How to survive your new job

Starting a new job can be scary, but it doesn't have to be! There's plenty you can do to make your first day/week go smoothly. One thing you should remember, is to relax! The hard part was impressing your boss at interview and proving yourself - now enjoy the opportunity and show them why you should be there!

Ask for help. It's normal to be lost in your new job! Even the most seasoned professionals have to start somewhere. Getting to grips with a new company, new software, new policies and procedures - it all takes time. If you don't ask for help when it is expected, you could risk looking a little late when the time comes. Surely it's better to ask on your first week than your fourth!

Attend social events when the situation arises, no matter how much of a hermit you are. It's a chance to make the workplace environment a friendlier place, and make sure you're able to join in the conversation the day after! There's nothing worse than when everyone has been somewhere, and you're the only one who didn't go. You don't want to push yourself out before you've even had a chance to fit in!

 Show your worth. Remind your boss why you were hired, and show everyone else what you can do! Share ideas, get working on projects and delve into operations. Get busy, get brown.

Remember that no one in the company is better than you. They may have more skills, experience or qualifications than you, and they may be higher on the hierarchical ladder than you - but they're not better. Everyone had to start somewhere - we all had our first job. Don't worry about looking like a newbie, because you are, and you can't pretend you're not!

Got a new job? Let us know how it's going!

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Internal Hiring – how to stay with a company you love.

If you’re working for a company you love, the chances are that you’ll stay around even if your role isn’t all you dreamed of. If you’re sitting in your sales position daydreaming about working in accounts,  maybe your job search should start right under your nose...

The most obvious place to start is with a job ad. If your company is actively recruiting for the position you want, you’re already half way there! Being considered for a role in demand is much easier than attempting to be slotted in somewhere in another department. Find out who’s dealing with this hire, and see if you can pop in for a chat.

If your company isn’t hiring, pop and see your boss and/or HR manager anyway. Explain your situation, and go from there. If nothing else, you’ll gain valuable advice about how to get this job should the opportunity arise, as well as letting people know this is something you’re interested in.

Assuming the position is new to you, and you’re inexperienced, perhaps offer to shadow a member of the department on your breaks, giving you chance to learn some of the procedures and software. A willing to learn in your own time shows devotion and offers reassurance that you are worth the transition.

Have you ever done this? Let us know how it went!

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Staying sane when your boss leaves

Following on from a point in yesterday’s blog post about leaving your job – what happens when your boss leaves? You’re naturally going to panic, wondering whether your own job is in jeopardy, but remember that your boss is just a person with a job, just like you! And it’s completely normal for people to change their mind about what they want to do or where they want to work. You’ll no doubt sense something in the air if there are problems at the top.

Don’t take the leave personally, no matter how great your relationship was. Your team may suffer, but ultimately your boss had to do what was best for them. Use your last times together to talk about any improvements they feel could be made, including any of your own weaknesses or areas you could do with improving on. Use this to show your new boss your potential, and enjoy the fresh start this new confidence can bring.

If you’re directly reporting to this member, you may feel a little lost at first. Your new boss may have a different attitude towards work, may like things done differently or in a certain way  - remember adjustments are only temporary and you’ll be fine in the end! 

If you’re in this situation, what issues are playing on your mind? Let us know on Facebook (/essentialrecruitment) or Twitter (@e33ential)

Make the Right Worklife Decision: Part One

Part one:

You spend most of your life at work, so the dramas you hear about in other people’s lives will most likely happen to you! Here’s a few of the most frequent... 

Turning down work after an offer.
 If for some reason you need to decline an offer you’ve verbally accepted, it could put you in a very awkward position. You don’t want to burn any bridges in fear of ruining your future, yet you really cannot accept the offer.

Solution:
Talk to the company, explain your situation and decline gracefully. It will most likely still be a little awkward, but it’s the best way to handle this kind of situation. If it’s something you don’t want (for any reason) then you won’t have the drive and motivation that their second choice will have. 

Asking for a promotion.
It’s something that employers will come to expect, but it still doesn’t make it any easier!

Solution: You should think about this before you do it, however. Why should you be promoted? Make a case for yourself and identify the reasons you feel you deserve the raise. What you definitely shouldn’t do is compare yourself to others or make it sounds like you’re owed the promotion.
Try to focus on what more you have to give. If you’re getting more money, what is your employer getting more of?

Graciously leaving
The time will come when you’re thinking of leaving for whatever reason, but it doesn’t have to be a scary process.

Solution: Give plenty of notice – don’t leave your employer struggling for time to recruit your replacement. Complete projects you’re in the middle of, as to minimise confusion when your replacement tries to figure out what’s what. Chat to your boss about why you’re going, and leave on good terms. Let them know why you’re going and give plenty of time, but be firm and stick to your guns (especially if you’re expecting to be begged to stay!)

Being a telltale

In the event of you becoming aware of someone else’s mistake, it can be a moral dilemma deciding whether or not to dish the dirt. Is it your place to say?

The best course of action is probably to keep the reporting to when it’s really needed, such as when a colleague has performed a fraudulent action, or something which will cause the company harm. Things such as being late or stealing a pen probably aren’t worth the risk. Make sure any reporting you do is in confidence to an authoritative figure who won’t put your career at risk.

To be continued..

Results Day

It's that time of year again - A Level results day!

Young hopefuls are counting on grades to get them on to conditional university placements,  to secure careers and to represent their time in education - but what happens if you don't get the results you hoped for?

University

If you were hoping to go on to university, but haven't got the grades you needed, check UCAS. Make sure you're definitely not accepted before trying anything else! The next step is clearing - but not now. Begging for a university placement whilst feeling low isn't a great idea - you're more likely to accept the first opportunity that comes your way rather than thinking about your options. 

Don't panic, and instead think about what you really want. Now you don't have your first choices, do you still want to go to university? Do you still want to do the same course? Think about where you wanted the degree to take you, and whether second place will get you there, and if so, is it to the same standard?

Gap Year

Could it help to take a year out, and try again next year? Try work experience for a year, show your willing and passion, and reflect this in your personal statement. Did you know, mature students (typically aged 21 at start of study) are judged on experience rather than just qualifications? It counts for a LOT, as employers will tell you!


Work

If you were relying on these qualifications for a work position, see if you can talk to your prospective employer and negotiate a situation. Could you work part time whilst re-doing your A-levels to achieve the grades you desire? Could you offer to work for free over summer to prove your worth?

(Pssst, the answer is yes!)


Best of luck to you all!


Let us know your results at:
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Respect your temps.

Next has been outed for it's use of Polish temps in their South Elmsall warehouse. A Next PLC spokesman claims that the use of these Polish workers comes from a lack of available temporary workers in the local area, and that in fact "agency workers from Poland cost us exactly the same as local agency workers". So why use them? The spokesman states "The only reason we seek the help of people from Poland is that we simply can't recruit enough local people to satisfy these spikes in demand for temporary work.”

Local people

This South Yorkshire factory claims it cannot recruit enough local people. 'Local' in this situation suggests anywhere between factory location and Poland, and all agencies in between. Have Next contacted all these agencies?
The unemployment rates in England are currently at 2.51m - Next wanted 300. I truly believe that out the 2.51m, Next could have found 300 workers either local or willing to travel.

Respect

Temporary workers have to work especially hard to move upwards from their position. All kinds of people find themselves working through agency, from University students, to graduates, to experienced, skilled workers. (One recent temp had an MBE!) When working these quite ad-hoc shifts, the worker has no security. The reputation they build is the only thing between them and further work. Quite often, temps are requested back to a company by name due to a great performance. 

What are your views on the Polish workers?

Messed up? Clean up!

 

Pic Source: modernmixing.com

 

Pretty much everyone will make mistakes at work at some point in their life, and the worry can be devastating to some - especially those in the early stages of their career or particular job. I've heard from people who've even resorted to quitting their job, so it's worth taking action!

So if you're feeling super sheepish about returning to work after making a mistake, take these simple steps to resolve the matter easily.

1. APOLOGISE

Find your boss, as well as anyone affected by your mistake, and apologise. Be up front about your mistake and take the blame yourself - it lessens the chance of hard feelings and tension brewing after the incident. At the same time, be ready to absorb any consequences. Apologising doesn't ensure lack of punishment, but it most likely won't be as bad as if you'd ignored the matter.

2. CORRECT

Whatever your mistake, there's usually a solution. If you did it wrong, can you do it again, right? Can you change, re-do, back track? Find a solution, plan and check with your boss. You could perhaps aim to prepare this before you head in to apologise. It's easier to apologise if you already have the solution, and shows you understand what you did and are prepared to work to resolve the issue. 

3. SUCK UP.

You're probably going to want to act like you're in your first week again. Make sure you're on time. In fact, make sure you're early! And don't leave at 5pm on the dot - stay and finish whatever you're in the middle of. 

Dress smart, work hard, make the coffee! Show you're worth the hassle, basically.

What you shouldn't do is focus on the mistake. Don't brand yourself as a failure, don't fish for sympathy. If you tell someone something enough, they'll start to believe it! (A bit of advice I picked up from a women's magazine... don't tell your boyfriend you're fat, because he might not think it now, but he will if you drill it in to him! So don't let your boss do the same.) 

Also try not to focus on excuses. It can seem a little pathetic to an annoyed superior! 

Let us know any disasters you've had! 

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#workdisaster

9 reasons you hate your job.

You’re being paid too little for the work you do 

A friend of mine once was stuck in a minimum wage job, and ended up having to train new managers how to do their job. They were on twice his salary, yet had to ask his advice. Safe to say he wasn’t impressed.



You’re stuck at your level and salary

If you’re in a small company, or just have no chance of promotion, you could be wondering if you’re worth a little more elsewhere. You could end up resenting working for peanuts if you could gain more with another company.

You have no idea if it’s your last pay check

If you know things aren’t going too well within the company, it could be hard to motivate yourself to stay with them – especially if you have a family to support or a mortgage too pay.


You feel restricted by the rules 

You may have a more creative attitude than your seniors, and feel the red tape is holding you back. Maybe you’re a little too outspoken, or perhaps you don’t like to do things by the book  - either way, if your productivity is capped, you could find it impossible to motivate yourself.


You feel underappreciated 

Do you ever get a pat on the back? If not, you’ve probably started to resent those that do. It can be so tiring working your life away without a little praise, so it’s not wonder this has made it on to our list. 
You don’t share beliefs and values with the company
How well do you really fit in at the company? If you’re the one that doesn’t join in with the ‘jokes’ or perhaps doesn’t share the vision, how can you possibly aim to thrive off of the community at work?



There isn’t enough to keep you motivated

If you’re making yourself look busy most of the working day, chances are the thought of work is about as exciting as watching paint dry. Most people need a challenge, and when this isn’t available, we drift.



You’re not working from the heart.

If the passion in the work you actually do doesn’t exist, then the chances are you’re never going to love this job. It’s hard to motivate yourself when you don’t enjoy what you have to do – and you have to do it 5 days a week for the foreseeable future.


You hate your boss.

Do you rejoice when you don’t see their car in the carpark? Do you dread being called into that office? Hating your boss can have a very negative effect on your productivity, especially as you’re reporting straight to them and working for them. Why would you aim to give it your all and impress, if  you don’t even like them?

You’re daydreaming about working elsewhere

If all you can think of is how much greener the grass would be elsewhere, then you’re not going to  be driving passion into your current position.