10 October 2012

How Long is Too Long to Stay in Your Job?


 Recently at Clarkewood we have been thinking…..


How long is too long to stay at one company?
Working in IT recruitment, it's common to pick up on trends emerging in the job market. With the average person spending 4.4 years in a job, we always see people who have worked in their current position for much longer than the average.
Furthering your career every 4 years, especially in a fast-paced sector such as IT, is vital to maintain personal development. The more jobs you invest time in, the more opportunities you will have to expand your skills.
Are you getting opportunities, access to the resources you need and recognition in your job role?
Why stay?
There are plenty of reasons why people stay in their current position, whether they receive job satisfaction or not. I’m sure we can all relate to at least one of these reasons with regard to our own career:
• ‘I’m sure my job will get better one day’
• ‘The current job market is full of doom and gloom, I’d be unemployed for months’
• ‘I’m comfortable in my position now so I don’t need a change’
• ‘Quitting a job might look bad on my CV’
In reality these aren’t good reasons for staying in a job for years. Sitting and waiting for a job to get better or being too ‘settled’ in a job role can result in a seemly unambitious person who is set in their company’s ways; thus leaving you virtually unemployable.
Why not?
Taking the leap to change career is a big, big decision and there are plenty of questions to ask yourself.
• Am I used to my fullest potential?
• Is my voice heard, can I raise queries and know they will be taken on board?
• How many times have I been promised opportunities and how many times has it actually happened?
If the answer to these questions are ‘No’ or ‘Not really’ then perhaps a career change should be considered.
There is also the issue of misplaced loyalty. Daily we speak to candidates who are facing redundancy from a company they have been with for sometimes in excess of 15 years.
With the Information Technology sector being the fasted developing and growing in the job marketplace, there really is no excuse to stay in a job for years.
So?
To answer our initial question, at Clarkewood we agree that around 4 years is a good amount of time to stay with your job. Any longer than that and you stand at risk of being unemployable and any shorter you could be seen as an unreliable, ‘job hopper’.
Changing a job every 4 years means you will expose yourself to new technology, different skills and opportunities plus making new connections along the way.
This is, of course, unless you work for a productive, progressive company where you feel though you are being used to your full potential and you are getting the benefits that a loyal employee deserves.
How long have you been at your job?

8 October 2012

Worcestershire Ambassadors Ball 2012!



On Saturday Evening some of the ClarkeWood Team and our Guests enjoyed an evening of glitz and glamour!


From ball gowns to Bubbly.... this event had it all!





The 'Black Tie' Worcestershire Ambassadors Ball was certainly the place to be this weekend. The annual event is a fantastic charity fundraiser and a great celebration of local business and all things Worcestershire!






This years worthy causes are WRASASC and St Pauls Hostel. WRASASC is a specialist centre which helps victims of rape and sexual abuse by offering counselling and guidence among other valuable services. St Pauls Hostel is based just outside Worcester City Centre and gives homeless people shelter, food and training to help them back into the community.



The Ambassadors Ball was held at the fab Tree Tops Pavilion which is situated inside the grounds of the West Midlands Safari Park. The evening involved great company, lovely food and provided lots of different ways to donate to charities - including a Diamond Hunt, an Auction and a rather luxurious raffle!





Spectacular entertainment was provided by mesmerising magician David Penn and the utterly excellent 'In The Groove' who got us all up dancing dodgily!



The Charity Auction offered some incredible prizes! These included holidays in some of the worlds plushest resorts and VIP boxes in Worcestershires premier sporting venues. The auction raised a MASSIVE:

£47,000!



There are plenty of Thank You's and Well Done's to be said for the evening but we'd like to start with the award winners from the evening:



Ambassador of the Year

Philip Dutton

A huge 'Congrats!' to Philip who has done an admirable job as the Chairman of the Worcestershire Ambassadors for almost two years.




Michael Brinton Pride of Worcestershire

Dale Parmenter
MD at drp Group

Local businessman Dale's outstanding, inspiring charity work, including commiting to complete 30 charity projects each year, and his efforts towards supporting sustainability has led to him being awarded with the Pride of Worcestershire award!



We would also like to say a massive 'Thank you!' to:


Tracey Hopkins
and her team for organising the event and making it a huge success!


The board of Management at the Worcestershire Ambassadors


The Staff at the West Midlands Safari Park


and finally - The Ambassadors and their guests themselves for being fantastic party people and great company!



Hope to see you all again next year!


4 October 2012

Meet the Team: Ben Proctor



Ben Proctor


Trainee Recruitment Consultant





What is your biggest professional achievement?

My best professional achievement so far has to be the deals I’ve helped the team make, with the candidates I’ve found and qualified over the last few months. Each placement motivates you for more.


Ben, 20, is a Trainee IT Consultant who is at ClarkeWood doing an Apprenticeship in Sales. Ben has been at CWC for just over 6 months and specializes in resourcing candidates for all of the current vacancies.


What is your biggest personal achievement?

My best personal achievement has to be getting my own place in town. Becoming independent has been such a thrilling experience and I’m loving every minute of it!


Ben was originally studying Chemistry at The University of Glamorgan until he moved back to Alfrick, Worcester and decided to try something different. Ben began his apprenticeship at ClarkeWood in April this year and is really enjoying it so far! Working full time has allowed him to recently move out of Alfrick and into Worcester centre.


How would you describe yourself?

Geeky, Geeky, Sexy?


Ben is ClarkeWood's (Self professed) ladies' man and always has anecdotes which wouldn't be out of place at the Playboy Mansion! If Ben was stuck on an island with someone, he said it would have to be Mila Kunis.

But when Ben isn't entertaining the ladies he is usually playing on his Xbox. He enjoys playing Call of Duty, Battlefield and also FIFA competitively. Ben also enjoys catching up with the latest scientific discoveries by reading 'New Scientist' magazine. As well as playing football on his Xbox, he enjoys watching it too and is a keen supporter of Arsenal F.C.


How would your colleagues describe you?

Ben is one of the newest recruits and brings a little bit of 'geek' to the team! He is an optimistic and hardworking member of the team. He adds a different spin on conversations and has interesting stories to share.