September 2020
Welcome to the MoneyPlus Newsletter.
We’re now nine whole months into 2020, and what a year it’s been. The economy has (yet again) been turned on its head, and a wave of redundancies has meant that it’s now tougher than ever to secure a new job… But things are improving, with early August seeing the biggest weekly increase in online job vacancies this year.
How can you find your next job?
Knowing where to start may be quite daunting, especially if you have been out of the jobs market for a while.
To maximise your chances, consider the following:
- Flaunt your core skills, rather than hunting for a specific job title (E.g. experience in retail customer service could translate to other people-facing roles, such as sales).
- Search for these core skills online to see which jobs come up, while also listing them on your own professional profiles (recruiters often search for people based on a list of desired skills rather than specific qualities, so this will make you more visible).
- Sign up with a general or specialist recruitment agency (if you want to work for a particular company, check if they hire directly or through a recruiter).
- If you want a specific job, try and contact someone doing that role to discover how they got there.
- Professional networks are a handy tool. These could be LinkedIn or Facebook groups, or industry and community organisations, where jobs and events are posted and advice is available.
- Some industries and employers have virtual networking events and job fairs during the pandemic and you can also check vacancies in trade publications and websites.
Job sectors hiring workers
- IT and digital technology
Even before the pandemic, the tech sector was rapidly expanding. Software engineers, web developers, online security specialists – you name it. Digital skills are required in all industries, from e-commerce to automating processes in factories. The IT industry is a good option if you have the skills required, but be wary as it can be quite competitive.
- Warehouse pickers/delivery drivers
Since the start of lockdown, we’ve all been shopping a lot more online, and that has seen an increase in people being hired in the sector. Online retail giant Amazon has created 15,000 new full and part-time warehouse and delivery driver jobs across the UK in goods fulfilment centres, where orders are processed, and in its logistics network. Meanwhile, delivery company Hermes is creating 10,500 jobs, as it looks to hire 1,500 full-time staff across its delivery network and head office, and 9,000 freelance couriers.
- Supermarkets/grocery retail
We’ve all been eating at home an awful lot more due to the closure of many of our beloved restaurants, and this increased demand for groceries has seen demand soar. Supermarkets have taken on more than 50,000 workers during the coronavirus outbreak, and while many have been temporary posts, full-time jobs have been created too.
- Lorry drivers
Whether it is taking stock to an Amazon warehouse to be shelved and then put into customer orders, or taking extra deliveries to individual supermarkets, goods are being moved by road. Those who can build vehicles and repair them are also being sought by employers. The demand comes against a backdrop of warnings in the industry during the past few years that there is an acute shortage of drivers.
- Cleaners
As well as a rise in demand for domestic cleaners, businesses are also hiring again, with recruitment website Indeed now showing more than 10,000 cleaning roles. Recent vacancies listed have included cleaning jobs for supermarkets Aldi, Lidl and Iceland, businesses such as Wetherspoons and Ladbrokes, and for places such as holiday cottages and schools. There has been an increase in demand for cleaners in all sectors of the economy, but particularly in the healthcare and hospital sector, as the public wants to see visible signs of cleaning.
Meet the Team.
Matt Riley – IT Director
Matt says: “I first joined MoneyPlus in 2014, having previously worked as IT Director for MoneySupermarket.com as well as various senior IT roles at other financial services companies. I re-joined the business in October 2019 after taking time out to focus on family. I chose to come back to MoneyPlus as it has a real vision that it sticks to every day, which is helping people live better, and I wanted to continue to work for a company that is true to its vision, like MoneyPlus is.
Being a part of a company that’s so diverse in its offerings is something that I really enjoy – from financial Advice, to Energy, Telecoms and Legal services – it seems as though there’s nothing we can’t do! And it definitely means that my role as IT Director sees great variety.
No two days are ever the same, and we all drive towards delivering products and services that benefit our customers, especially working within IT, as we deliver a broad spectrum of solutions that drive positive change both to the business and ultimately our customers.
It’s an incredible thing to be part of a team that always puts our customers first, which translates to having such a positive impact on their lives. Innovation and collaboration are key at MoneyPlus – for the whole team!”
Review of the month.
We love reading our customer reviews – and showing them off to the world!
This month’s review (as do all reviews) comes from a very valuable customer, who we are proud to help support through their financial wellbeing journey.
Take a look…
In case you didn’t know, every Friday is #FeedbackFriday on our social media, so if you’d like to see more great reviews, head over to our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!
If you’d like to leave a review for us, head over to our Reviews.io page – we can’t wait to read it!
Social Scene.
We like to keep our followers up-to-date with the latest industry news, advice, and offers, so we highly recommend following our social media channels so you can stay in the know…
We’ve partnered with Bloom & Wild for the whole of 2020 to give 5 of our social followers a monthly chance to win a free bouquet! To be in with a chance to win September’s bloom, just do the following:
- Like our Facebook page
- Then share this post with the hashtag #12MonthsOfBloom.
Simple! (Don’t forget to set your shared post to ‘public’, otherwise we won’t be able to see who shares it!)
Winners will be announced at the beginning of next month, so stay tuned to our social to see if you’ve won.
(T&C’s apply – https://bit.ly/2uhOyZx).
Live Better Blog.
Did you know that we publish a monthly blog, detailing need-to-know updates and advice about the world of personal finance?
We also post positive stories, and hints & tips to help you live better, every day.
Take a look at what we have in our latest blog post…
- Affordable housing
- Kickstart scheme
- Financial aid
- Utilities refunds
- 1 Man, 3 Counties, 100 Miles
- Social Scene
Here for you.
If your personal circumstance has changed, or if you find yourself struggling to manage your finances, give us a call on 0161 837 4000, or email us at info@moneyplus.com, and we’ll help you find the best solution to get you back on track.
