In this episode I explore issues around getting a job. I talk with Samantha Johnston - Head of Division, Higher Education at TPP recruitment in London.

We examine the importance of having a powerful CV or résumé, one which sells your skills and attributes, but which is also customised for each job that you are applying for. We take a close look at the interview process and consider what it is employers are really looking for. We discuss the notions of hard and soft skills - what exactly are 'soft skills' and why are they increasingly important in the workplace?

Samantha emphasises the importance of giving concrete or quantifiable examples when answering prospective employers' questions at interview. This means backing up your responses with hard facts, data and numbers, especially financial information where this is important to the role. 

In a very competitive job market, we ask whether good language skills, not just English language ones, are still important with the increasing use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and computers doing jobs that were previously done by humans.

If you need help with finding employment in the not-for-profit sector in the UK, contact Samantha Johnston at TPP via email: [email protected] and check out the organisation's website which is packed full of useful resources at: https://www.tpp.co.uk/

For English language support in preparing your CV; for interview practice in English; for support in drafting covering letters to employers; or for help in making presentations in the English Language, whether spoken or written, contact me at: [email protected] or via my LinkedIn page at: www.linkedin.com/in/john-scott-lawton