Interviews are notoriously nerve racking and often highly competitive so it’s important that you’re prepared and make the best possible first impression.

Here at Regional Recruitment Services we are passionate about helping you find your dream job in marketing so we’ve put together some great tips to help you make your mark in a marketing interview:

Delve Deeper: Prepare & Do Your Research

This is a given for every interview but it’s absolutely astounding how few candidates actually do comprehensive research before going into their interview.

You should know the company inside out; research their clients, research their history and get a good understanding of how they’re progressing. If you can’t find this information, you should be asking these questions in the interview.

Preparation shows enthusiasm, initiative and passion; there is simply nothing worse than an interviewer asking what a candidate knows about the company and for the answer to be ‘nothing’!

Anticipate Questions & Have Your Answers Ready

There are a number of very common, cliché questions that you’re likely to be asked at your interview so have your answers ready.

It’s difficult to express yourself effectively when you’re put on the spot and if you have to think of an answer quickly, chances are that you won’t give the best possible answer. You’ll be kicking yourself after the interview when you think of an answer that would have blown them away.

Be Memorable & Unexpected: You Need To Stand Out!

Positions in marketing can be incredibly competitive so you need to give your potential employer a reason to remember you.

You may not have been asked to bring anything but bringing examples of your past work or projects to leave with them, is a great idea. Don’t risk being forgotten amongst the midst of other candidates!

Here at Regional Recruitment Services we have an extensive range of marketing positions advertised so you’re sure to find a vacancy that suits you. Take a look around and get applying! If you have any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us directly on 0116 262 3733.

All HR departments and personnel will be required to change their policies and practices to reflect these changes.

Decrease in Redundancy Consultation Periods

As of April 6th 2013 the collective redundancy consultations period was reduced when 100 or more employees are involved.

Previously, if an employer proposed to make 100 or more employees redundant, the consultation period before the first dismissal was at least 90 days. However, this period will now be reduced to 45 days before the first dismissal.

If the employer will be making 20 to 99 employees redundant, the period will remain at 30 days.

New PAYE Reporting In Real Time Information (RTI)

HMRC will be introducing a change to the way in which companies report their employees payment.

Previously, companies reported this spend at the end of each year; however, businesses will now be required to report the payment at the time of payment. This change is reported to be ‘easy’ by those that trialled the system but it is thought that the additional administration necessary will cost approximately £300 million.

Statutory Sick Pay Increase

This is a simple one.

The weekly rate of statutory sick pay has been increased from £85.85 to £86.70.

Statutory Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Pay Increase

The weekly rate of statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay has increased from £135.45 to £136.78.

Here at Regional Recruitment Services we’re dedicated to keeping you up to date with all of the latest industry news! Whether you’re a candidate looking for a job or a company looking for some new talent, at Regional Recruitment Services we’re here to help.

Browse our site and see for yourself the impressive collection of job advertisements and talented candidates. If you have any questions then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us directly; a member of our team will be happy to help you with any questions that you may have.

Interestingly, the demand for engineering staff throughout the Leicestershire area has rocketed in recent weeks, with many local firms crying out for high quality, skilled workers. This demand for workers comes shortly after international organisation JCB announced their new £40m contract in Brazil, along with Caterpillar winning a 5 year contract worth $663m supplying equipment to the US military. News such as this brings a welcome boost to Leicestershire’s job market with many Leicester based firms having supplier agreements with these large organisations.

As expected, a sudden surge of activity surrounding the engineering industry has resulted in many local businesses searching for those high quality engineers to cope with the increase in demand. In particular, here at Regional Recruitment Services we have noticed a significant increase in demand for high quality engineering staff such as Welders, Fabricators, CNC Setters and Manual Machinists – which we are obviously delighted about!

At Regional Recruitment Services we have an outstanding team of consultants who are experts within the engineering field. Our ability to source high quality engineers and place them into work has earned us a reputable name throughout the Midlands, with an ever growing bank of quality candidates and happy customers!

Whether you are a looking for engineering jobs throughout Leicestershire or a business looking to source the highest calibre of candidates, we are here to help! Contact us today on 0845 2997789 and ask for our Technical team. Alternatively email us on technical@regionalrecruitment.com for more information.

The UK job market, although it is growing, has shown very disappointing growth which is bad news for job hunters and graduates leaving education in the coming months.

-    There are approximately 56 applications for every graduate vacancy advertised.
-    Graduate recruitment is expected to grow by a disappointing 2.7% in 2013; the worst outlook since 2009.
-    1 in 12 graduates are out of work after the first 6 months of leaving University.
-    Graduates in work but in non-graduate roles rose by 12% in 2012 making the figures as bad as those seen in the 90s recession.

How Can You Get Your Foot In the Door?

Whether you’re a graduate fresh out of University or you’re looking for a change in career then the prospect of beginning your job search can be daunting. It’s not impossible to get ahead in such a tough market though:

-    Create a comprehensive CV; there are plenty of guides, tips and hints about the best way to way to write a CV.

-    Check, check and check again. A mistake or spelling error in a CV can be just the thing that an employer needs to throw your CV in the bin.

-    Always tailor your CV and covering letter for the role that you’re applying for. A generic application doesn’t look too impressive.

-    There are jobs out there; you just need to look in right places. Look for industry specific job boards or recruitment specialists.

-    Don’t be afraid to be different. With so many applications for every role, an application needs to be different to really stand out and get noticed.

Here at Regional Recruitment we have a huge variety of roles in the marketing, engineering and industrial industries. If you’re looking for a new and exciting career then browse our job vacancies to find the perfect role for you and send off your application as soon as possible.

For more information about our services please don’t hesitate to visit our website or get in touch with us directly.

While experience will almost always work in your favour in a job application, your level of education and qualifications might not always be such a good thing. For many jobs you will be required to hold a degree in order to be considered but there are some situations in which a degree can actually work against you.

How Long Will You Stick Around?

For thousands of graduates finding a career in their desired industry is incredibly difficult which means that many will attempt to find a different job while they continue to look. This is where a lot of graduates will come up against difficulty as their degree can actually stand in their way.

Employers will be wary of graduates applying for roles that typically require fewer qualifications such as retail assistant roles as they are concerned that the candidate will leave very quickly after taking up the position if they find a role in their desired industry.

Subsequently, an employer that will be putting their resources into training new starters will be more likely to choose that are more likely to stick around for the long term!

There’s Always Light at the End of the Tunnel

With people talking about degrees having a negative effect on your chances and claiming that the job market is tougher than ever, don’t worry; there’s some light at the end of the tunnel!

Recent employment figures have hit a 4 year high and the market for graduates is looking hopeful. The economy, it seems, is on the mend and there are numerous government schemes to encourage employers to begin recruiting again.

Where to Start?

If you’re looking for a new career or you’re a graduate making the first steps into your chosen industry then here at Regional Recruitment we’re here to help. We have a huge range of vacancies available including marketing, industrial and engineering jobs so whatever you’re looking for, you’re sure to find a role that suits you.

If you’d like more information about our vacancies please visit our website or contact us directly with any questions that you may have.

Regional Recruitment Services are proud to announce that we have been shortlisted for an award by Recruiter Magazine’s ‘Recruiter Awards For Excellence 2013’.

2013 sees Regional Recruitment Services shortlisted for ‘Best Small Recruitment Agency to Work For’ by the Recruiter Awards For Excellence. The nomination comes shortly after being a runner up at the 2012 IRP Awards in a similar category.

Our recent success and promising growth has been significantly linked to our ethos of attracting and retaining the very best talent in the recruitment industry, coupled with creating a working environment that helps our employees to thrive. Our in depth training initiatives, regular reward schemes and quarterly satisfaction surveys are amongst some of the practices Regional Recruitment employ, having led to our recent recognition throughout the industry. All shortlisted applicants will attend the awards ceremony in May at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London – Wish us luck!

Regional Recruitment Services are continually searching for new talent to join our team, so if you think you have the drive and determination to succeed at Regional Recruitment Services contact Lisa Smal today on 0116 262 3733 or email lisa.smal@regionalrecruitment.com

We consistently hear about the boomerang generation that, due to difficulty in finding a job after university, are forced to move back in with their parents. The question is: is the market looking more hopeful for graduates and job seekers in 2013?

Statistics Forecasts

The recent forecasts for the Office of National Statistics are, unfortunately, looking worse than those at this time last year. These forecasts have come off the back of recent statistics out for 2012:

-    New graduate unemployment at 20%.

This is as a result of the number of graduates attempting to enter to workforce; this number has doubled since 2008.

-    Recent graduates currently employed in ‘lower skilled jobs’ at 38%.

This statistic is in reference to the number of graduates that have entered the workforce in positions that are not defined as graduate jobs.

For example, a marketing graduate currently working in their local corner shop would be included in this figure.

This figure has increased significantly in recent years and it is suggested that this could become a long term trend due to the increasing number of graduates and decreasing number of graduate roles available.

An Increase in Graduates and Misaligned Expectations

It has been suggested that the seemingly worsening prospects for graduates has come about as a result of the misaligned expectations of graduates and graduate employers. Many graduates hope to begin their career immediately after finishing university and enter the job market on a substantial wage.

It seems that many graduate employers, on the other hand, are imposing very strict criteria on their graduate candidates and expect higher qualifications, more experience in return for a lower wage. This, of course, is as a result of the increased demand for positions in graduate schemes and entry level positions.

Whether you’re a recent graduate or you graduated years ago and you’re looking for a change in career here at Regional Recruitment we aim to make your job search much simpler.

Although it may be difficult, it’s certainly not impossible to secure a job in the industry you love! You can search our huge range of jobs to find a position that meets your specifications and ensure that you meet the employer’s requirements.

Please feel free to browse our site for more information about vacancies and find out if there are any positions that would be right for you.

Unemployment has dropped to an encouraging 7.7% and the number of UK citizens currently in work has increased to a record level in the three months since November. Alongside this, however, it has been shown that employers are limiting pay rises which has resulted in a decline in the growth of average earnings from 1.7% to 1.4%.

Although the rate of pay is still increasing, on average there is a significant discrepancy between the increase in pay and inflation with current inflation figures at 2.7%. Industry experts have predicted that the rate of inflation is set to stay above 2% while there seems to be little to suggest that wages will increase at the same rate in the near future.

Positive Changes in Unemployment Figures

The positive changes to long term unemployment figures are certainly encouraging for job seekers in country and the impact of these changes can be seen in the fall of jobseeker’s allowance claims.

However, as with any change in the country’s economic figures there are, of course, conflicting views; some industry experts have suggested that in some areas of the country unemployment has actually increased.

Here at Regional Recruitment we are passionate about helping you find a job that’s right for you; we have a great range of job vacancies across a variety of industries. Finding a job that meets your requirements and that you have the necessary qualifications and experience for can be difficult but we aim to make it as simple as possible.

Browse our site to take a look at the variety of vacancies and find which ones most accurately suit your skill set. Whether you’re looking to change your career or make your first step into the working world, here at Regional Recruitment, we offer a wide range of vacancies for you to search. Good luck with your job hunt!

Thanks to recent developments in the way we use the internet, however, social media has become a significant tool for employers to vet their candidates. In recent news a number of large companies have come forward and confirmed that they have integrated social media vetting into their recruitment strategies.

Of course, the thousands of job hunters in the country are largely unaware of the new processes in place and as a result, could be unknowingly damaging their job prospects through what they’re posting on Facebook and Twitter.

LinkedIn has long been tipped as the next big thing for employers to find ideal candidates but now that employers are looking at Facebook photographs and reading recent statuses, social media could be playing a much more important part in your job search than you’d imagined!

So what can you do to ensure that your social media activity doesn’t do any damage?

-    Change the privacy settings on your account so you have complete control over who can see what on your account.

-    Be careful about what you write. Always think about whether you’d be happy for your potential employer to view what you write.

-    Monitor your photographs. The same principle applies to photos as it does for status updates and tweets; would you like your potential employer to see you after a few too many drinks on a Saturday night? No? Then don’t post the photos on a social media account that they can access.

-    Don’t lie on your CV. Your social media use is likely to show you up!

Job hunting can be difficult enough without having your social media use to worry about but here at Regional Recruitment we aim to make your search as simple and stress-free as possible. Feel free to browse our site to view the available vacancies!