ambitious and goal-oriented. We are looking for people who are not satisfied with simply plodding along. We are looking for those who will go above and beyond to chase down their goals and are hungry to push themselves to the next level. 

Hard-working

Inevitably the best recruiters simply work harder and smarter than everyone else. No one likes a busy fool, so implement time management strategies effectively to get the most out of your time, avoid the distractions, and get on the phone. The harder you work, the higher the rewards, your only limit is you! 

Focused

Focus is essential to running your desk. A successful 360 consultant will need to effectively multi-task to keep all the plates of the recruitment process spinning – so to make this easier, keep your desk and your plan focused and organised so you don’t fall into the trap of being busy doing nothing. 

Optimistic

Recruitment can be tough and full of rejection, so having a positive outlook is essential for success. Those who expect to succeed more often than not are the ones who are prepared to put in the time and the work to make it happen. Plus… some studies indicate that optimists outsell pessimists by up to 40%!

Competitive

Our top performers don’t want to just do well, they want to be the best. By pushing themselves and each other the whole team does better. We run regular incentives and competitions in addition to sharing league tables and company records to spur on a little friendly competition in the team. 

Clear communicator

Be it in person, on the phone, via email or social media, recruitment consultants are constantly talking to people. To be successful it is essential that you can effectively communicate with others, to ensure full understanding and effectively market yourself, the business and opportunities. 

Confident

In order to build relationships and networks, you need a little dose of confidence, however, don’t confuse confidence with arrogance. Your clients and candidates need to be sure that you are the right person for the job.  

Self-motivated

A career in recruitment gives you the unparalleled opportunity to build your own business and write your own paycheck if you are motivated to succeed. No one will do it for you, you need to have the passion and drive to get up in the morning and make your desk a success. 

Persistent

Never give up, ever. 

Personable

People buy from people, so we are looking for people with something about them. A character and personality that makes them stand out from the crowd. At Advance TRS we embrace each other’s quirks and look for likeminded people to fit in our band of misfits.

Do you think you have what it takes to give our big billers a run for their money? If you have the qualities we are looking for get in touch to see how we can advance your career. Visit our website or for a discrete conversation contact Paul Metcalfe, Advance TRS CEO on 07793 554 413 or email pme@advance-trs.com.