Empowering Agency Workers

Following on from our last episode on job interview skills, today we’re looking specifically at how to nail a presentation during a job interview.  To help us we’re talking to Catherine Sandland, who coaches aspiring TEDx talk speakers and is herself a successful TEDx talk presenter.  So if you’ve got a job interview coming up which includes a presentation, whether it’s for your dream job or more of a stop-gap role, you will want to present clearly and confidently.  Catherine talks us through how you might approach it, including:

The first thing to do when you’ve been given a presentation to prepare

How to be engaging when presenting online vs in person

Common mistakes that people tend make

Dealing with nerves

Listen in to give yourself the best chance of success!

About Catherine Sandland

“Presenting Queen” Catherine specialises in moving people from panic to poise when it comes to how their present themselves and their business.  She understands how vital it is to be able to communicate confidently and effectively if you want to develop and grow your organisation.  And if you want to make things happen.  She’s been helping leaders, managers, business owners, trainers and consultants with their communications, and specifically presentation skills for over 21 years.

You can contact Catherine here:

So you’ve managed to get yourself that elusive opportunity – a job interview!  How are you going to give yourself the best chance of success?  By listening to our chat with Interview Cheerleader, Tamzin Louise, that’s how!  She has a fantastic track record in supporting people to achieve their dream job through honing your interview skills.  So whether the interview is for a career-defining position, or a temporary role to keep you going, it is always worth preparing and giving yourself the best chance of success.  Today we cover a wide range of topics including:

What to consider when preparing for online interviews

What if you’re just starting without much relevant experience?

What about career changes?

Confidence-building strategies

What does the interviewer look for?

We do of course touch on typical interview questions too!  Job interviews have changed over the years, so if you haven’t been to one in a while this episode is well worth a listen to ensure you are bang up to date with what your interviewers are looking for.

Exclusive Special Offer for Listeners

10% discount on Interview Cheerleader courses, 1:1 services and downloadable PDF guides.

Simply use this code: iworksuccess

which is redeemable on the Interview Cheerleader website https://tamzinlouise.vipmembervault.com

About Tamzin Louise, the Interview Cheerleader

Tamzin is an author with over 20 years of experience on both sides of the table, being interviewed, and interviewing.  She is passionate about sharing her knowledge, experience of interviewing and the interview process – whether you are a business or an individual, Tamzin wants to support you.

You can contact her here:

With so many different official statistics and varied opinions about the jobs market, we decided to bring you an overview of what is really happening in the UK’s jobs market and where the opportunities are.  We talk to Belinda Johnson, founder of Worklab, who has for many years been deciphering government statistics, data and market intelligence into useful insights on the UK’s workforce.  This episode is essential listening for all UK job seekers who want to know:

What the latest official figures tell us;

What are the trends in employment rate and redundancies?

Are job vacancies really on the increase, and is it just for temporary placements?

Which sectors are growing, where are the bright spots?

What is the outlook for UK employment post-COVID?

Let this episode help you understand the trends, where there might be opportunities, and the longer term outlook.

About Belinda Johnson

Belinda’s business is a workforce market intelligence consultancy, so it’s her business to monitor and understand everything that is going on in relation to jobs and employment.  The UK’s workforce is constantly changing and evolving, it’s difficult to keep up – and that’s why Belinda enjoys her job!  You can contact her on social media here:

With so many different official statistics and varied opinions about the jobs market, we decided to bring you an overview of what is really happening in the UK’s jobs market and where the opportunities are.  We talk to Belinda Johnson, founder of Worklab, who has for many years been deciphering government statistics, data and market intelligence into useful insights on the UK’s workforce.  This episode is essential listening for all UK job seekers who want to know:

What the latest official figures tell us;

What are the trends in employment rate and redundancies?

Are job vacancies really on the increase, and is it just for temporary placements?

Which sectors are growing, where are the bright spots?

What is the outlook for UK employment post-COVID?

Let this episode help you understand the trends, where there might be opportunities, and the longer term outlook.

About Belinda Johnson

Belinda’s business is a workforce market intelligence consultancy, so it’s her business to monitor and understand everything that is going on in relation to jobs and employment.  The UK’s workforce is constantly changing and evolving, it’s difficult to keep up – and that’s why Belinda enjoys her job!  You can contact her on social media here:

Recruitment is often a vilified profession, much-maligned by candidates who feel they are poorly treated.  And as our audience (you!) consists of agency workers we thought we should examine why.  To help us do that, we spoke to Tim Jacob who has some 25 years experience as a recruiter and now advises recruitment firms on how to grow, increase profitability and deliver value.

In considering how tensions arise, we first need to understand that the role of recruitment is much much broader than simply placing candidates into vacancies, yet ultimately it is getting such placements right that drive profits.  We also need to understand that recruiters have two different audiences: clients who pay for the service, and candidates who might go on to work for the clients.  The needs of these two audiences are not always aligned, and occasionally there are unrealistic expectations from either or both parties.  Join us for lots of eyeopeners about how recruitment actually works in practice, why it is important to understand this, and how you can use the insights to your advantage.

About Tim Jacob

Tim began his career in Technology Recruitment with Computer People in 1995 as part of their Graduate Recruitment Scheme.

Spent 13 years as Commercial Director at Rethink Group a Technology Talent Solutions company making circa 8,000 placements (contract and perm) per year into to media, tech and digital space.

Sat for 2 years on the board of the REC, the largest trade body for the recruitment profession.

Now works at Squadrato which provides the practice advice, senior counsel and action-led consulting that businesses need to develop from transactional recruitment agencies in to professional providers of staffing services.

Squadrato’s website is here

Squadrato’s LinkedIn page is here

We know the jobs market is really tough at the moment, so let us bring you some inspiration from careers expert Sarah Taylor Phillips to boost your job search and get hired!  This packed episode is full of uplifting practical advice that will definitely get you on the right track, including:

which sectors are growing and recruiting currently

retraining and upskilling opportunities

how to take a strategic approach to the job search

the importance of “brand you” to finding your dream role

how to keep motivated during the job search process

Following success with her interim recruitment business, Sarah set up Career Voyage to help businesses and individuals navigate this new world of work and achieve competitive edge.  She has a passion for different ways of working and tipping existing resourcing thinking on its head, and Sarah also runs BeInspiredGetHired, an online job seeking community hosted on Facebook and LinkedIn.  Sarah has both marketing and business qualifications, and remains a brand marketeer at heart – as job searching is all about marketing yourself she is ideally placed to help!

Resources

LinkedIn’s jobs on the rise article is here

Brand You Compass is here

Wellbeing Wheel is here

Contact details

Career Voyage website is here

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn here

BeInspiredGetHired Facebook Group is here

BeInspiredGetHired LinkedIn Group is here

Following on from our recent podcast chat with a loan charge victim, we have an exclusive interview with Steve Packham, Founder of the Loan Charge Action Group (LCAG).  We created this extra episode to bring you an overview of many peoples experience of the loan charge, and to dispel the myth that it is somehow the victims’ fault for not spotting they are involved in a tax avoidance scheme.  It is disappointing that this inaccurate rhetoric continues to present loan charge victims as tax avoiders, so we wanted to bring you the truth, directly from the Loan Charge Action Group, as they have an informed view.

So join us for this conversation in which we discuss everything including how the legislation came about, the early day motion, the Loan Charge All Party Parliamentary Group, their alternative settlement proposal and of course the devastating impact on victims of the loan charge.  If you are in any doubt as to the facts, you need to listen to this podcast.

If you have no idea what the loan charge is, you can read about it here

Whatever your view about the legislation, the fact remains that the monies being sought by HMRC are life changing and impossible to pay for most people.  This has led to severe mental distress for some people who have no option but to consider bankruptcy, losing their house or other assets in order to pay their debt.

If you are affected by the loan charge, we recommend that you check out the Loan Charge Action Group (LCAG) which exists to provide information, raise awareness, and support affected people, visit their website: www.hmrcloancharge.info

You can also follow LCAG on twitter here

We all know that Brexit has now happened, but do you know what the impact will be on agency workers and recruiters?  It’s a big change for the UK, so today we’re talking to Lewina Farrell, a solicitor with many years’ experience of the recruitment agency sector, about what exactly Brexit means for us.  This is a huge subject, and we will be covering:

What has changed in relation to freedom of movement

What is the EU settlement scheme

Employers’ sponsorship licence

Points-based immigration system

Frontier worker visas

EU citizens working in the UK

UK citizens working in the EU

Impact on recognition of professional qualifications

Impact on employment rights in the UK

This is a really interesting discussion in which Lewina brilliantly covers the subject in plain English, and points out the potential difficulties for recruiters and agency workers.  If you have been burying your head in the sand about Brexit, then you need to listen to this!

About Lewina Farrell

Lewina is a solicitor and was previously Head of Legal Services at the Recruitment and Employment Confederation.  In that role she advised agencies on employment law, general commercial matters, and issues specific to recruitment such as the Agency Workers Regulations.  Lewina was also the lead for IR35 which we have covered in other podcasts.  Lewina left the REC recently and is in the process of setting up as an independent consultant.

Resources

Skilled Worker Visa shortage occupation list – click here

EU Settlement Scheme – click here

Points based immigration system, advice for EU citizens – click here

Today we’re talking to a victim of the loan charge, and it is essential to get this heard by as many people as possible so that others do not have to suffer the same awful experience. There are a lot of misunderstandings about the people who fall victim to the loan charge, with some suggestion that it is the victim’s fault for not spotting the tax avoidance scheme. If that’s your view, then listen to this conversation and hear directly from Wolf about how he was duped into this arrangement. Wolf’s dignity and honesty in telling his story is humbling, and the real-life impact on him and his family is devastating.

If you have no idea what the loan charge is, you can read about it here

Whether or not those affected by the loan charge are wealthy individuals deliberately avoiding tax, or innocent people caught up in a scam, the fact remains that the loan charge amounts due are life changing and eye-wateringly high for most people.  This has led to severe mental distress for some people who have very real concerns about possibly losing their house or other assets in order to pay their debt.

If you are affected by the loan charge, we recommend that you check out the Loan Charge Action Group (LCAG) which exists to provide information, raise awareness, and support affected people, visit their website: www.hmrcloancharge.info

Today we’re talking to specialist tax advisor, Tom Wallace of WTT Consulting about tax avoidance schemes which specifically target temporary agency workers and contractors.  These schemes all operate in a similar way to disguise your remuneration as something else which they allege is not taxable.  Often they pose as compliant umbrella firms so it is all too easy to get caught out.  For a refresher on how a compliant umbrella business operates, listen to our previous episode (005) which covers it in some detail.

Tom is Director of Tax Investigations and we chat today about how scheme providers market themselves and how they put you at serious personal financial risk of a large tax bill from HMRC.  We cover how you can identify such a scheme and, importantly what you should do if you are concerned that you might be caught up in one.  We also cover so-called “mini-umbrella company” tax avoidance which HMRC recently issued a formal Spotlight warning about.

Tax might seem boring, but this episode is essential listening as these scheme promoters are very clever and they are aggressively targeting innocent people – don’t let that be you.

About Tom Wallace

After many years as a HMRC tax inspector, Tom left to join WTT Consulting as Head of Tax.  Tom has seen first hand the devastating impact of disguised remuneration schemes on innocent people.  Now director of Tax Investigations at WTT Consulting, Tom uses his extensive specialist knowledge of HMRC process and complex tax disputes to support people who find themselves with an unexpected tax bill.

Contact details

Email: [email protected]

Website: WTT Consulting