Lots of women and men who look at returning to work after having the responsibility of caring for young children at home feel anxious about the prospect for a variety of reasons. It could be that the career they had pre-children is no longer suitable for instance if it involved working unsociable hours or required overseas travel so they may need to change careers as a result.

A lot depends on the childcare requirements that are still needed. If childcare before and after school is regularly available this choice is wider but if not there are limitations regarding school drop off and pick up times. It is certainly worth finding out the availability locally beforehand when you are planning returning to employment.

It may be necessary to update the qualifications that you hold to widen the choice of jobs that can be applied for. This may involve undertaking a college course or even going to university which can be an exciting prospect. Many universities encourage mature students to apply for their courses and offer family friendly timetables for those with childcare responsibilities.

Although returning to the workplace can be demanding the advantages of mixing with colleagues and working as a team can be beneficial and along with the obvious plus of bringing in more money makes the experience worthwhile.

With the recent upheaval in employment and industry many people who may not have contemplated self-employment are giving it serious thought. Perhaps they have been made unemployed or want a new challenge but whatever the reason for their decision is could be a positive move. Becoming self-employed could be an option for many people if they have the necessary skills and experience that will be required however specific training may be all that is needed to pursue this ambition.

Deciding on your business is the first step along the self-employed path but once you have decided what your business is going to be you will need to decide on a business name that is memorable and that may reflect your business. Registering as a sole trader with HMRC is the next step so that they know that you will be completing a self-assessment tax form and paying class 2 and class 4 national insurance contributions.

You will be required to have a business bank account, but it is worth shopping around as some banks offer special rates for the newly self-employed. Setting up the account and any trade accounts for supplies will mean that you are ready financially.

An essential requirement for all self-employed people is to have public liability and professional indemnity insurance to ensure that you are covered against any injury or damage you may inadvertently cause in the course of your work.

Most of us work to earn money unless you volunteer. It may be that money is the only reason you go to work but there are also other important aspects of work life that should not be ignored. If you have children then you are setting them a good example if one or both of their parents’ work. It shows them that if you work hard in life you get to have nice things and go places that you wish to visit. This will help them get the best start in life and hopefully help make the right decisions as they get older

Job satisfaction is also very important and something that many of us negate to think about. You may think that as long as your earning a wage, that is all that matters. For many, money is often the most important thing as they need to earn a certain amount to be able to support themselves or their family but you don’t always have to sacrifice one for the other.

It may be that you have been in the same job for a good number of years and although you no longer enjoy it, it pays the bills, you need to consider why you no longer enjoy your job. It may be that you feel you have too much pressure put on you or that you have no support from your peers. This can make you feel stressed at work. Often talking to your manager and explaining your issues is enough to make changes happen.

If your issue is that you feel out of your depth, you may be worried to tell your manager in case then decide to get rid of you. Lots of employers actually favour people who are honest and are happy to help them if they ask for it. It may be that there are training courses that you can go on that will give you the skills and knowledge needed to do your job better. These courses can also help build up you CV so if you do decide to leave in the future, any additional training or qualifications all helps towards landing your next job.

It may be that you are happy to take a slight pay cut to do a job that you will enjoy more, or you may have to take a pay cut in order to start a new career but in the long run will be able to earn more money. Although the salary is important, if you are happy in your job you are likely to do better and therefore be offered promotions and opportunities to move up.

For some people, the thought of changing employer is not desirable perhaps because they are happy there and have a good relationship with colleagues but what about if they want to go for a promotion? What is the best way to increase the chances of success without any risk to your current job? Many employers realise that some of their workforce may be looking to gain promotion and improve their career prospects and so will welcome any enquiries about possible promotion opportunities in the company.

If a position becomes available in the company it is important to alert your line manager to the fact that you would like to be considered for it. You will probably still have to go through a formal application process for example filling in an application form or submitting a CV.

In preparation for a possible interview, it is a sensible move to write down your previous achievements within the company such as improvements you have made, targets you have reached and any other factors that make you an asset to the company. Any additional qualifications that you have completed especially if it is related to the promotion that you are after should be stated as this will show a willingness on your part to continue with your own professional development.

When people are looking for a job it seems that there are always jobs advertised for caring roles be it working for an agency or working in a care home. Many jobseekers discount these roles and decide that a role in the caring profession is not for them but are they making the right decision?

There are many advantages to working as a carer for instance career progression is good and usually appropriate and ongoing training is provided if the applicant does not have the relevant qualifications. The opportunity to work hours that fit in around family life may be possible especially if there are two parents in the household to share childcare.

Many people who work the caring industry remark on how rewarding it is as a career as they feel that they are making a difference to people’s lives. They often become friends with the people they care for and enjoy giving support to family members of the person they are caring for.

Caring roles are varied and can not only be caring for the elderly but also providing care and support for children and adults with special needs. This may involve assisting with shopping and other outings as well as more personal care.

With the UK officially leaving the EU in the next few weeks, rules and regulations regarding working overseas is changing. Some decisions have yet to be put in place but you can find out most of the information you need online.

If you do want to find work abroad then you need to look into what the rules are in the country that you are going over to. Some countries require you to have a job already secured before you move there. This is to cut down on the amount of people on the welfare system or how require financial help.

Ideally you want to go to the country that you wish to work in for a holiday and find out what sorts of jobs you can apply for with your current qualifications. It is also important to remember than different experience and qualifications may be required for the same sort of job in a different country to what is required in the UK. Once you have secured a job you may then decide to find accommodation that is near where you will be working. Finding accommodation close to your place of work will cut down on travel costs and allow you to not have to worry about the commute in the early days.

During the second quarter of 2020 job positions fell by about 62% and competition for jobs became tough. If you are looking for work at the moment then you need to expect that you may well be up against a fair few other applicants and have to really prove yourself in order to stand out and land the position.

Although may sectors such as the hospitality industry are struggling, other sectors are doing even better than before. Any business that is in the digital sector such as web designers, developers, marketing, or automation seem to actually be on the increase and growing. This is because companies need to find more ways of communicating with their customers and potential customers that involves less face to face contact but is still as useful and effective.

Many web developers have found that they have been snowed under with work as clients have approached them asking for them to build in new functionality to their website such as video calling etc. Marketing companies have also seen an increase in workload as their customer enlist their help in promoting their new ways of working and building up their brand recognition.

If you are considering starting up a tutoring business and have the relevant teaching qualifications and experience, there are a number of matters that you will need to decide on. For instance, are you going to offer subject specific tutoring or just general academic support and are you going to offer daily or weekly tutoring? It is advisable if possible, to have contact with the pupil’s school so that you can discuss, with the parents’ consent any areas that the child is struggling with.

Good quality resources should be provided for the pupil which are up to date with current teaching methods. The internet is a valuable tool in this respect as there is a wealth of material available to access.

The tutoring sessions will need to be planned carefully taking into consideration the age of the child, the level that they are working at and timing. The younger the child the more varied activities will need to be as attention span in younger children will be shorter. A reward system that can be built into the lessons as a regular feature and provide an opportunity to celebrate success is a great motivator to learning for children of all ages.

The price structure for tutoring sessions is best decided by looking at the going rates for your particular area as this is a good guide to how much you can charge.

Over the next few weeks many students across England will receive their GCSE or A Level results. This year has been very much disrupted due to Covid-19 and the lock down so students have not been able to take the exams they usually do. Lots of the grades will be based on mock exams and course work which may work well for those studies who struggle in exam situations.

The number of people applying for jobs over the next few months is set to rise but with many people losing their jobs during lockdown, there may be higher competition than normal. Some students will have already decided that once they have completed their exams, they want to go into employment rather than carry on with their education. For the students who were hoping on going to university or college, their results may have changed their plans. If they have not got the grades they needed, then they will have to go through clearing to get a placement.

If they cannot find a placement that suits them then they may decide to go straight into employment instead or defer university until they can re-sit their exams.

If you are looking for a change in career then you may wish to consider accounting. Accounting can be a very diverse job and it often pays well too.

As a junior accountant you can expect to earn in the region of £20000 and once you are qualified upwards of £35000 per annum. You may also be able to earn bonuses and commission depending on who you work for. Chartered accountants do far more than just bookkeeping. They are able offer services which may include financial reporting, taxation, auditing, forensic accounting, corporate finance, business recovery and insolvency, or accounting systems and processes. You will need to undertake an AAT course as a starter, which some firms will pay to put you through. There are different levels of the AAT course to do. If you have no experience or previous qualifications then you will need to do the foundation course. If you have some experience or qualifications then you may be able to go straight on to the advanced course. Once you have gained this qualification you are much more likely to be accepted for an accountancy role within a firm. If you want to set up your own accountancy firm then you will need to ensure that you are fully trained and have the correct level of insurance.