FIND A JOB

This is a guest blog by Umbrella Company Parasol.  The perils of being caught up in a tax avoidance scheme have been well documented in recent years. These vehicles, which are set up with the sole aim of avoiding tax, bend the rules of the tax system in a way that the government never intended for and pose big risks to anyone who enters one - even if by accident. Work through a tax avoidance scheme and you may find yourself under investigation from HMRC and end up having to pay a lot more than the tax that you tried to avoid once retrospective tax payments, fines and even interest are all totted up. So needless to say, freelancers, contractors and umbrella employees need to know what a tax avoidance scheme is and how to steer clear of one. But how do you recognise a non-compliant arrangement? What are the hallmarks of tax avoidance schemes? Too good to be true  If it sounds too good to be true, chances are that it is. Many tax avoidance schemes claim that with their help you can compliantly take home upwards of 85% of your income after tax. This is unrealistic without some kind of tax avoidance or illegality taking place somewhere along the line.  ‘Non-taxable’ payments  Tax avoidance schemes often pay people through loans, annuities, bonuses or shares that the promoter may claim to be ‘non-taxable’. In other words, they advertise that tax doesn't apply. This simply isn’t true given any income above the personal allowance threshold is subject to tax. You may have heard of the Loan Charge, which was a retrospective tax introduced by the government in 2019, affecting people who had operated through tax avoidance schemes dating back as far as 1999. These contractors, who were paid via ‘non-taxable’ loans, often bought into these schemes on the basis that they were compliant. In short, HMRC decided they weren’t and a reported 50,000 individuals were told to pay back missing Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions.  Complicated arrangements  Confusing payment arrangements - whether through loans or offshore trusts - that you struggle to make head or tail of, should be avoided. So be wary of complicated processes that divert money through a chain of companies, trusts or partnerships. And if your contract doesn’t clearly state how your income will be paid or detail all deductions, it could be a tax avoidance scheme.  ‘HMRC approved’  Many tax avoidance schemes claim on their website to be ‘HMRC approved’ - you might notice a stamp of approval somewhere on the site. The problem, however, is that HMRC never endorses schemes. So beware of any provider that says it has been endorsed or certified by the tax office. Difficult to contact  Tax avoidance schemes targeting contractors operate in the shadows and you are likely to struggle to find out much information about the business. If you want to do some digging into a particular tax avoidance scheme you’ll do well to find anyone to speak with or contact. In many cases, these schemes make very little information available deliberately so as to avoid having to answer difficult questions about their legitimacy and keep a low profile.  On HMRC’s radar With tax avoidance schemes seemingly on the rise in recent years, HMRC are unsurprisingly clamping down on them and a number are under investigation. The schemes that HMRC believe have the hallmarks of tax avoidance arrangements are listed on the government website. It goes without saying that if you have any concerns, walk away.   Does all of the above apply to businesses? Not necessarily. There are still many unscrupulous businesses out there promoting schemes that claim to avoid tax and often these are short-lived. Whilst many will bear the majority of the hallmarks above, the one thing they will all have in common is a claim to reduce your tax bill by using contrived payment arrangements. If you are a contractor or freelancer that is looking at using an umbrella company, you should be paying employment taxes on all of your income. Any arrangements that suggest otherwise are not worth your time, or the risk.    If you'd like more advice on contracting connect with our Head of Contracts Jack Cascarino on LinkedIn & check out our latest contract jobs. ​

As Michelle Obama said: "There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish." At Understanding Recruitment we're proud to be an equal opportunities employer and fully support APSCo's Women in Recruitment initiative.  Just in time for International Women's Day, we asked our ambitious, driven and wonderfully talented women here at Understanding Recruitment, who #ChooseToChallenge every day, what advice they would give their younger selves.    Nicola Parker, Delivery Manager "Know that there will always be unforeseen hurdles in life, but worrying about what hasn’t happened yet, or might happen in the future is a waste of energy and can stop you from enjoying the now – you cannot control what happens in your future but you can control how you live in the present.  Trust that you are always where you are meant to be, whether it feels that way or not at the time – things always work themselves out in the end."    Alex Martuccio, Contract Account Manager "If you have a passion or a dream, follow it and make a reality. It will be hard and you will get lots of setbacks and people telling you it’s not possible, but if you really want it, you will do anything to make it happen."    Danielle Blake, .NET Researcher "Failure is the first step in success and is just as important as success."    Jana Timm, Head of Marketing  "You will get to where you want to be but it will take time. Learn as much as you can from the people around you and don’t be afraid to ask questions. You don’t know what you don’t know."    Charlotte Young, Java Recruitment Executive "Consistency and determination to achieve will get you far."    Cassie Holdsworth, Management Accountant "Don’t focus too much on the destination but enjoy the journey too. I’ve always been one to focus too much on achieving the bigger things, such as; the job, the wedding, the car, the house etc., and you can easily get distracted from enjoying the small things too."    Molly Boca, Hardware Acceleration & ML Recruitment Consultant "Worry less about what others think about you and learn to love yourself through your own eyes not someone else’s. The easiest way to be the best version of yourself is to be free from the judgement of others' perspectives."    Emma Matthiesen, Training & Development Manager  "Work hard - the better you do, the more options you’ll have."    Suzy Bolton, Finance Director "Believe in yourself more and it’s true that the harder you work, the better you do!"    Monique Hunt, Accounts Assistants "Have confidence in your ability/self and don’t always assume the worst."    Laura Trimmer, Talent Acquisition Consultant "Trust your instincts, everything really does happen for a reason."    Rhiannon Mehta, Senior Recruitment Consultant - High Value Fundraising "Trust yourself and don’t listen to other people’s judgement on what you can achieve!"    Maggie Mulshine, Hardware Acceleration, Photonics & ML Researcher "Don't focus so hard on what people will think, and instead focus on what you really want to do and what makes you happy."    Emily Kitamura, Head of Global Talent Acquisition "You're doing great! Everything will work itself out, just believe in yourself and keep doing you!"    Anna Heneghan, Head of Machine Learning & AI UK "Worry less about what other people think about you and think about what you are doing instead. Focus more on yourself. Think about how you can develop and increase your happiness."     Emma Wilson, Delivery Consultant "Don't be afraid to try new things! Push yourself out of your comfort zone more often... what's the worst that could happen?!"    Lisa Booth, HR Manager "Don’t let the expectations and opinions of others limit your ambitions. Only you know what you can achieve."    Mollie Redmond, Marketing Executive "You don't have to have everything figured out and it’s okay if things aren’t quite going to plan. Learn as much as you can and remain positive – things will work out in the end."    Curious about #LifeAtUR?  We'd love to hear from you! DM Emily Kitamura on LinkedIn, email your CV to emily@understandingrecruitment.co.uk   or call 01727 228 255 to have chat about the ​ opportunities we have for you.

This is a guest blog by Umbrella Company Parasol.  Around three and a half years after the UK voted for Brexit, the clock is ticking towards 11 pm on 31st December 2020, the date upon which the United Kingdom will start a new trading relationship with the European Union. Despite being so close to the end of the transition period, there are still a number of things that Boris Johnson and his Cabinet must iron out. Having missed the original deadline of 15th October, the Prime Minister has very little time left to agree on a trade deal. If a deal isn’t struck, the UK will leave the EU without any trading agreements in place. So it goes without saying that whatever happens in the coming weeks, from 1st January 2021, things will be different, deal or no deal. Established businesses can expect to feel the effects of Brexit, be that positive or negative depending on which side of the fence you sit. The UK’s smallest companies, including freelancers and contractors, have also been told by the government to prepare for change. But what specifically do contractors need to know about Brexit? And what, if anything at all, can we be confident of as the transition period comes to an end? No guarantees over EU working As part of the EU, UK citizens are granted freedom of movement thanks to access to the Single Market. However, things are set to change when the transition period ends on New Year’s Eve and there will be no guarantee that contractors can live, work or retire in EU countries going forward. This is at least something we can be certain of. It means contractors living in the UK but working with clients in the EU may well need a visa or work permit to continue doing so. Given the rules vary country to country it’s worth checking this page on the government website. Similarly, if you’re a contractor living and working in an EU country, you should check this page for the latest guidance on visas, work permits and residency. Immigration changes beckon Most foreign nationals, including those from EU states, will need to apply online for a visa if they want to live and work in the UK next year. A ‘points-based’ immigration system will decide this, with the government aiming to encourage what they perceive to be ‘skilled-workers’ to settle on these shores. A score is awarded to an applicant, who is marked based on a job offer (typically with a wage of at least £25,600), their grasp of the English language and skill level in a desirable occupation. How tailored this system is towards overseas freelancers and contractors remains to be seen. If you’re an EU national already living in the UK, or move here before 31st December 2020, you do not need to go through this process. Instead, you’re required to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme before 30th June 2021. It is worth noting that due to the Common Travel Area, Irish citizens retain the right to live and work in the UK and reciprocally UK nationals retain the right to live and work within Ireland post Brexit. IR35 considerations With changes to the IR35 legislation on the horizon, many contractors working through personal service companies registered in the UK want to know if the changes will apply to contracts held overseas, whether in the EU or further afield. In other words, from 6th April 2021, will contractors be responsible for assessing their IR35 status when working with medium and large businesses based abroad? Or will businesses be tasked with this? It depends, but Brexit won’t have any bearing. If a business is based wholly overseas without a permanent establishment in the UK, such as an office, factory or residence, then IR35 reform isn’t a consideration. This means contractors can carry on determining their IR35 status beyond April 6th 2021. If a client is based abroad but has ties here in the UK, then the reform will apply and the business - assuming it is medium or large - must abide by the new rules. Contractors working with small private sector businesses, whether in the UK or overseas, will maintain responsibility for IR35. While there are still many unknowns for contractors regarding Brexit, we at least know that the UK will certainly leave the EU at the end of this month. And given the post-Brexit landscape is changing all the time, be sure to pay close attention to the government’s Brexit webpage, where you can stay up to date with everything you need to know. If you'd like more information about Brexit or are looking for your next contracting role check out our contract jobs & connect with our Head of Contracts Jack Cascarino on LinkedIn.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a huge economic toll globally with the latest UK unemployment rate at 4.8% according to the Office for National Statistics. To lend a helping hand to those impacted, LinkedIn has launched a new tool called Career Explorer that helps you identify new kinds of jobs based on your skills. It does this by utilising data gathered from its 722 million members to map career paths that professionals have taken. LinkedIn then merges this data with the current in-demand jobs. Check out the Career Explorer and see where your skills can take you. ​ ​ Unlike a job search engine, the LinkedIn Career Explorer tool matches a person’s skills with jobs they might not have considered before. It also suggests which skills you may want to learn to become even more relevant and provides you with direct links to the appropriate courses in LinkedIn Learning. The Career Explorer can also show you relevant jobs and people in your network who are already in these roles so you can start a conversation. For more helpful tips on using LinkedIn to find your dream job check out this blog.

So, you’ve applied for the job, aced the interview process and are basking in the glory of that awesome new job feeling. Well done you! But now what? Where do you go from here to make sure you get off to a great start in your new role? The first 90 days are crucial and the actions you take during this time will have a major impact on your success or failure. Most probation periods also last around this time so it can often be a vulnerable phase while you’re also trying to climb a learning curve and operate in a new environment. But don’t worry. Our experts have put together some tips to help you settle into your new role without putting too much pressure on yourself. Good luck!     1. Don't be shy! By staying in touch with your employer before you start you can get ahead of the game and find out more information about your role and how it fits into the wider team and business goals even before your first day. While the thought of introducing yourself repeatedly might fill you with anxiety, you’ll want to show your enthusiasm and get to know people in your first days. You can also ask your manager for a list of people they think you should meet with. Try to remember people’s names but if you do forget, a simple “Could you remind me of your name?” will do. We spend a lot of time at work (90,000 hours over a lifetime*)! That’s a lot of time spent with your colleagues so, make sure to get to know them outside of work and try to get involved in after-hour activities. Drinks after work, lunches with your team or even virtual quizzes are all great ways to develop strong relationships with your new colleagues.   2. Define success In your first few weeks, it’s important to establish mutual expectations with your manager. Find out what is expected from you within the team, the wider business, and as in individual. What does your success look like? While you need to know the basics aspects of your role, for example; your working hours and responsibilities, it’s also important to understand the more in-depth parts of your role and how it contributes to the bigger picture. How your performance will be measured and what your job progression will look like, are just a couple examples of this.   Write down any questions you have so you don’t forget and raise them in a one to one with your manager. This is also a good time to find out what their pain points are and to plan how you can reduce these and add value quickly (although you may already know these needs from your interviews).  Also ask them how they prefer to communicate – in person, over the phone, via email or video chat?   Ask yourself: What do you want your legacy to be?   3. Develop good habits Get into good habits from day one. A new job can be a fresh start, so make sure to start it on a positive note and turn up ten minutes early. Decide on how you're going to manage your time, calendar and projects and get set up for your new way of working. By establishing a good working routine early on, you're taking steps in the right direction to achieve your goals and earn the respect from your team and colleagues. This is also the time to set boundaries. Coming in early and staying late after starting a new job can be a way of seeking acceptance but you should try and re-establish the boundaries that help you do your best work. Remember, saying “no” will help you focus on your goals and better manage your time.   4. Ditch the bad ones! This is the ideal time to shed old routines that aren’t serving you anymore! In your first 90 days, avoid developing negative habits and work hard to break any existing ones.   5. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes Nobody likes making mistakes, but they can happen, especially in a new role. Feel the fear and do it anyway and make sure to throw yourself into your new role and step outside of your comfort zone; know that you will make a couple of initial mistakes and that it is perfectly fine to do so! Although we don’t like making mistakes, they are a great learning tool and sometimes you need to make mistakes to improve.   6. Get up to speed Your first weeks are more about listening and less about talking. Every organisation has a culture and norms of behaviour that people are expected to operate within so try to absorb these in your first weeks. Take the time to get up to speed on both your industry and your job role; what kind of technology your candidates and clients will be working with, how these fits into their businesses etc. Is there a particular code you need to learn for your role?    7. Review, review, review Don’t forget, while your employer will be seeing how you get on for your first three to six months it’s also a time to see if they are the right fit for you! Don’t be afraid to ask your manager directly for ways to improve and ask for feedback on how you’ve been doing and make sure to check you’re still on track to accomplish the goals you set in your first weeks. Finally, make sure to regularly highlight your wins in a way that makes your manager and team look good throughout the first months in your new role and celebrate those early successes!         * Source: Gettysburg College

Whether it’s your first day in a new job or you’ve been in your role since a while, everyone wants to make a good impression on the boss. Their perception can directly affect your salary, pay rises, opportunities for visibility and future promotions.   Here are just some of our top tips to make your boss glad they hired you!   1. Do Your Best The best way to get off to a great start is simply doing your job to the best of your ability while also helping others along the way. Find out what your managers expectations are and remember they are only human. They get stressed, face deadlines, and have bosses too. So, empathising with them and seeing things from their point of view will help you become less judgmental.   2. Extra Effort Putting in extra effort can go a long way to getting you noticed. Volunteering to help out on projects that aren’t necessarily part of your job remit will leave a lasting impression and show real initiative. Expressing that you are willing to support them in their work will help your manager see you as a valuable member of the team and someone they can rely on. But don’t overburden yourself with extra responsibilities if you can’t deliver on them. You want to have enough time and energy to do a great job.   3. Have An Opinion Your boss (hopefully!) didn’t hire you to agree with everything and everyone. So, when they ask for your opinion on a new idea or solution don’t just say what you think they want to hear. Being an active member of the team and taking part in discussions shows that you take your job seriously and are passionate about what you do. Don’t be afraid to disagree with your manager. But remember, it’s all about the delivery. Look for the positives before highlighting any negatives and don’t come across as instantly dismissive. They didn’t hire you to sit silently and nod along, so if there are ideas that you’re not on board with, voice your concerns. Just make sure you are respectful and present your reasons informatively with evidence to back them up.   4. Own It Don’t wait for your manager to keep asking you when you’ll have a task completed. Have the initiative to take control of your workload and do what needs to be done without being prompted. Similarly, if you find yourself finished with all your tasks and without anything to do – reach out to your boss and ask what they’d like you to work on. Don’t just assume that because you've finished your current tasks, there isn’t something else you could be doing. See an area for improvement or a way of doing a task more efficiently? Making suggestions that will improve the way you or even your whole team work will always go down well with your manager. Nobody’s perfect so take ownership of your mistakes. Mistakes are made by everyone (your boss too!) but they can be learnt from, so own up to it when things go pear-shaped. This way, your boss can see you’re honest and can help you rectify the mistake. No one likes making errors, but it’s how you respond that will stand out to your boss. Similarly, own up to all aspects of your role. If you don’t think you’ll be able to hit the deadline of your project, tell your boss why. Be honest about the reason and don’t make excuses or pass the blame. At the end of the day, your boss is there to support you. So, support them by respecting them enough to be honest.   5. Never Stop Learning Tech never stands still and neither should you. Been thinking about learning a new programming language? Then go for it! Take the initiative and do some leaning in your spare time. Some companies will even give you time during work hours to work on your own projects so make sure you are constantly developing your knowledge. Taking time to hone your skills won’t just make you better in your current role but also adds value to you as a team member and can even help you secure that next promotion and a sweet pay rise!   6. Handle Criticism You might think you’re doing a great job but when is the last time you asked? It’s always good to ask for feedback from your manager and even better to implement it. Afterall, there is nothing more frustrating than someone asking for advice and then not implementing it.  Use your one to ones or appraisals (or even an informal chat at the watercooler) to make sure you’re on track: What could you be doing better? How can you improve? How could you support them better? Is there something you should stop doing? Communication goes both ways so if you have any questions or grievances you should be able to talk about these openly with your manager. Equally give them constructive feedback if you think they could do better in certain areas. Being aware of how we affect other people is often the first step towards making a positive change in the way we act or communicate so having a two-way dialogue will only strengthen your rapport. ​ 7. It’s All About Attitude Gossiping, pulling other people’s morale down or whinging will get you noticed for all the wrong reasons.  When a problem surfaces, seek ways to solve the problem instead of complaining about it. Everyone appreciates a colleague with a positive attitude. But be sincere about it. While you may not be planning to work at the same company forever, show you care about your team’s and your company’s success in the long term and figure out how you can align your career goals with those of the company.

This is a guest blog by Umbrella Company Parasol.  In March, with the UK on the brink of lockdown and the economic fallout of Coronavirus beginning to show, the government made the decision to defer the introduction of changes to the off-payroll working rules by one year. It was a move that was roundly welcomed by recruitment agencies and the businesses that benefit from the flexibility and skills provided by contractors. Many felt that burdening these parties with the responsibility for assessing IR35 status at a time when businesses were fighting to keep their doors open would have been unwise. The government clearly agreed, and so IR35 reform will not be introduced in the private sector until 6 April 2021, at which point medium and large businesses will begin administering the rules. From this date, responsibilities for end hirers and recruitment agencies will change. Where an assignment is deemed 'inside' and the recruitment agency is responsible for making the payment to the contractor's personal service company, they will become the ‘deemed employer’ and become responsible for making employment tax and NI deductions, before making the net payment to the contractor. Given it’s been over four months since the delay to the off-payroll tax changes was announced, we thought it would be useful to explore what has happened since, how contractors and businesses have reacted and explore some ways recruiters can get ready for next April. Contractor hiring nosedives, but impact of delay difficult to gauge While the news that reform had been deferred offered contractors hope at a desperate time, the devastating impact of Coronavirus means there has been little to celebrate. According to data released by KPMG and staffing association, REC, contractor hiring experienced its worst month in March for 11 years. In the months that have followed, hiring activity across the board has continued to decline as the Coronavirus lockdown saw the need for new staff fall dramatically. However, this unique scenario means it’s difficult to gauge how much of an impact the delay to IR35 reform has had on contractor hiring. In the next few months, and as businesses return to a new normal, we may be better placed to measure what effect the deferral has had on the demand for contractors if any at all. Big businesses reverse contractor bans More obvious is the reversal of contractor bans and blanket IR35 assessments, many of which occurred as a direct result of the deferral. Many companies have made a U-turn and will once again engage independent professionals. This includes the likes of Shell, Aviva, Deutsche Bank and Vodafone, each of whom have reportedly changed their position regarding the reform and have lifted their contractor bans, for the time being at least. While the long-term consequences of these changes, when finally introduced, are uncertain, the fact that many high profile firms engaging thousands of contractors have reassessed their strategy is a welcome development, even if it is only for the short term. What should businesses do now? When taking into account the confusion and concern surrounding the off-payroll changes, the fact they have been pushed back by one year allows businesses extra time to prepare. This can only be a good thing, particularly when you consider the ongoing economic challenges. So the question is, what should businesses do, whether recruitment firms or companies engaging contractors? While there are a number of ways businesses can approach the changes, including learning lessons from 2017’s public sector changes, generally speaking, this is what companies are encouraged to do: Prepare early, don’t wait until the reform lands on 6 April 2021 Don’t panic, avoid contractor bans and blanket assessments Focus on accurate IR35 decisions, given status must be set with ‘reasonable care’ Consider the benefits of engaging contractors deemed inside IR35 through an umbrella company If you'd like more information about IR35 or are looking for your next contracting role check out our contract jobs & connect with our Head of Contracts Jack Cascarino on LinkedIn.

Our head of .NET recruitment Arjun Gillard recently caught up with Principal Engineer at Chip, Guilherme Reis who has a proven track record within the financial industry, B2B, outsourced services, technology, and consultancy. With the theme of helping software developers go from good to great, they discussed Guilherme’s career to date, tips on how to get into software development, how to improve as a developer, how to get noticed by companies and recruiters, as well as answering your questions. Guilherme, what’s your background, and what skills do you think are important for developers to have? I started as a software developer more than ten years ago. I always got this feeling that I liked technology so for me it was the way to go and I started coding when I was 15 years old. And it was a real passion for me to see something building up and then from there I graduated from Uni, I started my own agency and then went on to other agencies as well. I moved to the UK from Brazil three years ago and joined a digital agency focusses on the financial sector as a team leader. The challenge was how to manage expectations for the job and managing people as well. As a software developer you’re always asking yourself these questions around how can I improve myself, how can I move forward in the direction I want to? What are the skills I need to learn for my stack to progress? For me, it was always important to have a goal. And it’s not only about the skills the market is requesting you to have but also the softer skills. I think that the market is huge because we have so many options right now and there are so many roles opening with the market picking up again. One thing I can see is that the market is expecting you to not only have the technical experience but also the softer skills, someone who can communicate and express themselves and can work together in a team. If you can have the tech stack skills and the softer skills, then you’re already so much more ahead of everybody else. I always enjoyed talking and interacting with people, so it was an easy way to start being a leader. I think stakeholders can see if you’re trying to push stuff forward and eventually you become the point of contact for the company. How did you find it coming from a completely different country? Did you face any challenges? I think the language is a blocker and sometimes I don’t know if I am expressing myself the right way. I’m also sometimes nervous about getting the position if my English isn’t 100%. When I was 15, I was learning English through the whole coding experience with the help of YouTube videos. Before I came to the UK, I also tried to improve my English. I can remember my first stand-up in the UK with ten people and I couldn’t understand what they are talking about. That was crazy. It’s different but for me, it was fun at the same time. You’ve got to be open for this type of learning experience. The other side was the gap in technology.  I think São Paulo is at the same level in terms of technology but there is no comparison to the experience and depth the UK has. The UK is the leader for the financial sector, and I believe we have so many more startups here than in the US for example. So, there is no way for me to compare the UK with any other country. Artificial Intelligence and deep learning mean you have more opportunities to do cool stuff that will change the way people interact with money and their financial data. So that is the gap that I got to fill in when I joined the UK.   Q&A I completed a Bootcamp in C# development after graduating and am currently working at a .NET house, but the software is not .NET. Is there any advice you could give me to get into a .NET role in the future?    If you really want a role in .NET you should look for a role in that market. If you want to be able to demonstrate more experience join a few freelance projects. The market doesn’t care solely about past experience unless it’s for a senior role where you’ll have to have a proven track record. As a junior, as soon as you can prove you know how to code in .NET, that’s fine. Create a plan of how you are going to move on and don’t be afraid to jump to another company, that’s how the software engineering market works in order to achieve progression. Also make sure you’re active on LinkedIn, that your profile is up to date and you’re posting and commenting on things that are relevant. Create a portfolio on GitHub and show that you’re active in the community. Make sure you are getting involved in side projects to show you understand the principles when people ask you about them during the interview. You can also post tech tests on your GitHub or Stack Overflow. Doing these things will give you a much higher chance of getting the job you want. How do you get noticed? How do you put yourself out there? Start by finding a really good recruiter you feel comfortable and confident with and get their take on the market. Use your initiative as well when you have an interview with a certain company. Do your research and map out the company and connect with the individuals who are going to be interviewing you and drop them a little message saying “I’m really looking forward to and can’t wait to discuss X, Y, Z with you.” You’ll set yourself apart from the other candidates who just show up to the interview. After the interview send an email to the people you met and thank them for their time. Don’t forget to give your recruiter feedback as well as they’re in your corner. How do you progress your career? Don’t get comfortable! Sometimes you see yourself doing the same stuff every day. If you feel like you’re not learning anything new, you’re not moving forward and there isn’t anything coming up that is going to change that, you’ve got to move on. When you value yourself and know you have the potential to learn and to grow more, you have to leave where you are now at some point to jump to another stack. You can also look at online courses or freelance projects to achieve this but I truly believe the best way to learn more is working with this in a hands-on environment. Sometimes I applied for roles when I wasn’t 100% sure about the technology. If for example, you want to improve your current company’s tech stack just use your own initiative and do some work on it in your own time and show them what you’ve done, why you’ve done it and ask them about their thoughts. This shows that you are going the extra mile. You should feel proud of what you’re doing and take ownership as well. What traits set great developers apart? There’s not really one single trait that makes the difference between a good and a great developer, it’s more of a combination. Proactivity is definitely important as is having the technical knowledge and knowing what great architecture should look like. At the same time, you also need the soft skills to be able to express yourself. Being able to break down technical jargon into easier language for people who are non-technical to understand is important. Get everything you need to know wrapped up in 13 handy tips to make your LinkedIn profile shine and get yourself noticed!  Some recruiters have said that I need to settle for a lower salary if I haven’t had a UK job before. Is that true? It depends entirely on the organisation. Some clients would offer less of a salary if you haven’t had a job in the UK previously but on the other hand, there are companies that love candidates from Easters Europe, for example, because they have very good universities out there for computer science and they will pay above market rate. You need to get yourself out there to as many companies as possible but if you find you’re struggling to find a position then it might be worth being more flexible with your salary expectations, at least for the interim. You can come in and after your probation period of 3-6 months show what value you have delivered for the company and ask for your remuneration to be improved. If you're looking for a new role in the current market you really need to make yourself stand out. There will be people who have been made redundant or on furlough who have had to take salary cuts to ensure that their business keeps going so utilise the tips we’ve given here to stand out. If you’re interviewing and not getting positions, ask why. Ask for proper feedback and find out what you fell short on, not just that another candidate was stronger.    Do companies look unfavourably on candidates who have worked at one tech company for a long time in comparison to candidates who have worked at a few? Some companies will look at the time you spent with at each company, but many don’t.  You have your own reasons for why you left that place be it culture, progression or another reason. Some companies look for longevity (2, 3, 5 years+) but newer companies and startups don’t care as much. To give you a better idea of the industry trend, the average tenure within .NET is 1.3 years. What do you think about meetings? Are they a waste of time for developers? Sometimes the number of meetings can feel overwhelming. While you might be expected to attend some meetings, too many meetings are not helpful for developers because it breaks their concentration and productivity. I am struggling to get interviews that offer visa sponsorship. What should I do? It can be difficult to get a job in the UK if you require a visa. A good place to start is to take a look at these companies that offer sponsorship. If you can prove that you are very good, getting sponsorship can be easier. Another way to go about it is to approach the companies, show that you’re a strong candidate and offer to work for them remotely as a contractor. This would involve opening your own company in the country you live in and invoicing the UK company for your work. After you’ve showcased your work, you’re more likely to get sponsorship through the company you have been working with. Do years of experience really matter? After you’ve got two years of experience it doesn’t matter at all. You don’t need to wait till you have five or six years’ of experience to start applying to senior positions as long as you have the experience and can talk on the same level as the person who is interviewing you. Make sure you are confident in your tech stack and highlight this technology throughout your CV. Do you have any more questions? Connect with us on LinkedIn and start a conversation! Arjun Gillard Guilherme Reis​

What I've learnt during the lockdown in the UK is that there are many who have thrived in the environment of remote working. I have seen colleagues work on a more intense and productive level than within the walls of our office. However, for some, working remotely can be a very difficult and lonely experience. Personally, I have sat between these two camps. There have been days over the course of the last 3 months that I have been able to complete multiple tasks that would have otherwise taken weeks to get round to. Nevertheless, after the first couple of weeks of working from home, I did find myself staring at my kitchen walls or at the same email for 15 minutes at times. This style of working is not going to be short-term. As social distancing continues in the UK and across the world, remote working will be our safest way of containing the virus when ‘going to work’. Additionally, as workers have been given the opportunity to work from home more regularly, the demand for this will ultimately rise in employment requests. As a recruiter, I have already seen a huge rise in this demand even after the pandemic comes to a close.  I spoke with industry leaders within the Machine Learning & AI space about what advice they would give to get the most out of working from home. So whether you love working from home or despise it here's what they said...   Senior-level Data Scientist - UK based Medical Research Organization Create a daily working routine at home: start your day with planning the tasks and deliverables for the day and try to maintain your working day organised and structured (including lunch/coffee breaks). Remain in contact with colleagues via Zoom/Microsoft Teams, even outside of scheduled calls. It can help to reduce the feeling of being isolated. Exercise every day: sitting at home working all day long can be frustrating and stressful, even from the comfort of your home. Get your daily endorphin boost to avoid those negative side effects.   Leading Computer Vision Scientist  Try E-lunches (on video) with different colleagues including people you don't normally have lunch with. Enjoy short sessions of playing computer games with colleagues like skibbl.io. Try to reduce meeting durations by 25%.   Reena Singh HR & Recruitment Manager - iProov  Communication is key - tell your manager or HR that you are struggling with the transition. Together they can look at what exactly it is that you're struggling with and what support measures can be put in place. Book in a daily break in your diary for the same time every day and be sure to step away from your laptop/computer.  Most importantly, remember, it's OK if you're not OK. We're all going through a very unusual time that none of us has experienced before. There will naturally be a lot of anxiety, struggles working from home, strains on the relationships at home - all these feelings are normal and it's OK to feel like this. This is a very small fraction of our life in comparison to the rest of it; things will get better.    Founder of a leading start-up organization in London Exercise! Switch-off somehow with an activity. (I cook) After that activity, absolutely no more working. Use the flexibility to make your life easier than it was before (go do the groceries at 10 am if it makes your life easier).   Charles Ball, COO at Chronomics Charles has been working remotely during the pandemic and is keen on keeping the team communication levels up. Chronomics organizes regular quizzes in order to keep social interactions consistent. He also explained that there should be an emphasis on employers looking towards the future, rather than solely at the situation right now. He has been actively reviewing where his company is going to be in a year’s time and then discussing that with his current team. These conversations are helping to soothe anxieties about the pandemic, with an honest and open approach to staff. He has also been hosting regular Webinars about producing tests for employers to use on its staff to relieve the pressures of working back in an office, especially in areas such as central London where public transport is more frequently used.   Here are a few links where employers can look at options produced by Chronomics for testing and risk assessments: https://www.chronomics.com/coronavirus https://covid.chronomics.com/risk-calculator If your company is interested in Coronavirus testing please contact charles@chronomics.com   His top his are as follows: Test your company to instil employee confidence. Provide regular communication to staff, no excuses. Exercise – do not work without leaving your desk, even if it’s a walk to grab a coffee.   For more working from home tips check out these blogs:​ 7 Effective Ways to Work From Home During the Coronavirus Outbreak 6 tips to make anyone more successful at remote work, from a reporter who's been doing it for 20 years 5 Tips to Successfully Work at Home   ​I would say, all in all, it is really important to separate your working life from your home life. So if you are not a seasoned professional in remote working, it can be a very new and tough challenge. However, what the professionals I interviewed all had in common are the following points: Exercise or just walking in breaks Communicating with colleagues Creating a structured routine that you stick to This ‘new normal’ will undoubtedly cause anxieties and feelings of uncertainty for many, however, it is important to reap the benefits of working from your home as well. For example, you might have a shorter commute or more flexible working hours. Or it could be simply saving a bit more cash than you typically would be able to. There is a light at the end of the tunnel with remote working and I hope these tips will help you cope in the meantime!   You might also like: Your guide to remote onboarding Dump the Slump 5 ways to stress less at work Use the 80/20  rule to beat procrastination 5 tips for better work eating   Any questions?  Feel free to reach out to me via LinkedIn, email at aheneghan@understandingrecruitment.co.uk or phone 01727 809 403.  

It’s that time of day again. It has arrived. Your eyes feel sandpapery as you struggle to keep them open. Your whole body feels lethargic, but your workday is far from over. It’s the dreaded 3 pm slump, and it hits hard several times a week, at the very least.  Even though you only have a few hours of work left you’re not sure you’re going to make it without a quick desktop nap. Why does this keep happening and how can you avoid the 3 pm slump all together? Here are some ideas to help you out if taking a siesta isn’t an option!   Why do I have an afternoon slump? The feeling of tiredness and fatigue is a natural response to circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms are our body clocks and control our sleep cycles, making us sleepy between the hours of 2 - 4 am and 1 - 3 pm. Too little sleep, carby lunches, dehydration, and high-stress levels can also be contributors. Here are 5 ways to stress less at work.   Get Up The benefits of movement cannot be overstated in this case. Stretching, getting up and moving around can be one of the best ways to wake yourself up. Taking five minutes to get up and walk to the water cooler or to a co-worker’s desk can have great benefits. Hitting the gym on your lunch break also boosts your productivity once you get back to your desk. If you can, sit in the sun for 10 minutes or better yet, go for a quick walk outside. Walking meetings are also something you can put in place. Sunlight helps reset your internal clock. It also reduces the amount of melatonin your body produces. Sunlight is also the best source of Vitamin D proven to have many health benefits.   Interact Humans are social animals and interactions with others rev us up. If you’re working from home, having a quick video chat with a colleague can act as a great pick me up. If you’re back in the office, consider talking to a friend in the office to re-energise. Rather than sending that work-related email, go and talk to the recipient in person. Talking, smiling and laughing with others will make you feel less drowsy. Try to schedule collaborative meetings for the afternoon instead of in the morning. You can also give the Pomodoro technique a go. Work in 25-minute bursts with 5-minute breaks between. Then take a longer break after five 25-minute sets. There are several apps you can use for this but a normal timer will do the job.  Don't forget to give your eyes a rest from staring at your screen every 20 minutes. Look at something at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds.   Snack Not all snacks are good for you. While you might be craving carbs, cutting them out can help prevent an afternoon slump in the first place. A chocolate bar has a quick energy surge, but an even quicker drop. Go for fruit, veggies, nuts or a small quantity of dark chocolate containing caffeine. Minty chewing gum is also known to be a stimulant and chewing helps the brain fight lethargy. Don’t forget water either. Most of us don’t drink as much water as we should. But staying hydrated can help you stay awake and alert throughout the day. A mid-afternoon cup of green tea (avoid coffee) is also a good idea. For more work eating tips click here.   Plan Ahead Review at what times you’re most productive and schedule your most demanding tasks in at that time of day. Save easier tasks for when you’re not at the peak of your productivity curve. Most people’s concentration declines after an hour. So next time you feel your focus fading, switch to another task to change things up a bit. Listening to your favourite high-energy songs will also pick you up and make you feel pumped. Spotify has a great selection of playlists or you can create your own. Lasting throughout the day without hitting a slump starts with getting a good night’s sleep. You know your limits, and you know the consequences of pushing those. Save yourself a lot of effort and headache and stick to a bedtime that’s suitable for your body’s needs. Also, consider what you’re eating throughout the day. Experts say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day for a reason. Find what you like, but also consider the long-lasting health benefits of those foods. Yoghurt and whole-grain cereal are a couple of the many options at your disposal. Your body will thank you. Same goes for lunch. Getting the right nutrients at lunch is still important. Protein is a go for lunch, while you may want to cut back a bit on the carbs.