News & Announcements

10 Ways to Stay Motivated During Your Job Search

We’ve all been there: Searching for a job has become tiresome and to top it off you’re running out of energy for it. You’ve done the –CV, phone calls, interviews, feedback and repeat- process. What you want now is a job. Since there’s no job in sight (yet) you could give up on life and take to your bed Or you could change the way you think about it. You can’t change your current reality by clicking your fingers but you can change your approach and that’s kind of the same thing. This starts the moment you decide it starts. Intrigued?

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/10-ways-to-stay-motivated-during-your-job-search/

10 Reasons to Work in Hospitality

Hopelessly addicted to hospitality? Do you love being around people and feel happiest when helping others? If you are a hospitality heathen, service with a smile is second nature for you and you likely crave the variety of work, clients and perhaps destinations. With these transferable skills, you can weave in and out of different departments or leave terra firma and onboard yourself with a career in aviation. Be it air, land, rail or sea… etiquette, manners and service with a smile will take you where ever you want to be…

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/10-reasons-to-work-in-hospitality/

AI & iFamily: Robots and Humanity Unite

AI: Artificial Intelligence, currently the buzzwords about town betwixt the tech-savvy among us. Published this week in the Telegraph was news from Sir Nigel Shadbolt that robots will not destroy humanity. It seems movies depicting the future and our fears of such are unintuitivly, just that.

Sir Shadbolt is a professor of Computer Science at Oxford University and he predicts that humans will come to love robots as they do their own family. He states that we are entering an age where AI will act as carers for the elderly and a friend for lonely children. That does sound comforting.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/ai-ifamily-robots-and-humanity-unite/

Get Hired: Intern, Shadow, Volunteer

As Spring fades and summer approaches, many of you are leaving school, college or even graduating university.

How then are you to get hired?

You might have a wealth of experience under your belt, the omniscience of your chosen area of education and have gained industry experience from a sandwich degree (a year in industry) or apprenticeship scheme (1-4 years); if that’s the case, we’re sure you’ll be snapped up pronto.

However, if this is not the case, you’ll likely need to prove to an employer that you have experience before you can be hired. There are a few ways in which you can do this...

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/get-hired-intern-shadow-volunteer/

Are You on the Weak Password List?

This week the Mail Online revealed the most common passwords that hackers love. Did you make the list?

According to the Australian Government, the following list was released as a warning to those with simpler passwords and a strong message letting online users know that hackers love these simple word combinations. These simpler passwords for your accounts known as soft passwords can be cracked by hackers within minutes. Yikes.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/are-you-on-the-weak-password-list/

Changing Career Path

You’re on track but you’re not quite sure what you’re on track for or even why. You have a great job but you don’t feel great. If work has a lack-luster vibe, this article is for you: broaden your horizons, don’t suffer inertia any longer.

It’s definitely the case that what we love at 23 may not be what excites us at 33, leap forward 20 years to 53, fancy a change? -Probably, and why not. If we’re not retiring then we need more than ever to be doing what we love. We can’t lose sleep over what we’re filling most of our days with.

We’ve talked before about Career Crossroads and finding what you’re good at but here, we’ll be discussing how you can switch careers, regardless of demographic.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/changing-career-path/

Driving to Work: What Successful People Do

Whichever way you get to work, be it by public transport, bike, on foot or car it’s likely crossed your mind that this time spent is unintuitive. So let’s make it more interesting, nay! -more productive. For the drivers among us, this may seem unachievable for obvious reason but here, The Job Auction brings you ideas to make your drive to work more alluring and assist you with being more productive.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/driving-to-work-what-successful-people-do/

Sleepless in the City

According to a recent study, half of UK workers lose over 9 hours sleep per week, worrying about work.

The National Sleep Foundation explains that waking coupled with the inability to fall back to sleep from worry or anxiety is known as “maintenance insomnia”.

So what is all this worry and anxiety about? Shouldn’t work be enjoyable, interesting… fun even for heaven’s sake? We spend most of our lives there so if we’re not enjoying it, maybe it’s time to search for a new job. Let’s look into this and get to the root of the matter…

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/sleepless-in-the-city/

Working on Water

Love the sound of the ocean? Perhaps the rage of the river or calmer feel of the canal is what floats your boat, if you’re uncertain about how to charter the course of your own career path, read on for some suggestions of how you can begin working on water.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com//working-on-water/

Graduating into Unemployment & why No-one need do so, Nor ever Retire

We were once told: “Go to university” and “Get a degree!” -this was all in a bid to set us apart from the competitor and upon graduation, to shimmy us up the corporate ladder with ease and excellence in the form of professionalism, with the help of our degree certificate we had stuffed in the back pocket. Snap back to the real world and 2018 and I meet more and more struggling London uni-leavers who’ve for want of an apter description: graduated into unemployment. The experience for the youth seems more snakes and ladders than it does ‘up the career ladder’. What then is going on? Is London not one of the financial centers of the world? So why are the next generation of professionals floundering?

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/graduating-unemployment-no-one-need-ever-retire/

Cracking the Code

It’s no secret that computers run the world and that we’re all hugely reliant on technology, be it medically, professionally and ever more so; socially. Not too far off being uploaded to the internet, immortalised and transgressing across trajectories, does that sound a stretch too far? -It isn’t according to some. Questions? We have a few, for answers, we’re interviewing one of the top global coders.

What this article should tell you is how you can improve your tech skills, how you can help move the world forward with tech and decipher how scientific Computer Science really is.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/cracking-the-code/

The Importance of a Crèche

Parental leave, be it maternal, paternal or adoption, at some point, we all need to return to work. So often is the discussion had about who’s going to give up work and usually that’s the lower earner (if you’re a couple) but what if you’re a single parent or what if you just want to go back to work? For many, childcare costs mean working isn’t worth it. Shouldn’t every workplace then, have a crèche?

If you live in London, (UK), then the cost of childcare will be higher for you than anywhere else in the country. It is likely you can’t afford to go back to work because of the cost of childcare or you wouldn’t be making any money if you did, so why would you. Let’s look at the pros and the cons of a crèche in the workplace that could facilitate working parents to return to their roles and take new babies or children with them.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/the-importance-of-a-creche/

Searching for a Job? Feel Good, Here’s How…

Even the topic is boring, right? When the two words “Job” and “Search” spring to mind, it’s enough to make even the pros among us exhale loudly with despondence. At The Job Auction, we know this and we’re changing things. Let’s take a look at what we’re supposed to do regarding applications, what the reality is and how we can remedy that for you. Sit back, relax and enjoy the process. We work so that you don’t have to because we know you have Skills To Pay The Bills.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/searching-for-a-job-feel-good-heres-how/

Gala Dinner: Black Tie, White Tie

You have an upcoming gala dinner to attend, a business lead charity event. You’re awaiting the invite. This will tell you: is it white tie, is it black tie, or is it business formal attire? Don’t hit a force majeure with the dress code, know your tie from your tux and create a look best for business, pro-bono and, you.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/gala-dinner-black-tie-white-tie/

Jobs Auction

A job application filled out by Steve Jobs back in 1973 has sold at auction for more than £125,000. The winner of the said auction is reported by The Telegraph to be a London based online bidder. What do we know about the man who wore black polo-neck tops, jeans, and trainers? Aside from inventing the iPhone (as if that isn’t big enough), he dropped out of college, studied calligraphy, was a fruitarian (perhaps that’s why he named his company Apple) and had over 300 patents under his belt. Inspired by ‘one of the greats’ got us thinking about job applications and what one really needs to know if they’re to follow in the footsteps of Mr. Jobs himself.

We all want to be successful but how does that actually translate? We’re told; be a team player, be agile in the workplace, be organised & self-motivated and ooze skills aplenty but what if that’s not you? What if like Mr. Jobs you too dropped out of college, maybe you’re a loner, rather disheveled and disorganised and aren’t that super sleekly motivated person who’s ‘always on time’. Let’s be honest, you’re not Fireman Sam, you’re not going to be ‘always on the scene.’

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/jobs-auction/

CV Presentation: the Do’s and Don’ts

Don’t forget the Basics

We’re told on good authority that the most irritating thing for an employer vis-à-vis the CV is to not be able to see the basics at first glance. Name, Address, Email and Phone Number are all standard. Some prefer to give a location as opposed to a full address. North London may suffice but the employer will want to see this. Beyond this, a Skype contact, showreel or portfolio link. A link to LinkedIn can be handy to see more about an individual professionally.

Do consider Layout and Font

Always ensure that your CV is clear. Some advise no more than 2 pages in length but for others, this may not be possible. If you genuinely have had a 20 year+ career then it may be necessary to list this. However, pages and pages of great details about personal interests or bullet points from what duties you carried out in roles which may be less relevant and similar to other job’s you’ve had will just clog up the page. Ensure the font is at least a 12 point and there are some spaces and layout consideration to make it easier to read. A mass of text in tiny letters won’t incite anyone’s interest.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/cv-presentation-dos-donts/

The Highest Paying Jobs in the World

If you’re not born rich and you haven’t achieved notoriety, fame, or royal status along the way then you might be scratching your head and wondering: who are the highest earners on the planet and how do I become one?

Some of the highest paying jobs in the world are featured here in our top ten.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/the-highest-paying-jobs-in-the-world/

Retreat or Reload?

Eagerly awaiting Spring and all its bounce? -Most of us are still flatlining our way out of another beginning; a new year.
It’s said the number one reason for feeling the SAD and looking even sadder is failing to launch into a new year with a new career prospect in hand.
Not everyone will be ‘full of the joys’. If you’re battling blues from the weather, feeling the lag and have crossed over into 2018 but mentally are still processing that it’s another year and not yet another job, here are some ways to motivate yourself to get back in the fast lane. Retreat and reload…

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/retreat-or-reload/

Apprenticeship. Not a word we’ve heard on people’s lips for many years. Didn’t it seem to be the case that thirty plus years ago the term was plastered everywhere? So where are they now and why aren’t they as mainstream as they used to be? Discussing the mechanics of these points is an ex-engineer with over fifty years experience. He tells us his opinion and why a degree or even sandwich degree may be irrelevant and how reducing an apprenticeship to one year may well mean it’s not worth doing at all. Once an apprentice himself, working his way through the ranks to a top tier position, we’re asking the questions to drill down into what happened to training our skilled workers on the job.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/apprenticeship-revival/

All businesses need someone at the top. Someone to take the reins in times of crisis, dictate company policy, outlook and ambition. It is these people who can call themselves the chief executive officers, for they are the individuals capable of actually running a business.

As it transpires, there are many personal qualities that potential CEOs have to have and working in tandem with their professional virtues, these qualities are integral to whether one is going to be successful spearheading a company. It isn’t easy being king or queen.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/the-makings-of-a-ceo/

The spa break is evolving. Facemasks and bubble baths at Champneys no longer cut it if one is to keep up with curve, I am told. A new trend in the luxury travel industry in order to cater for the needs of a new generation of elites has announced itself. There is no room for relaxation at these nu-wellness boot camps. The road to replenishment is rough, and those who seek physical, mental and spiritual enlightenment better be prepared to put in the work. Ah, who wants to have a nice time on holiday anyway?

A recent article published in Travel, an offshoot magazine as part of the publication City A.M documented the various activities available to you if you want to get well at one of their camps. Just a glance and you see phrases like ‘colon massage’ ‘coffee enema’ and ‘self-imposed starvation’. Yep, as I said, these ‘treatments’ are seriously not for the faint-hearted. Now we ask with the utmost respect, that burning age-old question, what is the point?

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/extreme-health-resorts-wealthy-wind/

Today we’re interviewing Chris, a single working father who explains what it’s like to run your home, look after your child and work, all single-handedly with very little help from family nearby. Is it really possible to go back to work with a small child and can you carve out a future for you and your little ones on your own? How does this modern day Super-Dad do it? Read on to find out…

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/interview-single-working-father/

According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, success can be defined as the ‘achieving of results wanted and hoped for’. This definition suggests to me that success is both a ubiquitous feeling at the point of achievement that can be attained by all, as well as a sensation that is defined by unique sets of circumstances. Essentially, success is subjective and how each person measures it should be different.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/how-to-measure-success/

We’re going back to basics regarding productivity and how any business, small or large can implement 5 steps to a more productive working environment…

1. Communicative and Personable

There should be an attempt to build up a certain level of rapport with colleagues. When the atmosphere is a friendly one, people will feel more comfortable to offer up new ideas or, indeed, express their opinions. A friendly atmosphere makes it more likely that there will be a creative flow of ideas. When there is something that needs negotiating, also, people are likely to be more forthcoming in their attempts to see a solution through to the end if they feel they’re a valued member of the team.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/5-things-make-great-working-environment/

Today we’re interviewing photographer Chris Dart. He tells us how his journey began as he jumped on a train to London with only a dream in his pocket and established himself as a respected industry creative. We capture his story; from a man without a camera to a runner, going without sleep two nights a week for seven months to pursue his dream and how he established himself as a photographer and businessman in his own right. How did this London photographer turn a passion into a career? Read on to find out more…

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/capturing-career-photography/

It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting out or have cultivated a mass following as a professional in your chosen field, everyone needs to promote themselves and as such everyone needs a way to do it. The best way to get noticed as a creative, be you young or old, rookie or veteran, is to start a blog.

Honestly, it might seem at a glance like a young person’s game, something those starting out do to get noticed in the ocean of talent that already predates their contribution to the world of music, art, literature, fashion etc but the truth is, it’s a tool most professionals, whatever their background and level of experience should have in their arsenal if they ever need a little boost.

The best thing about a blog is that it’s the structure one uses to demonstrate their own work. This means it can literally be anything you want it to be. Having total control means whoever you want it to reach, it will. Do make sure the text, images, framing etc is all consistent with your work. A professional looking blog can be equally as important as the work it seeks to present. Prospective employers will be convinced by a commitment to the presentation.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/blogs-means-employment/

When it comes to interviews much of what you hear is in regards to how to answer questions. A job interview is your opportunity to sell yourself to a prospective employer and as such you are not simply expected to respond but to engage with the person sat across the desk from you.

What is the best way to do this? Ask questions of your own. This is the window of opening, the chance moment you are searching for and actually the part of the interview that can give you the edge over other potential candidates. It really does show an interest and a hunger that can inspire your would-be employers into granting you the position advertised. Although, if this is too basic advice then as luck would have it there is comprehensive information on the topic that should have you a rung up on your personal career ladder as quick as anything.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/job-interviews-ask/

Behold: The role of Creative Director – the pinnacle of a creative’s career, creative reign, six figures.

For most who’ve worked their way up, they’re finally in their natural habitat. But it won’t be a walk in the park. Here’s what your life could look like on a daily with the honour of those two chronological little letters: CD

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/become-creative-director/

To many, the thought of the deep blue, leaves them feeling all at sea. For others, it’s a breath of fresh air and a welcome escape from busy city life. Calm waters, competitive regattas or just messing about on boats … (who doesn’t remember Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham?) … Here’s how: freeing the physical self, could also be your antidote to a busy mind and life…

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/plain-sailing/

Speaking at the Designers Fiesta in September, were a number of experienced presenters, each of them using their unique brand of expertise to give the droves of millennials some guidance when shaping their own professional virtues. Upstairs in Hackney Picture House’s loft was a smaller stage; there the very fundamentals of what makes an office or individual tick were unpicked, with fresh takes on how to run a team or simply manage yourself efficiently.

Paul Sampson, who came to represent something of a business guru to me by the end of the day, spoke about time management. Being the master of time instead of a servant of time is important, he says. Set aside time instead of letting deadlines dictate what you’re working on was the core message of the talk. Managing time is essentially just managing yourself, anyway.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/day-pictures-time-management/

Travelling the world is a dream for some, a reality for others and a bit of both for many. The ubiquitous question of how to travel resonates with us all. Today we’re talking globetrotting a-la-aviation and how best to avoid tailspin thirty thousand feet up. Whether you’re flying for work or leisure you want to get it right. Mastering the frequent flyer attitude needn’t be tricky.

My most basic advice for plane travel is: Comfort with a capital ‘C’. I would always fly with a reputable airline even if you’re in the cheap seats. 24 hours in, your self will thank yourself. I used to dread the long haul until a friend once said: I like the long haul, I can catch up on movies and not feel bad about relaxing for hours on end! This really made me think: why was I so averse to it?

Short haul or long, I’m taking you through my personal sky-high checklist, keeping you comfy in transit until you’re back on terra firma. There’s no need to feel scrambled, fasten your seat belt, sit back and relax…

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/high-flyer-plane-tips-travel/

According to research conducted by YouGov, only 8% of British people have never been abroad. Furthermore, the data collected also found that 55% thought that travel was necessary for a more worldly perspective and 57% of us would consider moving to a foreign country.

Most people consider holidays as the bog-standard excuse to go and sun yourself, not really considering that the divide between work and travel needn’t be so firmly drawn. So, why not travel while you work? Here are the jobs where travel isn’t just a perk; it’s pretty much a necessity.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/top-5-jobs-travel-without-degree/

A month back there was yet another mini-migration of young professionals to one of the many dynamic spaces around London. Calling on East London was the turn of Hackney Picturehouse, with the cinema screens that would ordinarily be showing a range of blockbusters and arthouse films, utilised to give chosen speakers the platform to demonstrate Photoshop, Illustrator and any of the software that has since become the designer’s bread and butter in the modern age.

Whilst the larger screens were employed as designer’s playgrounds; those orchestrating the day opted to make use of the smaller screens to give a voice to a sparse few senior executives, who then gave talks on the everyday trials of running and working for a business. One of these talks was on the title of this piece.

Paul Sampson, a former manager at P&O Cruises who now runs several businesses in Camberley, Basingstoke, and Golders Green, has had his fair share of difficult customers, he tells us with a small smile. At first, I wondered whether I would be told anything I didn’t already know but for a subject, so universally understood, his take on it was surprisingly lucid and practical.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/day-pictures-dealing-difficult-customers/

It’s a common belief that it’s who you are on the inside that counts. Let’s discuss that.

Being good at a job does not mean that you are a professional. You may be an exemplary worker with skills everyone else in the workplace will never have, but it’s not likely that this will stand you in good stead with your boss if you continue to act barbed or indifferent. Your immaturity in the workplace can cripple your ambitions and can cancel out any amazing work you might be doing. Being professional isn’t being good at your job, it’s having the correct attitude towards your job. Professionalism is a behavioral trait and one that is eternally useful as a working man/woman.

The way you are perceived by others is the way you are to the outside world. It doesn’t matter if you think you are a courteous and decent human being, because if nobody can see that, then as far as the rest of the world is concerned, that is not what you are. As important as competence concerning your profession is, you still have to behave in a way that convinces people you are competent.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/image-professionalism-professionalism/

With autumn well under way, kids up and down the country have adjusted themselves to new classrooms, teachers and friends. Half term is here! It’s a time for new beginnings and a fresh pair of eyes. However, just because we automatically associate the months of fall with new starts for school kids doesn’t mean they should have all the fun!

When I mention adult education courses, a lot of people shudder. For some, swapping an office for a classroom just feels like a step backward. Furthermore, who has time, when you’re working nine-to-five, trying to make progress in your career to go and learn? At a glance, adult education courses may be dismissed as a frivolous luxury that only those with too much time on their hands are able to do.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/cover-darkness-guide-learning-night/

The age-old division of ‘work and ‘play’ is the separation of labour and leisure. People consider their downtime to be sacred and also as an equal counterweight to the time they dedicate to working. This delicate balance, if left neglected, can impact your performance at work so it really is in everyone’s best interests that you make the most out of your time outside of work.

So, swimming; that’s the case you’re going to hear over the next few paragraphs. It is from personal experience that I can tell you that you can reach the zenith of your Zen by a good few lengths in your local pool.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/swim-replenish-yourself/

There is a subtle equilibrium you can, and definitely should, harness if you are preparing for a job interview. The idea is to project confidence whilst concurrently reining it in. Like a controlled blast of dynamite, you have your purpose but you don’t want to go overboard, causing unnecessary collateral damage to your career prospects. There has to be a proverbial line in the sand that you do not cross between your confidence and your potential arrogance. There are subtle differences and it can sometimes be difficult to tell what constitutes arrogance especially when playing it by ear in a job interview.

The essence of a job interview is to sell oneself to whoever is sat in front of you. You need to lay bare your talents whilst also making it crystal clear that you still have a lot to learn. If you think of the relationship between employer and employee then you essentially need to figure out what you both offer one another. They advertised the job. This means it’s more than likely you have the required capabilities to serve a function to the organisation. Make them apparent.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/confidence-arrogance-bag-job-want/

Much has been made of the current cohort of millennials. They have caused inter-generational friction just as every generation before them has. Their own unique brand of problems with the modern world plastered over every nook and cranny of social and print media.

On the 16th July this year, Google’s Hackney/Islington-border-straddling campus hosted hundreds of young people invited from various start-ups dotted around London. This mini-exodus is something not uncommon in 2017, drawing the under 30s like an electromagnet by their sanctified buzz-phrase- mental health.

It’s easy to laugh at the current version of young people in the UK: the snowflakes and their safe spaces. However, we learn much more from engaging with them rather than dismissing them. I would say that, though, I am one.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/workplace-evolving-new-space-new-generation/

Your data privacy and security are important to us. Therefore, we have updated our privacy policy to make it even more transparent.

Our privacy policy updates will give you more clarity and control over how we collect and use your personal data.

Here are the main changes: 

• A clearer, simpler privacy policy. That means less legal-speak and a clearer explanation of what data we collect, how we use it and the rights and tools that are available to you.


• We have also created a clear and straight forward page that tells you exactly how we use your data (How We Use Your Data).

Please find the new policies here:

• Terms and Conditions


• Privacy and Cookie Policy


• How We Use Your Data

We hope you'll find these updates improve your customer experience and reinforce our commitment to your data privacy and security.

The number of children living in workless households continues to fall. As of 2017, 58.7% of children live in working households, 30.6% live in mixed households, and 10.6% live in workless households. The 2015 equivalent of this data is 55.7%, 32.1% and 12.2% respectively.

The natural reaction would be to interpret this data positively. During a two year period there has been a significant rise in the number of parents that are working whilst also having children. Despite this the number of children living in mixed households continues to fluctuate.

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https://blog.thejobauction.com/parent-professional-numbers-say/