Job hunting is stressful at the best of times, so it’s understandable that those looking for work in the post-Covid era are finding it especially challenging. There’s no way around it: the world of work has changed drastically in the last 18 months or so, the recruitment side of things included. Businesses are no longer hiring new employees in quite the same way as they did before the pandemic, and job-hunters would be wise to adapt accordingly.

Here are a few things to be aware of from our Guest Blogger Charlotte Murphy…

Be prepared to do more than just an interview

The good news is that companies today are more aware than ever before of the effects of unconscious bias in the hiring process. According to experts at Arctic Shores, bias is an “unfair prejudice against, or in favour of, a certain person or group. Biases can be held by an individual, group, or even an entire organisation, and can be based on race, gender, ethnicity, religion, socio-economic status, political views… pretty much anything, to be honest.”

While there are now ways to make sure that hiring bias is being mitigated, the bad news is that this may mean having to jump through a few extra hoops before getting hired. It may seem annoying to know that your CV is not being read by a human being, but there’s a reason for this: by using certain software, companies can remove bias and evaluate applicants on their virtues alone.

Be prepared to be asked to attend several meetups with different people, perform skills tests or psychometric questionnaires and assessments, and more formalized interview processes. Though tedious, these do allow businesses to be more fair and inclusive in the long run.

Get comfortable with being online

Companies were forced to move a lot of their face-to-face recruitment processes online during the pandemic, but there’s no rush to let go of these now that restrictions are lifting. In fact, job seekers in 2021 can expect to conduct almost all of their job search online. Expect virtual “job fair” events, networking meetings, and video interviews with staff who may well be based in a completely different country.

When engaging potential employers online, the rules are not all that different – you will still need to pay attention to your mannerisms, clothing, and the way you present yourself. But today you will also need to take some time to familiarize yourself with multiple chat and messaging platforms, and get comfortable with promoting yourself digitally, whether that’s during a one-to-one Zoom interview or via social media. Most companies recruit directly on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn and even Instagram, so a good strategy may be to work on your presence here and stay alert to recruitment calls through these channels.

Even if you’re very familiar with social media, it can take a mindset shift to use it effectively for job hunting. Share an online CV and proactively engage others in relevant industry discussions. Join groups to stay abreast of news and developments in your chosen niche, and, if possible, seek out mentors or influential connectors who can alert you to promising openings, or give you useful advice.

Be realistic about your options

It’s fair to say that the virus has wreaked havoc on many people’s employment prospects, with younger people being disproportionately affected. Graduates are now advised to seek work in industries that are thriving, such as food services, health, IT and communication, or at least find ways to carefully match their own goals and aptitudes with what is most in-demand in the country as we emerge fully from lockdown.

It may make more sense to delay looking for a job until you’re in a better position and make good use of initiatives and schemes aimed at getting younger people into jobs they love. On your job search, consider whether apprenticeships, internships and other programs may help you bridge the gap, earning you some experience that will make you more attractive in a competitive marketplace.

There is, fortunately, a lot of good help and support out there for young people looking to better their lives – but there may be a few intermediate steps on the way to reaching your dream job. Being realistic and honest about where you’re starting from allows you to make a practical plan going forward, including drawing on all the available resources you can.

Being unemployed and searching for work in 2021 is undoubtedly a stressful task, but there are opportunities if you’re willing to do your homework and be flexible in how you’re going to take advantage of the avenues open to you.

Charlotte Murphy is a freelance writer focusing on the world of employment. She’s particularly interested in how the pandemic has impacted employment in the UK. When she isn’t writing, Charlotte can be found walking her dog Ringo, enjoying a chai latte, and painting pictures of wildlife. 

The Youth Employment UK Platform is a one-stop shop for Young people (aged 16 – 29) within the West Midlands, and offers a variety of free resources, advice, and guidance for different educational, employment, and training opportunities.There’s also help and advice for CV writing, job hunting, and interview skills, along with resources to help those who may be struggling with their emotional and mental wellbeing.

For those finding it difficult to find employment, there’s a list of Job Centres within the seven metropolitan areas of the West Midlands – they will help Young People from the ages of 16+, including Graduates, to find work or paid training.

And if Young People are looking to add to the CV and bolster it, there are plenty of volunteering opportunities available within the West Midlands!

The Youth Employment UK Platform empowers Young People, giving them the skills, careers support, and tools they need to fulfil their potential.

KEY LINKS

To find out more about opportunities in your local area, visit the online youth platform here

KEY CONTACTS

Jacqueline.Pugh@wmca.org.uk or BalwinderDhugga@wmca.org.uk

Working in collaboration, Movement to Work and Youth Employment UK are delighted to announce the launch of their joint ‘Kickstart Guide for Employers’. This new guide aims to help employers to understand the government-backed Kickstart Scheme which was launched back in summer 2020. The Kickstart Scheme provides funding to create new jobs for 16 to 24-year-olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long term unemployment.

  Search the Kickstart Guide for Employers now HERE

As well as offering advice and tips, Movement to Work and Youth Employment UK have combined their networks to form a new searchable database of recommended partners to ensure quality Kickstart experiences for both employers and young people. Explore the new guide and find out more:

  Search the database now HERE

“Movement to Work is delighted to be working in collaboration with Youth Employment UK to help more employers understand and activate Kickstart in their organisations. It can be hard to know where to begin when a new government-backed scheme is launched, hopefully our joint ‘Kickstart Guide for Employers’ will make things easier, and the pooling of our recommended partners into this new database will help employers to find fantastic support. Most importantly, we hope this work will lead to lots more quality opportunities for our young people – needed now more than ever” 

– Sam Olsen, CEO, Movement to Work

“The launch of our ‘Kickstart Guide for Employers’ could not come at a more pivotal time, as we begin to see the impact of Covid on long term youth unemployment. We know that work experience and quality support are key ingredients to helping young people on their journey to work. Over 195,000 Kickstart Placements have been approved yet there is still much more to do. Partnering with Movement to Work to provide best practice guidance for employers and a searchable database of approved quality organisations will be hugely valuable and join up in what is an already complex landscape”.

– LJ Rawlings, CEO, Youth Employment UK

Want to speak to someone about Kickstart?

 Fill out the form on the Movement to Work employer registration page and a team member will support you.

 

We are looking forward to our annual Movement to Work CEO Summit tomorrow Wednesday 24th February hosted by our celebrity MC June Sarpong OBE. Delighted to be joined by such a talent who is passionate about diversity and inclusion in the creative industry. 

June Sarpong OBE; TV Presenter, Diversity Expert & Award-Winning Author

June has enjoyed a 20-year career in which she has become one of the most recognisable faces of British television. June began her career on radio at Kiss 100 and later became a presenter on MTV UK & Ireland. Her move to Channel 4’s T4 made her a household name.

 June hosted 2005’s Make Poverty History event and presented at the UK leg of Live Earth in 2007. In 2008 she hosted Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday celebrations in front of 30,000 people in London’s Hyde Park. She has also interviewed and introduced some of the world’s biggest names including HRH Prince of Wales, Bill Clinton, Al Gore and George Clooney.

 She has worked extensively with HRH Prince Charles as an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust, whilst campaigning for The One and Produce (RED). June was awarded an MBE in 2007 for her services to broadcasting and charity, making her one of the youngest people ever to receive the award. June was later awarded an OBE in the 2020 New Years’ Honours List.

 June is the co-founder of the WIE Network (Women: Inspiration & Enterprise). This acclaimed conference has featured leading speakers including Sarah Brown, Melinda Gates, Arianna Huffington, Donna Karan, Queen Rania, Nancy Pelosi and Iman.

 After living in America for eight years, June returned to the UK in 2015 and is now a regular panellist on Sky News’ weekly current affairs discussion show, The Pledge.

June is also an author of three award-winning books: Diversify: Six Degrees of Integration, The Power of Women, and The Power of Privilege.

June will be joined by further special guests and appearances from:

 

Special guests, speeches and appearances include:

○ Mims Davies MP, Minister for Employment 

○ Jack Parsons – UK’s Chief Youth Officer and Award-winning young entrepreneur and CEO of the Youth Group

○ Sam Meakings, Job Coach at the Department for Work and Pensions

and MtW Youth Ambassador 

○ Sanjeev Bhaskar OBE, award-winning comedian, actor and television presenter and Prince’s Trust Ambassador 

○ Russell Kane, multi-award-winning comedian, presenter, actor, author and scriptwriter and Prince’s Trust Ambassador 

○ Olly Benzecry, Chairman Accenture UKI and MtW Chair

○ Sam Olsen, Movement to Work CEO

Representatives from many of our employer and charity partners.

 

In February 2021, the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) intranet hosted a story focusing on the success of recent Movement to Work placements, encouraging more DWP colleagues to get involved. The full article, including quotes from recent participants, is below.

 

Virtual Movement to Work is “a fantastic opportunity”  

So says recent graduate Jessica, just one of many jobseekers to benefit from the innovative virtual work experience offered through a revamped Movement to Work Programme. 

Coronavirus has had a huge effect on every aspect of our lives. For those on work experience it has meant the end of their work placements, but thanks to colleagues in the Central Movement to Work team, working collaboratively with service delivery colleagues, a safe and secure Virtual Movement to Work framework has been successfully developed. This means customers can benefit from meaningful online work experience, which is already leading to permanent work.

“Last year, when traditional Movement to Work placements were paused due to the pandemic, we realised we needed to act quickly to deliver support to the young people who were relying on them”, says Tom Munn, the delivery lead for the Central Movement to Work team.

Helen Colley, a Community Outreach Work Coach at Birkenhead Jobcentre, takes up the story: “We put our heads together as a team and came up with a creative solution that was put together quickly – and it’s proved to be very successful. “Safety was of primary importance,” continues Helen, “and we knew we couldn’t bring customers into the office, so we developed an online work experience package, something that replicated as much as possible what it is like to work in DWP.” 

“I became inspired by the participants and their commitment.”

Tom was part of the team doing the initial testing, which took place in Merseyside and the West Midlands late last year. He says: “We tried to make every day varied and interesting for the participants, with guest speakers, one-to-one sessions and online learning. “At the start, I wasn’t sure how a virtual placement would work but very quickly I became inspired by the participants and their commitment. I could see the difference it was making to their confidence every day. I am so proud of everyone involved, especially our six participants.” The testing has proved incredibly successful, with five of the six participants going on to secure either Social Mobility Apprenticeships, Kickstart Placements, or permanent employment.

“I want to thank the team that made it happen.” 

Jessica Rendle-Barnes, a recent graduate, said: “The DWP virtual work experience has been so helpful with increasing my confidence and building skills I never thought I’d need in a working environment. It was a fantastic opportunity and I want to thank the team that made it happen!”

Joe Nolan, who has recently found work with the Post Office, said: “The programme helped me gain a better understanding of working in DWP and gave me the knowledge I needed to get back to work.” 

Scott Keegan, currently on a social mobility apprenticeship, said: “I found the experience extremely informative and useful for my future career path. The support during and after the programme is excellent, with a person-centred approach throughout.”

The ‘Skills for Jobs’ White Paper sets out planned reforms of post-16 technical education and training. The aim of these reforms is to invest in higher-level technical qualifications that provide a valuable alternative to a university degree, and put “employers at the heart” of this system, ensuring that qualifications and skills are focused on what employers want/need.

These reforms include:

• • Incorporating business groups alongside colleges to develop tailored skill plans to meet local training needs (supported by a £65 million Strategic Development Fund);
  • Ensuring employers play a central role in designing technical courses, to ensure these courses are directly linked to the real life skills needed for real jobs;
  • Boosting the uptake and quality of Higher Technical Qualifications;
  • Change the law to allow people to access flexible student finance to train and retain throughout their lives, supported by funding.

The full White Paper can be found here.

As part of Barnardo’s on-going response to the Coronavirus pandemic, and in partnership with Vodafone, The Great British Tech Appeal calls on the UK public and businesses to donate unwanted smartphones and tablets. Vodafone will cover postage and repackaging, add six months free unlimited data connectivity and – via Barnardo’s – redistribute the devices to disadvantaged children and families. This follows a successful summer appeal that helped almost 2,500 people across the UK.

To find out more, and to donate to the appeal, visit the Tech Appeal website here.

Join the Police in a series of virtual recruitment events in January and February 2021 to encourage individuals from under-represented groups to consider policing careers. The Police are committed to increasing diversity within the police service, and would love the chance to provide an insight into working in the Police. Each session will involve a number of speakers, discussing their experiences of joining the police service, the reasons why they joined and how the service has supported them.

There are a variety of discovery sessions coming up, each aimed at addressing specific diverse groups. Follow the links below to sign up for the events:

• 26th January: Disability and neurodiversity 
• 28th January: Religion and belief 
• 2nd February: LGBTQ+ 

BT and the BBC have partnered in order to remove mobile data charges for BBC Bitesize educational content. As part of BT’s wider wider Lockdown Learning programme, all customers across BT networks will have free, unlimited access to Bitesize content by the end of January, while schools remain closed. 

Marc Allera, CEO of BT Group’s Consumer division and Movement to Work Steering Group member said: “We want to ensure that no child is left behind in their education as a result of this pandemic, and recognise that we all have a role we can play to help families and carers continue their children’s education while schools are closed.”

For more information, see here.