How to Resign From Your Job

I do like this one; probably because as I look back into my murky past I think - could have done that better, read on...

1. Make up your mind first

• Thejob hunt can be long and stressful, often involving days off work and a good dose of secrecy in the work place. So, make sure your mind is 100% made up before you embark on the interview process.
• Ask yourself how determined are you to leave?
• Would you stay put if offered more money or a better position?
• Talk to your family to see what they think

2. Verbal Resignation

• Work out your strategy and what you are going to say and DO NOT allow yourself to be drawn away from this onto other subjects.
• Try to highlight positives, such as what you have liked during your time there. This will demonstrate you have thought about things in a balanced frame of mind.
• Keep your composure. If your Boss becomes annoyed, do not change your tone or deviate from your initial strategy.
• Expect to be "bought back" (see The Counter Offer below)

3. Written Resignation

• A written resignation gives you time to prepare what you going to say.
• Keep it simple. Include your name, date of resignation and the person it's addressed to. You can add information such as appreciation for your time there, but don't use it as a vehicle to voice any opinions you may have or bad mouth the company.
• Remember you may require a reference, so do not leave on a bad note.

4. The Counter Offer

• Always consider a counter offer seriously. This could come in the form of a pay increase, a change in job role, a promotion.
• HOWEVER, always remember why you are here in the first place. Consider the following before your ego is flattered too much:
  
  
  1. How difficult will it be to replace you? Is the prospect of having to find the next ‘you' the reason they would rather just throw money at you?
  2. How much money will it cost to replace you? On average it costs £7000 to replace a vital member of staff - recruitment fees, time taken out of other people's days to recruit & cover your work, etc. Therefore it's often an easy option to pay you a touch more to keep you.
  3. If you have been offered an immediate pay rise, when can you expect another one? It's unlikely that having paid you more than they would like in order to keep you, you will also get a good increase next time around. The chances are, this is simply a pay rise that has been moved forward in order to paper over a crack.
  4. Will it rock the boat? Studies show that when someone leaves a company, they often take someone else with them (someone who has been thinking about leaving will be buoyed by you resigning and do the same). Does your Boss want the team morale slumping or would it be better if you stayed?
  5. Where has this fantastic position being offered to you suddenly sprung from? Don't be fooled by the prospect of new titles and roles. If you didn't think those prospects were there in the first place, the chances are they are still not. Once again it's a technique to keep you, in the short term, to give the company chance to create a contingency plan.
  6. Now that you have resigned (or threatened to) how secure is your job really? Will you be first out the door if things become tough for the business, because of your lack of loyalty?
  7. Will things very quickly go back to how they were? Studies have shown that people who take up a counter offer are often back looking again within 6 months as they realise improvements were simply lip service.

So, don't be flattered to the point of staying put. Remember what made you look for a new role in the first place. For this reason, it is vital that you give careful consideration to a move at the very start.

If you are able to establish whether an improved position and/or pay rise is possible prior to resigning then you maybe saving yourself, the companies you interview with and any agencies you use, a great deal of time and effort.

Article Source:

Chris Crawford is the MD of BD Recruitment a specialist recruiter for new media jobs, based in Manchester, UK.

Pedn Vounder Beach Cornwall

A reprieve and a reminder that there was a summer after all.

The Survival Guide to the First Week in your New Job

This is an excellent article published on BD Recruitment's advice for job seekers page.

First impressions count when you start a new position, so make sure that the weekend celebrations over your new job stop long before Monday morning.

It can be a nervous time, when you want to be merging gradually into your new environment and not sticking out like a sore thumb. So, here's our simple guide to getting the first few days right...
Getting to work

* DO NOT be late on your first day.
* This journey maybe unfamiliar to you, especially during morning rush hour, so preparation is the key.
* You will have ideally carried out a trial run one morning the previous week, to assess the flow of traffic and give yourself every chance of predicting journey time.
* Check for traffic jams/road closures/train delays before you set off.
* If you are going to be late, make sure you call ahead and inform the company.
* If you arrive too early, don't worry. It will give you time to relax and grab a coffee before it all starts.

Who are you seeing?

* Who are you due to ask for on day one?
* Do you know what time you are set to start?
* Do you know the address you are working (if the company has more than one site)?

Security

* Many larger firms have strict security policies. You maybe expected to meet with a Security Officer initially to go over procedure.
* Make sure you know before hand if any information is required, such as ID or a couple of photo's for a security card.

Your P45

* You should have been provided with a P45 by your previous employer. This details what you have earned in the current tax year along with tax paid to-date.
* Take this along with you on day one and give it to the Payroll or Accounting Departments.

Something to keep you busy

* Often your job will require you to "get stuck in" with immediate effect. However, if it's a slow burner or perhaps it's your first job, you can expect some "down time" when you could be left twiddling your thumbs.
* Take a book or magazine with you to work - perhaps a leading industry publication. This will make you appear organised and prevent you being seen as idle or a little lost.

Personalise your space

* It's usually acceptable to allow a little personalisation around your work space.
* Bringing in a couple of family photos or something personal will make you feel comfortable and at ease early on.

Learn names

* You will obviously be meeting a number of new people when you start. Learning names is very important - not only to make you feel part of your new surroundings but also to let people see you are really making the effort.
* Focus on putting a name to the face in the early days as getting names wrong after week 2 is not ideal!

Ease into the social scene

* At the end of your first week, it may be common for the team to go for drinks.
* Be aware of your behaviour during the early social stages. You don't know these people yet and the wrong thing may be said to the wrong person.
* Wait until you have stronger relationships before opening your heart to them.

Article Source:
BD Recruitment are a specialist recruiter for IT & new media jobs, internet marketing jobs and technical IT jobs, based in Manchester, UK.

National Minimum Wage Increase

From Wednesday 8th October, the national minimum wage in the UK will increase from £5.52 to £5.73 per hour for workers aged 22 and over, £4.77 for an 18-21-year-old and £3.53 for those aged 16 and 17.

The National Minimum Wage was first introduced on 1 April 1999. The main rate was set at £3.60 (for workers aged 22 and over) and £3.00 (workers aged 18-21 years old).

Business Secretary John Hutton said:

"The National Minimum Wage remains one of the most important rights introduced by the Government in the last decade. Before it was introduced, some workers could expect to be paid as little as 35p an hour, our legislation has ensured that can no longer happen."

Tough new penalties are set to come into force next April for employers that flout the rules, while an information campaign over the next six months will aim to make sure that every employer is aware of the changes. The Government is also tightening up enforcement of the minimum wage with new measures, including:

* A fairer way of dealing with national minimum wage arrears, calculated to ensure that employees do not lose out as a result of underpayment.

* Tougher penalties for employers who break the law, increasing the maximum penalty for non-payment of the National Minimum Wage from £5,000 to an unlimited fine. Serious cases of non-compliance will be tried in a Crown Court.

Pat McFadden, employment relations minister, said:

"Ten years ago, the National Minimum Wage was born, marking the start of a hard-fought campaign to introduce a basic standard of employment rights that every worker could be protected by. The minimum wage has made a lasting and significant difference to the low paid, with around a million workers benefiting from the increase each year."

Author:
Chris Crawford is the MD of BD Recruitment a specialist recruiter for new media jobs, business development manager jobs and technical IT jobs, based in Manchester, UK.

UK Salary Gap Rise

The average advertised salary in London is now £10,000 more than the rest of the UK, according to new figures.

The figures, from search engine AllTheTopBananas.com, show that the average advertised salary around the UK is £31,128, compared with London's average advertised salary of £41,500.

The highest average advertised salary outside London is to be found in East Anglia, at £34,487, while the North West has the lowest at £29,676.

Region with average advertised salary:

London - £41,079

East Anglia - £32,551

Wales - £31,795

West Midlands - £31,673

South East - £30,765

South West - £30,496

East Midlands - £30,146

Yorkshire & Humber - £29,782

Scotland - £29,538

North East - £28,941

North West - £28,641

Dave Martin, managing director at AllTheTopBananas, said: "Advertised salaries are rising faster in London than the rest of the UK and the gap is getting bigger. This is a trend that is likely to continue throughout the next 12 months. We are also seeing advertised salaries continue to rise overall, putting added pressure on inflation. There's a chance this could add to the UK's economic woes in the next 12 months."

Article Source:
BD Recruitment are a specialist recruiter for web development jobs, ppc jobs and business analysis jobs, based in Manchester, UK.

Penzance Arts Club – Up for Sale

Will someone want to come in and keep the arts club as it is, or will they want to live there themselves or will the building be a private development. For those in the vicinity of Penzance, Cornwall and involved in the arts in any way this will be of interest.

First here’s what you’ll be getting:

Grade II listed 4 storey Georgian building.
Views over Mounts Bay towards St. Michael's Mount.
7 bedrooms and a caretaker flat.
Reception hall/ foyer/ gallery.
Spacious bar lounge.
Lower ground floor restaurant & kitchen.
Walled garden and terrace.
Garage and courtyard.
The Penzance Arts Club Hotel is featured in 'HIP Hotel' series.


The origins of such a wonderful building, well, Chapel House was originally built as Portuguese Embassy in 1781.

Now an insight into the club, and a little more detail about what you’ll be getting:

The Penzance Arts Club is up for sale after fifteen years of trading. It is currently on the market for £895,000 and is being sold with the options of either, a going concern, a private house or for development.

Chapel House is situated at the bottom end of Chapel Street, one of the oldest streets in Penzance and is fast becoming known as the Cornish equivalent of Cork Street in London with its numerous art galleries featuring old and new paintings, sculpture and new media.

Under the present ownership Chapel House has been tastefully restored and retains most of its original features. It has been the Penzance Arts Club for the past fifteen years with approximately 300 members.

The principal function of the Art Club is to provide a congenial venue for people of like minds to meet and entertain their friends, colleagues and business associates. The club is dedicated, in its own way, to promoting the Arts in Cornwall and the South West and hosts many functions including, exhibitions, parties, weddings, poetry, life drawing classes, jazz and blues evenings.

This seven bed boutique hotel attracts people from far and wide and has over the years been frequented by many celebrities (it is in Cornwall), also having reciprocal arrangements with several other clubs world wide including the Dover Street Arts Club in London. It has a very bohemian atmosphere with a very shabby, chic style.

There have been many articles written about the Penzance Arts Club over the years, both nationally and internationally. It would make a great home and/ or business for someone wishing to live and work on the same premises. The top floor could easily be converted back into an owner flat with spectacular views over Mounts Bay, leaving four letting bedrooms for income together with the bar, restaurant and Art's Club.

Chapel House sits in a very prominent position and is one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in Penzance.

So what are you waiting for…

Full colour brochure available at Savills.
Or have a leisurely look at the Penzance arts club website.

One Man's Loss is Another Man's Gain

Adding to the depressed state of the economy, the TUC is confident that the number of individuals out of work for a year or more will double by the end of next year. This will bring the total of long-term unemployed to 700,000 and the number of unemployed, in total, to just over 2m. These figures surely bring with them the concern for out of date skills and the difficulty of getting the long-term unemployed back into employment.

Chief Economist at the CIPD, John Philpott, strongly agrees, stating that the combination of the rising number of claimants coupled with failing business confidence will only be cause to further jobs cuts on top of the ones already pushing the economy to it's limits.

However, not everyone holds such a dismissal view and on the other side of the employment market you could argue that things are improving. Yes, there is no denying that the number of companies making redundancies is at an all time high. Yet the successful companies, arguably the ones which as an employee you would want to be with anyway, are going from strength to strength. The number of companies going out of business is resulting in the striving companies devouring the market share relinquished by the companies who are bowing out.

Ask a recruitment consultant in the IT industry, for example, and they will most definitely tell you that their best clients are recruiting now more than ever. Tom Hadley, director of external relations at REC, supports this view stating 'feedback from recruitment professionals on the front line of the labour market confirms that employers are still recruiting, although it is clearly a more competitive environment for jobseekers following years of an extremely candidate-driven market.

Our message to jobseekers is to speak with local recruitment agencies, find out what sectors and employers are recruiting and even ask them for some guidance on longer term career options'.

With figures showing the largest unemployment increase for over a decade, with worse predicted yet to come, in times like this jobseekers need to enhance their added value and prove that you, above the rest, can offer more. Companies are still recruiting the game just got harder.

Author:
Chris Crawford is the MD of BD Recruitment a specialist recruiter for web designer jobs, marketing account manager jobs and web programmer jobs, based in Manchester, UK.