Well, 2020 is nearly over — and it’s certainly been an odd year! As one of the leading recruitment agencies in the capital, we thought it would be helpful to hear from some of our office support job candidates about their job-hunting experiences this year. They shared with us what they found normal and different.
Temporary jobs in London come out on top
Both Paul and Marie told us that they’ve had success by changing their expectations and applying for temporary jobs.
“I wanted something permanent, but I hadn’t realised how much the recruitment landscape has changed since I last applied for a job,” Paul told us.
“When I started looking at the job descriptions of permanent roles versus temp ones, I discovered that the best jobs at the moment are temporary ones,” Marie concurred.
Pippa expanded on this. “I learned that temping is an opportunity. I took a temporary position in October, and I’m being moved onto a permanent contract in January.”
Patience is key
“In the digital world, we’re now used to hearing back from emails in hours,” Amber explained. “However, quite frequently during my job search, it would be a week or two. I’d think I’d been discounted, and then I’d get an invitation for an interview.”
“I found I needed patience overall,” added Jo. “I was about to go for an interview when the second lockdown happened, which threw things off. The interview was moved to virtual, but it delayed things by a few weeks. I’ve got the job, but I’m not starting until January now. That’ll be nearly three months since I applied, and I only have a four-week notice period.”
Transferrable skills are a must
“I come from a hospitality background, so I admit I entered the job hunt feeling quite unhopeful,” Martin admitted. “But the Love Success team helped me to see which of my skills can be used within office support. I hadn’t considered it before.”
“I worked in travel, and I’ve discovered that my skills naturally lend themselves to a PA role,” said Ashleigh. “I’ve done some extra courses to brush up on areas I didn’t feel confident in, but now I’m applying for a range of different PA positions. I’m excited about the career change.”
Perseverance matters
Scott was made redundant at the end of July. He explains his experience, “I didn’t want to just jump into anything simply because I’d been made redundant and was worried about the job market. My redundancy pay gave me some leeway. I started my new job at the beginning of November, and it was worth taking my time. Yes, I had a few rejections, but I also rejected a few companies as they weren’t what I was looking for. I’m glad I persevered to find the right match.”
Lots of recruitment agencies in London will push you to make decisions quickly. Get to know your recruitment consultant so that they can really find out what you’re looking for and match you with the right jobs and employers.
Are you going to start job hunting in 2021? Get in touch on 020 7870 7177.
Love Success is a leading London PA & office support recruitment agency.
Our expert recruiters can help you find permanent and temporary jobs in London.
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