Shaping Your Success - VWA's Guide to Recruitment for Candidates
VWA (Victoria Wall Associates)
Searching Today's Talent to Create Tomorrow's Success
Can you believe we are already halfway through 2024? Despite the lack of sunshine (it’s coming, keep believing…), summer is well and truly upon us.
Anyone who has been on the job hunt this year will know that it has been a challenging time with fewer opportunities available. We’ve also seen a high level of redundancy during the first half of 2024, with many candidates finding themselves up against increasing competition for roles. While the cost of living remains high, it has been a difficult time for many.
However, we are starting to see signs of improvement. The economy has seen encouraging signs of growth and recovery in recent weeks – including the recent news that London has once again become the largest stock market in Europe, and the increase in hiring activity compared to the start of the year.
In our latest newsletter, we have compiled some of VWA’s insights and career advice articles to provide support for job seekers. You’ll find our guide to help you navigate the rocky path of redundancy, plus top tips for networking and building your personal brand to help you stand out from the crowd.
Also in this edition:
Grab a cuppa and read on…
Spotlight on Redundancy: A Practical Guide to Finding Your Feet Again
It’s those 6 words we all dread to hear: “your role has been made redundant.”
Sadly, the market in 2024 has meant that these words have become an unfortunate reality for many people, as a result of economic downturn or pre-emptive strikes by companies to protect their bottom lines. Universities and architectural firms are two of the sectors affected, and Guide Dogs UK, a charity, just announced 160 redundancies, equivalent to 9% of its workforce.
The economy has seen encouraging signs of growth and recovery in recent weeks – including the recent news that London has once again become the largest stock market in Europe, and an increase in hiring activity compared to the start of the year. Despite this there are still many candidates in the market who have gone through, or are going through, the redundancy process.
So, what are some practical first steps that we can take when faced with redundancy?
Principal Consultants Rosa von Fürstenberg and Samantha Daniels share their advice:
Networking Tips for Administrative Professionals - Expanding Your Professional Circle and Opportunities
Love it or hate it, networking is an essential skill for administrative professionals. Whether you are an Executive Assistant, Office Manager, or Team Coordinator, expanding your professional circle can open doors to new opportunities, enhance your career prospects, and provide valuable support and insights. Here are some practical networking tips tailored specifically for administrative professionals.
Ready to take your networking to the next level?
Building a Personal Brand: Why It Matters in Your Job Search
For over three decades now, VWA Recruitment Consultants have been working closely with candidates to draw out their experiences and identify their individual skills and expertise. When it comes to job searching, competition for roles can be fierce, so it is vital for candidates to find a way of standing out and differentiating themselves from their peers.
Personal Branding is an intentional and strategic process an individual takes to market themselves. You reflect your personal brand in how you choose to communicate with people, offline and online, your social media profiles and your engagement activity on said platforms.
In the context of job searching, standing out in the market can be tricky – right now even more so, where at the start of the year job volume in the UK fell to its lowest in more than three years (Bloomberg). Now in Q2, the market is showing positive signs of an upturn, with the UK now out of recession and improving inflation rates. However, difficulties in job searching are still present.
Every individual has a unique set of skills and experiences that have shaped their background and career to date. As a candidate, you have ultimate autonomy in how you choose to reflect this and build your own UVP (Unique Value Proposition). Tailoring your personal brand to reflect your unique qualities is a powerful tool that can positively impact your job search.
Consultant Abi Morris tells us how:
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Roles We Recruit For
If you’re considering a career in business support, you may already have begun exploring the different roles and opportunities that are out there. Whether you are at the start of your career or considering a change in direction, taking time to research and understand the different career paths within this field is a valuable exercise.
Over the past 35 years, VWA recruitment consultants have successfully placed thousands of candidates into a variety of roles within business support, including (but certainly not limited to) Executive Assistants, Team Administrators, Private PAs, Trainees & Graduates, Secretarial, Marketing, HR Professionals, Office & Operations and Financial Services Executives including Analysts and Associates.
On the VWA website you can find detailed information about a selection of roles we recruit for including Executive/Personal/Team Assistants, Receptionists, Office Managers, HR roles and more.
Learn more here:
Meet Stephanie and Hannah!
A huge welcome to the two newest members of VWA's Recruitment Consultants and Research Team - Stephanie and Hannah!
Stephanie Smart - Consultant
VWA is pleased to introduce Steph Smart who previously has worked the kinds of roles with the kinds of clients who constitute our bread and butter. After spending some time as a recruiter in the north, Stephanie's direct experience will doubtless prove invaluable to her searches. On day one, after sharing she likes pina coladas, she proceeded to get caught in the rain.
Hannah Otty - Research and Administration Associate
We are delighted to welcome Hannah Otty to the fold. From an arts background, Hannah will direct her honed attention to detail and capacity to multitask towards the myriad of research and administrative tasks which are essential in a modern recruitment environment. In her downtime she likes Russian history with a splattering of Evelyn Waugh, washed down with a glass of cider.
Welcome to the team Stephanie and Hannah! We are all delighted to have you on board!
What our candidates say…
Latest vacancies
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To find out more about these and our many other exciting and varied roles currently live, please click on the image or visit our website:
You can also send us your applications or reach out to the team at [email protected] - we look forward to hearing from you.
That’s it for now, but don’t forget you can catch up with all our latest news and insights on our website – www.vwa.com