How to change jobs on your terms and find the right work-life balance

WITH the kids back at school and grown-ups’ holiday time over, it’s time for the big autumn reset.

It’s known in the recruitment industry as the September Surge, and statistics show around a quarter of UK workers decide to change jobs following time to evaluate their lives over the summer holidays.

While the most common route is finding a new employer, increasing numbers are considering term-time working to fit around the kids or setting up their own businesses for more flexibility.

New research from Amazon shows half of UK workers want more flex in their working patterns while one in three parents with young children would consider term-time-only working.

Whichever route you are keen on, here’s how to do it with support from Sunemployment.

FINDING A NEW JOB

ONE way to do this is to sign up with a recruiter in the sector you want to work in.

Recruiters will work with companies to find a position which fits your skillset and will get feedback on your application and interviews.

Make sure you refresh your CV using our tips on the left today.

Search at rec.uk.com/jobseekers/member-directory.

WORKING TERM-TIME ONLY

THE sky-high cost of childcare means term-time working is becoming more popular.

Many firms are offering the option to attract working parents.

One is Amazon, which offers guaranteed time off in the summer, Christmas and Easter school holidays for parents, grandparents and guardians of school-age children.

It has also introduced a flexible part-time contract for a minimum of 80 hours a month, which lets employees pick and mix the shifts which suit them.

There are almost 11,000 vacancies for term-time-only work. Search at reed.co.uk/jobs/term-time-jobs and workingmums.co.uk/jobs/find/term-time-only/.

GO IT ALONE

SETTING up your own business may sound daunting, but there are lots of free resources to help you.

Experts recommend building up a side hustle and running it alongside your current employment until you feel financially secure enough to make the leap.

Search smallbusinessbritain.uk for help.

Former soldier Sean Taylor spent 24 years in the Army before deciding to follow his passion for building and become a plasterer. Sean, 48, from Liverpool, is now the boss at SiT Property Solutions Ltd.

He said: “I’d 100 per cent recommend people making a career change. If you’ve got an idea or something you want to do, you’ve got to go for it or you’ll regret not trying.”

Neighbourhood platform nextdoor.co.uk sees the number of new business posts double in September, as people launch into being their own boss.

The site’s Alice Skeats said: “For small business owners, success hinges not just on great products or services, but also on building trust and credibility.

“Over 90 per cent of our neighbours say supporting small, local businesses is important to them.”

Here Alice gives her top tips on starting a small business.

• Follow your passion: If you are starting a completely new career, it’s important to start a business in something you are passionate about to keep you motivated and driven to succeed.
• Carry out market research: Understand your target audience, their needs, preferences, and the existing competition in the market. This will help you to create a product or service that meets the needs of your customers.
• Make sure you have a presence where your customers are: Set up a Nextdoor business page with essential information such as contact details, opening hours, and prices. You can start your own website when you can afford it.
• Collect recommendations from local customers: Encourage customers to leave reviews — recommendations are crucial for attracting new customers.

MUM Karolina Szafraniec works at Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Kegworth, East Mids, and recently switched to term-time working.

She said: “Having this extended time off is what I’ve always wanted motherhood to look like. You don’t rush anywhere, it’s so peaceful and I can give my children my full attention.

“The guarantee of six weeks off in summer takes away all the stress that comes with shorter periods of annual leave – I really love it.

“My partner and I don’t have our parents nearby, so it’s just us looking after the kids.”

She added: “When I found out about the contracts, I knew I had to get one.

“It can be such a struggle to plan everything, and I think sometimes we take for granted how hard it is to be a parent and work full-time. Term-time contracts are an incredible thing.”

DAVID Brownhill is a single dad with twin daughters, now 17. He joined Amazon in Swansea six years ago and recently switched to term-time working.

He said: “This contract takes so much pressure off, particularly as a single parent, when you’re managing a number of conflicting priorities.

“I’m trying to do the best I can for my kids and this flexibility gives me certainty.”

Prepare CV after break

ADELE has announced she is taking an “incredibly long” break from music, but if you take time out from a career, how do you address it on a CV?

CV writer Julia Belak, from Kickresume says: “Having a recent break on your CV doesn’t mean you aren’t a good candidate. It just means you might have to change your strategy for your job search.

“Build a functional CV that opens with a list of your skills rather than your experience.

“Include any additional training or education, as well as any new skills. Be prepared to talk about it in the interview, and don’t worry.

Plenty of people have come back after a break and carried on having a successful career.”

7-second success

RECRUITERS spend an average of just seven seconds looking at each CV before whether to bin it or not.

So how can you make your CV stand out? These tips from FutureLearn reveal how to beat the seven-second test.

1) With only a few seconds to make an impact, prioritise quality over quantity.

2) Format for clarity: If your CV is too long but you don’t want to cut out any key information, reduce the font size to 11 or 12 points or adjust the margins.

You can also decrease spacing between headings to limit page length.

3) Have a clear layout: Half of recruiters look for a logical layout.

Order your CV with your name and contact details, followed by education and qualifications listed from most recent to oldest, then employment history.

For each position, include your job title, the company, the dates you worked there and a short line which summarises the role and the skills you used.

4) Incorporate any keywords: Study the job application and note any keywords that crop up frequently and then weave these into your CV.

5) Include the right skills: Highlight your skillset or add to your experience section. Include a mix of hard skills such as AI and data analysis and soft skills which could be leadership or project management.

Changing industries? Highlight transferrable skills.

6) Get a second opinion: Nine in ten jobseekers make at least one avoidable mistake on their CV, so proofreading is key, ask a friend to check it over.