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Forty years ago my parents left school and got a job in a chosen career and it was more than likely that not only would they stay within that profession for the majority of their working life, but potentially they could stay with the same company as well.
Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. It is very rare for someone to stay within the same company throughout their career. As a result employees now need to have a variety of skill sets and be more versatile in general. Training has a big part to play in helping employees acquire the necessary skills which will help them have a long and successful career in a number of different roles. Do not get left behind and make sure you ask for further training where you feel it is appropriate.

Personally I am not a very confident person and I get very nervous in difficult situations such as interviews. In cases such as these it is important to learn to relax, in order to portray yourself in the best possible way. Otherwise there is a danger of losing out of opportunities as you are not selling yourself.

As difficult as it may seem, it is really important to put yourself in these situations so you can get used to them and gradually learn to perform better. At the end of the day if you have been invited for an interview, the employer has obviously decided from your CV that they would like to know more about you and have the opportunity to speak with you in person and ask you questions. Try to be yourself!

It has never been so important to prepare well for interviews. With the recession many more people have found themselves unexpectedly out of work. It means that there is likely to be more competition for jobs which do become available, as a result if you are well prepared you are more likely to stand out from the crowd.

Tips I would advise with regards to preparing for an interview include making sure you CV is up to date and accurate, be prepared to give explanations if there are gaps in your employment history. There are plenty of examples of interview questions on line, so familiarise yourself with these.

Obviously you do not know what questions you will be asked, but in general there are some questions which are asked regularly. Finally, make sure you do some research about the company you want to join. There is nothing more embarrassing than being asked about your understanding of what the company does and not knowing!

When I was made redundant, it came as a complete shock. I had been with the company for 4 years, starting at the bottom and working my way up to a management position. On the day I was given the news, it was honestly the last thing I was expecting to hear. It was very disheartening and difficult to come to terms with.
If you end up in a position like me, and are facing redundancy although it may feel like it, it is not the end of the world.

I understand it must be even scarier for individuals now due to the recession and the increase in competition for a limited amount of jobs. However, it can also be an opportunity to have a change of a career. I am back in full time employment now, working in a very different environment and very much enjoying the new challenge. Redundancy is a horrible experience for anyone to go through and really feel for those people effected by it.

Following the recession if you are one of the unfortunate people to have lost your job due to cut backs, unfortunately you will join many more people already in a similar position.
I myself have been made redundant and I know what it feels like to be uncertain of what the future holds with regards to your career.
When I was at university, luckily for me a lot of emphasis was placed of volunteering. It was drilled into us the importance of having “on the job” experience.
Now, having managed to successfully get back into full time employment I can honestly say that the time I spent volunteering really did help be stand out from the rest of the candidates and I learnt valuable skills which I have been able to transfer into my new role. If you are given the opportunity, volunteering can really help boost your CV, so do not let an opportunity pass you by.

There are four types of practice which can all be used in different situations and dependent on the skill being learned i thought this would be really useful to share and could come into use very often:

1. Fixed practice - Also known as drills and involves repeatedly practicing a whole skill in order to strengthen your understanding.
2. Massed practice – This is a continuous form of practice which is best for simple skills. An example would be a rally in badminton where the learner must repeatedly perform drop shots. This causes fatigue and therefore simulates the late stages of a game
3. Variable practice – This is used best for open skill and involves repeating a skill in varying situations. An example of this could be shooting practice in football, where the coach may set up drills and alter the starting position and involvement of defenders. This helps to build up a plan to use in game situations
4. Distributed practice – Attempts at the skill are divided up with intervals in between to allow for rest and mental rehearsal.

1. Waiters and waitresses
Average annual salary: £11,930

2. Bar staff
Average annual salary: £11,930

3. Kitchen and catering assistants
Average annual salary: £12,410
Job titles include: Canteen assistant, catering assistant, counterhand, dining room assistant, kitchen assistant, kitchen porter, washer-up.

4. Travel and tour guides
Average annual salary: £12,561
Job titles include: Coach guide, courier for tour operator, escort, guide

5. Launderers, dry cleaners, pressers
Average annual salary: £12,657
Job titles include: Carpet cleaner, dry cleaner, garment presser, laundry worker.

6. Retail cashiers and check-out operators
Average annual salary: £12,736
Job titles include: Cashier, check-out operator, forecourt attendant, petrol pump attendant, restaurant cashier.

1. Directors and CEOs of major organisations.
Average annual salary: £115,576
Jobs such as : CEO, company director, general manager, managing director (of major organisations).

2. Medical practitioners
Average annual salary: £78,366
Jobs such as : Anaesthetist, hospital consultant, doctor, GP, psychiatrist, physician, registrar, psycho-analyst, surgeon.

3. Senior officials in national government
Average annual salary: £68,283
Jobs such as : Assistant secretary, MEP (Member of European Parliament), MP (Member of Parliament- UK), diplomat, permanent secretary.

4. Brokers
Average annual salary: £61,117
Jobs such as : Commodity trader, foreign exchange dealer, financial broker, shipbroker, insurance broker, stockbroker.

5. Air traffic controllers
Average annual salary: £60,548
Jobs such as : Air traffic controller, flight planner, controller of aircraft, ground movement controller.

We all want the best education for our children and so when the time come for them to join high school as parents we have a difficult decision to make and this is whether to send them to private or public school.

After going to public school myself and knowing many friends who went to private school i am able to compare between the two and i have to say there is not much difference in the long term as we are all doing well having been to university.
I think it comes down to the person and how much the actually want to learn and succeed at the end of the day.

It is no surprise that one of the fastest growing areas of employment in recent years relates to computer technology. Technological advance and the continued integration of IT and digital communications into the workplace throughout the private, public and voluntary sectors ensures that this trend will continue for some time. Popular jobs in this area include the likes of Systems analysts, designers and developers, computer programmers, web developers, consultants and information managers . Hardware engineers are also needed, working in infrastructure construction and repair, fibre, cable, satellites, etc. With so much choice it is no wonder that working in this sector has become so popular.