What is the National Living Wage

What is the National Living Wage by Michael Cheary On April 1st 2016, the Government’s new National Living Wage became law. As a result, your earnings might be have been affected especially since the amount was updated on April 1st 2018. However, this will depend on a number of different factors, so it’s always important to know what you’re entitled to.We spoke to the Money Advice Service for more information on the change, and to find out exactly who is eligible for the National Living Wage:What is the National Living Wage?The National Living Wage replaced the National Minimum Wage for those aged 25 and over, and legally requires employers to pay their staff a minimum of £8.21 an hour.Most people aged over 25 who were previously covered by the National Minimum Wage will be covered by the National Living Wage. This includes employees; most workers and agency workers; casual labourers; agricultural workers and apprentices.There are differences between ‘employees’ and ‘workers’, but for the pur poses of the National Living Wage there is no difference. To find out more about the differences, read our quick guide to your employment status.If you’re an apprentice, you must have been in your apprenticeship for a year or over to be paid the National Living Wage.What’s the difference between this and the National Minimum Wage?The National Minimum Wage, which is the current minimum amount, will still apply for workers aged 24 and under.The minimum wage for those under 25 is £7.70 an hour, £6.15 for under 21-year-olds and £4.35 for under 18s.The National Minimum Wage  and National Living Wage  are subject to change every year.  Who is exempt?To be entitled to the National Living Wage, you must be aged 25 or over.To qualify for the National Minimum wage, you must be of school leaving age or over. In other words, you must have turned 16 by the last Friday in June of the current school year.If you are self-employed (i.e. a client pays you for your services but you pay your own tax and National Insurance and can decide when you work) you are not eligible for either the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage.Other exemptions include those in the armed forces, company directors and voluntary workers.Work experience can be paid, but it isn’t a legal requirement to pay you. You should find out the arrangements with your employer beforehand.How do I calculate whether I’m being paid correctly?The National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage are both worked out as an hourly rate.Your average hourly pay is worked out over a period called the ‘pay reference period’, which is usually the period of time that you are actually paid for.So, for example, if you’re paid weekly, your pay reference period is one week and if you’re paid monthly, it’s one month.Your pay reference period can’t be longer than 31 days, and you must be paid the minimum wage, on average, for the time worked in the pay reference period.To work out whether you’re being pa id correctly, you can use the gov.uk minimum wage calculator.  * Please note, the information outlined above is intended for general guidance purposes only, and is subject to change at any time. This article was last edited  in April 2019.For more detailed information about minimum wage, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage.  Ready to find your perfect position? Have a look at all of our current vacancies now. Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Employee rights Employment Law Salaries What is minimum wage?

7 Ways to Accelerate Your Job Search

7 Ways to Accelerate Your Job Search Considering the tough competition of the job market, jobseekers need to be smart enough to perform their job search smoothly. A slow start to your job search may increase the period of unemployment. Many times, jobseekers also get stuck with their job hunting process. While searching for jobs, it is important to save time and speed up the process of finding jobs as much as possible. To expedite the process of job hunt, you need to be equipped with some essential pieces of advice. Given below are seven  essential tips to help you. #1. Get Prepared If you are starting a job search, you need to set up a couple of things. Make sure you are ready with a professional email address, a telephone answering machine or voice messaging system. Always remember to put your cellular phone number in the job resume, so that you are easily contactable by the employers. There are various job search toolkits available online as well to prepare yourself for searching jobs. More tips at How to Create a Professional Email for Your Career or Job Search. #2. Keep Your Resume Up-to-date Nothing can be more frustrating than not having an up-to-date resume when it comes to finding a new job. You never know when an opportunity will strike. So, you should always keep your resume current and updated. Continue including new skills and experience in your resume as soon as your acquire them. More at Top 10 Signs Your Resume Needs Updating. #3. Keep Templates Ready to Edit Have multiple copies of your job resume and cover letter ready to edit. If you are ready with the templates, you can immediately tailor the same according to the job application requirements. You won’t need to change the contact information, opening and closing paragraphs for applying to different job positions. Rest of the content can be optimized according to the requirements. Also check out the LinkedIn Resume Builder for a quick way to send a resume. #4. Use Job Search Engines There are plenty of useful job search engines available on the internet. There are many job search engines that are global while there are other job boards that are regional. Prepare a list of all the major job boards, company websites and associations that you want to use. Use a number of job search engines and job banks to speed up the process of searching jobs. Check out the Top 5 Job Search Aggregators out there. #5. Let Job Information Come to You There are several job banks and job sites that will send you job listings by email. Find out such job search agents that can send you current job information. There are various websites that specialize in sending job opening announcement to jobseekers. This step is very useful for speeding up the process of job hunting. Read more at How to Use Google Alerts for a Live Job Search. #6. Time Saver Tips If you want to speed up the process even more, you can take help from resume writing and resume editing services online. There are plenty of online resume posting services that can immediately post your job resume to multiple job boards at one. This can save you ample time. And in the meantime you can watch Speedy Gonzales Cannery Woe. #7. Keep Your References Ready Another most important job search tip is to be ready with the references that you want to include in your resume or want to send to the interviewers. Make sure you have complete informational details of the references you want to send. While creating the list of references, remember to include their full name, job title, company name, phone number and email address where they can be contacted. See more at References Available Upon Request. #Bonus: Leverage Your Network Jobseekers should be advised that not all job vacancies are advertised. Most of the job openings are filled through networking. Ensure that everyone in your professional networking loop is aware that you are searching for a job. Ask your contacts if they can provide your some valuable job information. Keep expanding your professional network as well. Check out 7 Brilliant Ways to Use Your Network to Get a New Job. James Tomerson writes regularly on career, education and latest job trends. To read more from him, you can visit Jobdiagnosis.com, which also offers jobseekers a free career test to choose a career which is in tune with their career, aptitude and skills.

Personal Branding Interview Jerry Springer - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Interview Jerry Springer - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I spoke to Jerry Springer, who is best known for the Jerry Springer Show. He was also the mayor of Cincinnati, and is a political pundit, lawyer, award-winning newscaster, country recording artist, and international emcee and TV personality. In this interview, Jerry talks about how to stand out in a world filled with endless choices, how to keep peoples attention, why not all press is good press, and much more. In a world where there are unlimited choices for media, such as TV, radio, blogs, newspapers, etc, how can you get your name out there? What’s the best way to do so? Well, it depends on what you’re trying to get your name out there for. The important thing is to recognize what your niche is and then that will in a sense define where you should go for your audience. The internet may not be for everybody. If you’re going for an old audience and a lot of them still aren’t going to websites, then that’s a waste of time going there. Figuring out who your audience is the first thing you have to do and then you have to figure out how much you can afford. If you can’t afford much, then how can you make news with what you’re doing. Again, target the audience. That’s the most important thing and where most people waste most of their money. Sometimes people will advertise for something because they want to see themselves on a billboard or in a television commercial but it’s not reaching the audience they want to reach, so it’s more for ego than actually helping their product. Once you get people’s attention, how do you get them to come back for more? Well you gotta be good. It has to be something they want. It’s not like the early days of mass advertising. By now, people are inundated with hundreds of messages a day. We’ve all become experts. We are so sophisticated in knowing when we’re being played, when we’re being tricked and when there is something of substance worth paying attention to. Very rarely can the public be fooled. In the end is there any worth to what you’re trying to sell. You can’t fake that anymore. You can’t say that it’s not a real good product but if there’s a lot of good commercials people will go for it. That’s very rarely done anymore. For any one success there are literally thousands and thousands that fail. The most powerful advertising is word-of-mouth because when you hear it from a friend or someone you’re passing by on the street or doing business with, they don’t have a hidden agenda in telling you that. So therefore you give their statement credibility. If you see something in a commercial, you know they are trying to sell you something so you put up your defenses right away. In the end, it can only be overcome by the fact that wow this is really special and I would like to have. There is no shortcut to that. Have a good product that you’re trying to sell and then it has a chance. If it’s not a good product then it may get a momentary blitz if it gets an office and but then it dies. It’s why for example yo use some movies advertised. They go crazy advertising the movie but if the word of mouth isn’t there, the movie is dead. All that money for nothing. Is all press good press? Why or why not? Obviously not all press is good press, but it depends on what the product is. All press gets you recognized, but again, just being recognized means therefore that people are going to like what they hear or see. Momentary bad news can be overcome if it’s a good product or service. All press gets peoples attention but it doesn’t necessary make the sale. There have been careers that have been ruined by a lot of press because people really knew who they were. For example, Tom Cruise got a ton of press a couple years back but all of a sudden it didn’t matter that everyone knew who he was because the kind of press he was getting was turning a lot of people off so that had an economic impact. No I wouldn’t say that all press is good. All press gets you in the door and you still have to have something to sell. Do you like how the media has portrayed your personal brand throughout your career? Well I think it’s accurate. I mean it’s a silly show I do. Again, the audience is people tuning in to see something silly and outrageous. I think it’s been very accurately portrayed. Is being controversial a short-term play or do you feel that is has brand value long-term? No I don’t think being controversial necessary a good thing. It may get you noticed but it doesn’t necessary get people to want to buy your product. Again, what you’re saying, be it a political idea, product or service, whatever it is, in the end has to be something that people really want. You can advertise you want, you can have all the press you want, it’s not going to make people make the sale. You can be totally known and not particularly liked. In the end you need to have something that people want. If it’s controversial that doesn’t mean that someone won’t want it. In your career, how did you stand out from all the other talk show hosts? What tips do you have for people who want to stand out in their careers? My show was obviously the silliest so it was easily identifiable. It was probably the first show to be crazy. WE created a niche, that’s all our show did. Surely I’m not more talented than the other hosts. I’m not better looking. It was just that I had a crazy show. I’m reasonably bright but I’m not talented. Be good at what you do. If you’re good at what you do people will notice. In the end, that’s it. There are no shortcuts to that. You can have all the technology in the world but if people don’t like the product they’re not gonna tune you in. You can get something that you can get on cable, direct TV, the internet, cell phone, on your iPod, but if they don’t like the product, the means of getting it are irrelevant. - Jerry Springer has become a cultural and civic icon throughout an illustrious career. In addition to talk show host, he has been the mayor of Cincinnati, political pundit, lawyer, award-winning newscaster, country recording artist, and international emcee and TV personality. He has been in movies and on Broadway, hes a progressive talk-radio broadcaster and recently Springer won Americas heart with his ballroom dancing. Today, because of the lasting popularity of his talk show, Springer is a favorite guest speaker at college campuses throughout the U.S. In recent years. Ringmaster hit bookstore shelves in November 1998; penned by Springer, it was a personal account of his experiences along with remembrances from his childhood and professional career. In November 1998, Springer made his first venture into feature films, starring in “Ringmaster,” a fictionalized movie chronicling his television talk show. In 1999, Springer teamed up with Mike Myers, where he portrayed himself in th e hit movie Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me. He has also graced the cover of Rolling Stone, Esquire, New York Magazine, among others, and he was recently featured in Vanity Fairs Vanities. Barbara Walters chose Springer as one of the 10 Most Fascinating People in her 1998 special. In 2007, Springer hosted Nothing But The Truth, the forerunner of Foxs Moment Of Truth.

4 Ways Corporate Relocation Impacts HR

4 Ways Corporate Relocation Impacts HR Relocation and mobility are an extremely important part of driving businesses and families of all shapes and sizes forward. According to the American Moving Storage Association (AMSA), the average annual percentage of Americans who move each year is 11.2%. In the 52nd edition of the Atlas ® Van Lines Corporate Relocation Survey, the company considered the demographic, geopolitical, and economic shifts affecting mobility and analyzed the findings to uncover and understand the industry’s evolving challenges. Invited via email, 444 decision-makers completed online questionnaires with more than a third (36%) of respondents from small or mid-size companies and 29% from large companies. Below are some of the most noteworthy findings indicating the current state of corporate relocation. 1. Volume. Budgets Tax Reform Overall, 2018 was another positive year for the relocation industry, with roughly nine out of ten organizations indicating both corporate relocation volumes and budgets either held steady or increased. Nearly six out of ten mid-size firms reported budget increases compared to just four out of ten among smaller and larger firms. Projections for 2019 are similarly optimistic, with more than four out of ten organizations expecting increases in volumes and budgets. Expectations are essentially in line with last year’s experiences across company sizeâ€"firms of all sizes expect growth or stability for relocation volumes and budgets, while only a few expect decreases. In light of tax reform and increasing costs, it appears firms are working to ensure their budgets cover the relocations projected in the coming year. 2. Factors Impacting Relocation For the past six years, family issues and ties have taken the top spot among reasons for declined relocations by employees, while spouse/partner employment has held second place. The impact of housing/mortgage concerns has lessened notably during this period, while dual-income households with family commitments continue to be a prime reason for declined relocations. Near its lowest point in more than 15 years, housing/mortgage concerns remain within pre-recession levels for the fourth time since 2007 and for the third year in a row across company size. However, one in four firms indicated housing/mortgage concerns still played a role in their employees’ decisions to stay put. 3. Relocation Reimbursement/Cost Coverage Even as companies expand their reliance on lump sum payments for relocating employees, they are utilizing them as a supplement with flexibility for specific costs versus a total reimbursement replacement. The Corporate Relocation Survey continues to investigate which costs fall under lump sum payments. Among firms using lump sums, fewer than half apply them for the entire cost of an employee’s relocation. Usage has increased progressively for travel expenses, household goods shipping/storage, temporary housing, rental assistance/transactions, and real estate assistance/transactions. Survey respondents indicate the customization of employee relocation packages continues, with assistance most often based on one’s job level or position and job title. However, the biggest differences occur in company size. Small firms are the most likely to offer either a lump sum or no reimbursement option to entry-level employees they are relocating. Around a fourth or more of both mid-size and small firms use lump sums or do not offer assistance for mid-level or executive homeowners, far more often than large firms. 4. International Assignments Until 2015, the majority of firms overall reported international assignments lasting one to three years. The percentage dropped in 2015 and remains lower for the fifth straight year at 43%. Assignments of less than a year are almost as “typical” as those lasting one to three years, with longer engagements falling out of favor. Despite stricter immigration enforcement and a challenging political climate, the United States was a top international destination again in 2018. The five most-frequented destinations for relocating employees were the United States, Canada, Western Europe, the United Kingdom, and Asia. About the Author:  Mary Beth Johnson serves as Vice President of Corporate Marketing for Atlas ® Van Lines, Inc. and Vice President of Avail Move Management, both subsidiaries of Atlas ® World Group. Her key focus areas include brand management, go-to-market strategy, pricing and contract administration, corporate communications, account management, agent support. In addition to optimizing customer service throughout the lifecycle of shipments, she is also focused on identifying opportunities to drive growth and profitability.

Want More Opportunities with Employers Find Shared Core Values [Guest Post] - Career Pivot

Want More Opportunities with Employers Find Shared Core Values [Guest Post] - Career Pivot Find Shared Core Values Copyright: feverpitched / 123RF Stock Photo Pointing out the generational differences in the workplace is now a stale conversation and no longer makes us the shining star. Oneof a few ways older job seekers can combat age discriminationand disrupt the hiring process is through relationships in the company and sharing common core values with the company itself. In 2003, I worked for a small start-up where mostly everyone had families and marriages, but there was a high sense of integrity. I think that was why I made the cut as the questioning during the interview was to unveil my tolerance of a lack thereof. It’s not that older workers are incapable of grasping tech, it’s the behaviorâ€" kicking and screaming about learning one more new thing. There is a place to meet in the middle where it’s possible the company inherently rewards behavior reflecting its core values. Core values for most older workers manifest in their life and career Employers can’t train personality or strong core values in employees. Although companies will emphasize the job skills gap, they want employees with the right soft skill set. One way for older workers to connect with employers is to display high core values. Employees are more invested in the company’s mission when they share core values. These values for most older workers manifest in their life and career. At the company I worked for, the manager went out of his way to ensure we were clear about our customer’s expectations and how it should be reflected in the store first. It was drama-free, unlike the bigger company I had just left. If older workers find out if they mean something to an employer, it can serve as leverage to hire, especially if core values mean something to both. An older worker has a tighter grasp on his or her core values. Younger workers focus on their hard skill sets while most older workers possess applied knowledge, skills, and an acute awareness of self. Core values change over timeand may match the employers, and the fit may result in serious consideration. If an employee makes business decisions driven by shared values, then it works out perfect for both. Employees are more invested in the company’s mission when they share core values. As an older worker, it is up to you to find common ground at every opportunity Employers examine core values during the hiring process. Behavioral Assessments are used to pass candidates to the next round, usually to a person-to-person interview, but don’t measure core values. The common ground becomes evident when the candidate and the employer grow familiar with one another through the process. Along with the other research you’re conducting on companies (you are researching companies, right?), research the company’s core values. Here are few things that should stand out if the company emphasizes their core values: â€" Core values should be EASY to find Zappos has a complete page of their core values. In fact, you’ll find several pages where they list their core values and how they affect Zappos culture. It seems core values drive the company’s mission to succeed and the employee is its most valuable catalyst for success. â€" Do they provide training of their core values? Zappos also spend three days of training during their onboarding training for new hires. The opportunity as a wiser and seasoned job seeker to share the company’s core values would solidify their worth to the company. Listen to the most recent episode â€" Look for the company with core values in action Press releases are a good way to find out if the company practices what they preach. If a company says, they embrace diversity and community, is it reflected in management and volunteer community? Surely there are pictures from the community they serve that proves this, right? Bank of America is another good example of stating what their core values are but also showing how it manifests throughout the company on their YouTube channel. â€" Is the company’s leadership talking about it openly OK, they have clear core values as a page on their website. Are the company’s President and C-Suite executives talking about them in their communication to employees? How about the press? Well, see what Sharon John, Build-A-Bear’s CEO says about her company’s core values and how talent alone isn’t everything. â€" Are they responsive to questions about its core values If a company says it’s a family, they should support employees who have families such as maternity and parent leave, right? While working for the start-up, it was apparent families came first. Not only were the questions about family answered in my interview, but also constant reinforcement occurred throughout my time there. During this period my sons were in grade school, and when emergencies came up, there was never a problem leaving early. The company I left was also supportive of families, but what was different was the small family feel of the start-up. It wasn’t possible for a large corporation to replicate. You’ll need to discern how Excellent skills are necessary but what will make an older job seeker fit in the company? Look beyond the desktop and start finding out what makes the company and its leadership motor run. You can often find it in the core values and how it aligns with yours. This post was written by Mark Anthony Dyson who is the “The Voice of Job Seekers,” career consultant, job seeker advocate, career writer, and founder of this award-winning blog. I help the employed, unemployed, underemployed, and under-appreciated find jobs using job search strategies to navigate the new job market. He can be foundTwitter,Facebook,LinkedIn, his website:http://thevoiceofjobseekers.comand oniTunes:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-voice-of-job-seekers/id704984053. Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

Looking for a job Heres how to ace your next interview - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

Looking for a job Heres how to ace your next interview Looking for a job can be really overwhelming and stressful. You need a great resume and a lot of time to apply to a number of job postings. However, the hard work really begins when you have to actually go to job interviews. Here are 3 tips to help you be prepared to prove to the interviewer that you deserve to be hired: 1.      Pay attention to nonverbal communication One essential thing that can really dictate the way your interview will go is nonverbal communication. Most job seekers focus on preparing for the interview questions, dressing professionally, and researching the company. And, that is a great thing to do. However, if you lack the right attitude, all these might be in vain. Nonverbal communication during an interview means demonstrating confidence by standing straight, being able to maintain eye contact with, and greeting the interviewer with a firm handshake at the beginning and the end of your interview. However, although a confident attitude is essential, pay attention to not being rude in any way. Keep a confident, yet modest attitude. It also means that you must control your facial expressions and reactions depending on what the interviewer will be telling you. In fact, the interviewer might ask you some uncomfortable or tricky questions in order to analyze your reactions. So, even if you disagree with them or don’t feel comfortable, don’t allow that to be read on your face or in your gestures. 2.      Know how to answer the questions No, you can’t actually prepare your answers for everything that the interviewer will ask you. However, there are a few questions that are always part of an interview. For example, the interviewer might ask you why you consider yourself the best choice for the company or why did you leave your previous job. It is common knowledge that these questions are always asked in a job interview because they are used to help the interviewer determine if you are a good choice for the job. So, it is wise that you prepare the best answers to impress the interviewer. Also, apart from preparing your answers to the most common questions, you also need to create the right mindset to give creative answers to the questions you didn’t expect. For example, Patrick Algrim, CEO at Algrim.co told us, If you are asked questions like what kind of animal would you be, its always best to think of something thats going to be the most agnostic. Think of something friendly to humans, like a dog. With questions that have these types of ominous potential answers, its okay to pick the answer that isnt exactly unique, but answers the question correctly. 3.      Use professional language Using the appropriate language is another key to success in a job interview. No matter how friendly the job environment might seem, remember that for the moment you are a candidate and you should look as professional as possible. So, avoid using any inappropriate slang words or references to any topic that might be controversial. Instead, use a professional language while also being friendly at the same time. Even if you have gone to a number of job interviews, job interviewing never seems to get any easier. These tips can help you be better prepared and have the right mindset to prove the interviewer that you are the best choice.

Writing Education on a Japanese Resume

Writing Education on a Japanese ResumeWhile preparing your Japanese resume, you will be presented with a number of writing education areas that you can choose from. Each of these areas includes specific skills that may be required to be included on your resume. Some examples include:General Information. This is the most basic type of writing education area. It involves adding extra information to your resume that provides details of your academic history. It also includes providing contact information for information about your work experiences. Since most job sites already use this kind of information, it may be an advantage for you if you include more details in your resume.Professional Purposes. This is one of the more popular types of writing education. This type of education focuses on explaining your professional strengths and weakness. It also includes information about specializations and specific projects that you have done. Most likely, the companies you are applying for ha ve stated a requirement that you should have your resume written by an English or Foreign Language speaking person.Future Employment Opportunities. This is often the hardest type of writing education to include on your resume. While this type of education focuses on the skills needed for future employment, it may be a bit difficult to write for an interview.Other jobs in addition to a job at home may also be written for future employment. You should list these skills as well.Many people today learn two or more different languages. Therefore, you may wish to include writing education in the areas of Japanese, English, Spanish, German, Chinese, French, Polish, and Arabic.When preparing your Japanese resume, you may want to consider including some of the following additional education areas. You may also want to include a summary that describes how your skills match your career goals. After you have completed your resume, you should find a good resume writer and ask him or her to help you refine your resume to get the most benefits out of it.