The miserable weather, the arrival of the dreaded credit card bill and failing resolutions conspire to leave many of us feeling low when going back to work in the New Year. Television screens and magazines seduce us with a plethora of holiday advertisements that promise adventure, clear blue skies and white sandy beaches. And yet you are sat in the same office, every day, wishing you had a better job with better prospects and better pay.
So stop dreaming, and start living.
Here are five reasons why putting in the mileage now, will benefit you in the long-term.
1)You will have less stress - Workplace stress is predicted to be one of the biggest issues on the business agenda over the next few years, with one in five workers feeling stressed at work, according to the September 2007 Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) report. However, another survey conducted by insurers Legal & General two months later, concluded that this figure is actually one in three workers with a further 20% complaining that they work too many hours; thereby justifying the term ‘sicknote Britain.’
And the biggest cause of this stress is Britain’s long-hours culture.
Britons work longer hours than our European neighbours and spend an average of 40 to 50 hours at work each week. And more than 4 million people spent more 50 hours a week every week, according to the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC).
Indeed, a survey by the Amicus trade union found that four in 10 people reported a negative impact of long-hours on their involvement in family life, 38% on enjoyment of their social life and 35% on their relationship with their children. One third said it harmed their relationship with their partner.
So do yourself a favour, renew your job search now.
2) You will get ahead in your career - The recruitment and retention of staff will be the biggest challenge facing recruiters over the next five years, affecting 81% of employers - a fourfold increase since 2002, according to the 2007 National Management Salary Survey conducted by the Chartered Management Institute and Remuneration Economics. And 73.2% of employers cite a lack of qualified candidates as the root of the problem.
Consequently, employers no longer have the luxury of waiting for good candidates to come knocking on their door which means that if you renew your job hunt, there is a good chance that you may be targeted by specialist head-hunting search agencies.
So, you need to make yourself known in your industry; register your CV and details on job boards, network at industry events and position yourself as an expert in your field by writing articles for your trade’s magazine or running seminars.
3) You will earn more money - According to the findings of the report above, there is an indication that employers are becoming increasingly desperate to find the right calibre staff, with 32.6% now offer ‘golden hellos’, compared to just 16.3% in 2006. And, 82% also indicated that they will make ‘referral payments’ to staff, up from 62.5% in 2006.
Added to the news that UK pay is projected to increase by 3.1% in 2008 with the average worker earning £32,256, this spells good news for job seekers.
4) You will receive a better benefits package - In the same report, organisations providing a ‘complete remuneration package’ continues to climb. For instance, childcare provision and life assurance have increased an average of 3% and 5% respectively since 2006. It is estimated that some benefits packages can add as much as 30-40% onto the value of your salary.
And, ‘flexible working’, which was once the preserve of the public sector, is now more widely available with most employers offer some sort of flexible working, according to a survey by the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR). The Work-Life Balance Employer Survey showed some 95% of UK firms offered flexible working of some sort, whether it is working from home, flexible hours or job sharing.
5) You will have more time - Consider how far you commute to and from work everyday. A survey by Trinity Mirror revealed that most workers are willing to travel 20 miles to reach their place of work. However, commuting to work for an hour is one thing but, making the trip twice a day, five days a week and getting stuck in the rush-hour traffic, quickly loses its appeal. And, don’t dismiss the cost implications on your finances.
In a survey of City workers conducted by Robert Half International, 70% of City employees would prefer to work outside of the capital. Not surprising given the cramped conditions experienced on the London Underground. But elsewhere, traffic congestion is a major problem.
Opt to work somewhere closer to home or, better still become one of the 3.1 million workers who now work from home.
So log onto http://www.simplylawjobs.com/ and find a new job today!
Read the whole article here: http://msn.careerbuilder.co.uk/UK/Custom/MSN/ViewArticle.aspx?articleID=127
SOURCE - http://www.msn.careerbuilder.co.uk/
No comments:
Post a Comment