Whether you&rsquo;re hoping to find the perfect first role, or already have years of career experience behind you and are looking for the next step on your journey, the job search, application and hiring process can be daunting.
Thanks to the ever-changing job market and variety of approaches that recruiters and employers take, it is difficult to know what to expect from each specific job hunt.
But whilst we can&rsquo;t predict how each process will go; it still pays to be as prepared as you can and to benefit from as much as insight and helpful information you can get.
Our handy guide below is a great place to start.
<h2>What to expect during your job search</h2>
<ul>
<li>It may take some time to find the right role:&nbsp;When you begin your job search, you&rsquo;ll likely have a specific role, and specific expectations, in mind. And that&rsquo;s fine. But finding the job that is ideally suited to what you&rsquo;re looking for will likely not be a quick and easy process &ndash; it may take a fair amount of searching and time to find roles that you want to apply for, sifting through the variety of job listings and advertisements you&rsquo;ll find.</li>
<li>Prepare for a rollercoaster ride: A job search can be frustrating. Not only is it a potentially time-consuming process, but it is also one that can create a seemingly endless list of hurdles to clear too. Expect to find jobs that, after further investigation, aren&rsquo;t quite as initially advertised; be prepared to find that your &lsquo;perfect role&rsquo; isn&rsquo;t in a location that suits you or doesn&rsquo;t offer pay and benefits that you deem fair, and to face strong competition in a very competitive market.</li>
<li>Expect an employer-driven environment: Whilst you&rsquo;re busy looking for your perfect role, remember that potential employers are out there looking for the perfect candidate too. So, job listings and processes may seem overly specific, demanding or even critical, as employers look to narrow and streamline their own search &ndash; this can be a little disheartening if you don&rsquo;t know to expect it.</li>
</ul>
Carbon60&rsquo;s Job Search Advice: Don&rsquo;t let potential hurdles such as these put you off &ndash; the right job, at the right time, offering all the right opportunities, pay and benefits, is out there for you! Yes, it may take some time to search for and find the perfect role, but it will be time well spent. It is better to be patient and thorough, than to rush into something.
And don&rsquo;t be disheartened by employer&rsquo;s approaches in the market &ndash; use it to your advantage to focus your search and prepare yourself to showcase what you could bring to a role when you apply for any.
<h2>What to expect during a job application</h2>
<ul>
<li>No two application processes are the same:&nbsp;Long gone are the days of popping into a business and handing over your CV to Reception and asking to be considered for any roles that may be available. Today most job applications are through websites or online portals. Unfortunately, whilst online job applications are usually simple and offer the convenience of allowing you apply from practically anywhere, there isn&rsquo;t a &lsquo;one size fits all&rsquo; approach, and the systems and software used by one employer will likely differ to that of the next. So, expect to see, use and experience several different formats when applying for different roles.</li>
<li>You&rsquo;ll likely need more than just your CV:&nbsp;The job market is extremely competitive, with the number of people looking for and applying for certain roles often hugely outweighing the number of roles available. As such, to help them decide who would be most suited to their available jobs, and the best fit for their company, employers will usually want and need to receive much more than a CV from applicants &ndash; additional, supporting documents and information they may require could include a cover letter, a portfolio of relevant work, reasons for applying for the role and what you value feel you could bring, and much more.</li>
<li>You may not always get a response: As mentioned, employers will be looking for the ideal candidate for the role they have available. And as it is very likely they will receive a vast number of applications; they must be selective in their approach when deciding who to take to the next step. This can take considerable, valuable time &ndash; time that they may not be able to afford to use on replying to every single applicant. As such, unsuccessful applicants may not hear back regarding their application.</li>
</ul>
Carbon60&rsquo;s Job Application Advice: It is important to ensure you&rsquo;re as prepared as possible for what applying for a job entails. So, before you start looking to submit any applications, make sure your CV is up to date, create a generic, easily to edit and adapt covering letter, and research the companies that you&rsquo;re potentially going to apply to, to gauge an idea of their expectations, culture and their processes.
Be prepared to change your CV and covering letter in accordance with what may be required and asked for during the application process, and to promote yourself and your skills most effectively.
And don&rsquo;t be disappointed or aggrieved if you don&rsquo;t hear back regarding any application &ndash; it&rsquo;s not your fault. And don&rsquo;t be afraid to contact anywhere you&rsquo;ve applied to, asking for an update or feedback.
<h2>What to expect from a job hiring process</h2>
<ul>
<li>Initial Contact:&nbsp;Given that <a href="https://standout-cv.com/pages/job-search-statistics-uk#job-interview-stats">&ldquo;The average time it takes from applying for a job to &lsquo;landing it&rsquo; takes 28 days&rdquo;</a>, you may find &ndash; despite how long the rest of the finding and applying for a job process can take &ndash; that the hiring phase may actually develop and progress quite quickly. Having narrowed down their search for candidates to those they wish to proceed with, employers will likely want to contact chosen applicants and arrange interviews and next steps quickly. So, if you&rsquo;re a shortlisted applicant, expect a phone call!</li>
<li>Interview: If you&rsquo;re contacted as a shortlisted applicant for a role, it is likely that this contact will be made to arrange a first interview. Again, there may be a quick turn around between initial contact and the interview stage. In some cases, you could be asked to attend multiple interviews, and complete tasks that will showcase your ability to be a success in the role. Post-pandemic, many employers have adopted remote, online-hosted interviews, though in-person interviews are still preferred by many. Either way, the experience will be very similar, and it is your chance to present yourself and your skills and make an impression.</li>
<li>Background Checks &amp; References: During the hiring process, the company you&rsquo;ve applied to will likely reach out to applicants&rsquo; provided references and conduct background checks, to ensure that any potential hire is the right fit, professionally and culturally, have any required qualifications for the role, and have the right to work. This is very common, and completely normal &ndash; so don&rsquo;t panic!</li>
<li>Job Offer: If you find the right role, get your application right and do a great job during the interview stage, you&rsquo;ll hopefully move on to the final and most exciting part of it all &ndash; being offered the job! In most instances, job offers will be made via phone or email, with a follow-up afterwards to discuss further details, such as salary, start date and more about the role and company.</li>
</ul>
Carbon60&rsquo;s Job Hiring Process Advice: Even before any initial contact between you and any company you&rsquo;ve applied for a role at, it pays to be interview ready &ndash; you never know when you&rsquo;ll be reached out to and asked to attend an interview! Of course, all interviews are different, but to help you prepare as best as possible for what could be to come, be sure to <a href="https://www.carbon60global.com/blog/how-to-succeed-at-a-job-interview">read through our handy guide</a>.
Make sure your reference contacts are up-to-date on your CV at initial application too, just in case the company does wish to get in touch with them to carry out their checks and find out more about you, and ensure that anyone you list as a reference will speak will of you, your skills and your employability.
And, if you do receive a job offer, don&rsquo;t be afraid to give your potential new employer a counteroffer or negotiate the salary or any other aspects of the offer to ensure the role suits you, as well as them, before you accept or reject.

Finding yourself a new job can be a daunting task, one that could be made tricky if you’re not fully prepared for what to expect. Therefore, it pays to be ready for what to expect from a job search, application and hiring process. 

What to expect from a job search, application and hiring process

There&rsquo;s no doubt that the Renewable Energy sector is one that&rsquo;s rapidly growing, and the career opportunities are plentiful. Over the years, jobs within Renewables have been steadily growing year-on-year, with 7.3 million back in 2012, and 12 million in 2020. With more urgency around climate change leading to an increased demand for clean energy, this is a fantastic sector to grow your career in.
At Carbon60, we&rsquo;ve been placing candidates in this sector for over a decade, at some of the biggest businesses across the world. I&rsquo;ve personally never seen such a huge demand for workers. At the same time, the level of competition has really increased. People recognise what an exciting area this is to work in and are keen to progress.
In this blog, I thought I&rsquo;d share some top tips &ndash; as well as common mistakes I see &ndash; when receiving CVs. Feel free to check out the short video below as well!
<div class="flex-video widescreen"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/elzCjlGiKhA" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h3>Tailor your CV</h3>
I&rsquo;ll start with the most important tip I give to candidates. Always keep in mind that businesses aren&rsquo;t looking for someone who simply wants a job. They&rsquo;re looking for someone who wants to work for them.
That&rsquo;s why your CV should always be tailored. One of the biggest mistakes I see is candidates sending a clearly generic CV over &ndash; either to recruitment agencies or direct to clients. This shows a lack of care and a lack of real interest in the role. It also doesn&rsquo;t show how your skillset can benefit that particular business.
I&rsquo;m not necessarily suggesting that you do a mass rewrite. But you should certainly look at the core competencies and key duties that are on the job specification, and match these up on your CV. The same applies when mentioning your key achievements &ndash; relate it to what&rsquo;s on the job specification. For example, you might be applying for a Construction Manager or Project Manager role. Highlight previous successful projects that you&rsquo;ve delivered, with an emphasis on the end result and impact you had.
Remember, companies are advertising these jobs because they have a need or problem &ndash; so you need to position yourself as the solution.
&nbsp;
<h3>Keep it concise</h3>
I&rsquo;m often asked about the right length for a CV. My advice is to keep it to two pages, maybe three at a push. Believe it or not, I have received CVs in the past that are up to 10 pages long, and this doesn&rsquo;t help anybody. You want your CV to engage the hiring manager, and the moment they see a document which is too long, there&rsquo;s a chance that it actually won&rsquo;t be looked at properly.
You may have been working for quite a long time, and therefore wondering what parts of your career history you should and shouldn&rsquo;t include. &nbsp;I would say to go back to no more than ten years, as long as it keeps your CV within the 2-3 page limit. You can then add a line at the end saying that information on previous roles are available on request.
Also remember to keep the roles as relevant to the Renewable Energy sector as possible. For example, if you&rsquo;re applying for a Site Engineer role &ndash; be it Civil, Mechanical or Electrical &ndash; there&rsquo;s no need for you to put details of your retail assistant job when you were a teenager.
The slight exception to the rule above is if you don&rsquo;t have prior experience in the industry and are changing careers. Then you obviously do need to put down roles which aren&rsquo;t as relevant &ndash; but tailoring your CV becomes even more critical. For example, perhaps you&rsquo;ve spent a long time working in the finance world but want to move into engineering. You might then want to highlight your numerical and problem-solving skills, as well as your ability to analyse data, as these are things which are also required in engineering.
&nbsp;
<h3>Be honest</h3>
While your CV is a tool that helps you sell yourself, avoid exaggerating or making things up. Remember everything can be easily checked nowadays, so it&rsquo;s best to be honest about previous roles and qualifications.
Be clear on the details. Perhaps you&rsquo;ve done a practical training course of some sort? Make sure you correctly state the exact course you did, the certification you achieved, and the year you achieved it.
Honesty also means being open about gaps in your CV. If there&rsquo;s a short period of time where you were out of work &ndash; for example a couple of weeks or months &ndash; this isn&rsquo;t a major issue. But if it's a significant gap, don't be afraid to explain it.
You may also want to mention the skills you did pick up while you were out of employment. Many people think that workplaces and classrooms are the only place where you learn things, but this isn&rsquo;t true. For example, if you spent time away looking after your children, talk about skills such as discipline, organisation and multi-tasking that you&rsquo;ve needed. If you&rsquo;ve travelled, you may have picked up international knowledge. This could be quite useful for a business looking to increase their global presence.
&nbsp;
<h3>Crack the keywords</h3>
Many CVs go through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and are scanned for specific keywords. Therefore, it&rsquo;s important that keywords related to the industry and the role are mentioned in your CV. This doesn&rsquo;t mean stuffing them all in at random places though. Try to naturally incorporate them into the relevant sections. Here are some examples of general keywords I expect to find on CVs:
<ul>
<li style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 18pt;">Battery energy storage systems</li>
<li style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 18pt;">BESS</li>
<li style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 18pt;">EPC</li>
<li style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 18pt;">G99</li>
<li style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 18pt;">Grid connection</li>
<li style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 18pt;">Photovoltaic</li>
<li style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 18pt;">PMP</li>
<li style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 18pt;">PPA</li>
<li style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 18pt;">Renewable energy</li>
<li style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 18pt;">Renewables</li>
<li style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 18pt;">Solar PV</li>
<li style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 18pt;">Wind Turbine</li>
<li style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 18pt;">WTG</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Keywords aren&rsquo;t just important because of the ATS either. When hiring managers are looking through CVs manually, they will always appreciate references to key skills or industry specific words, as it shows you are switched on and know the Renewable Energy sector.
&nbsp;
<h3>Focus on the formatting</h3>
You want to make things are as easy as possible for both the employers and/or the recruiters who are trying to help you. This means laying your CV out in a nice, clear manner, with lots of white spaces separating out the different sections. Avoid images, graphs and charts &ndash; while you may think they look nice, they don&rsquo;t usually add any value and can make your CV unnecessarily lengthy.
Try to save the file in a Word or Google document. This is because recruiters are often required to copy and paste them into a specific template, and a document makes this easier to do.
Start with a punchy summary or introduction. This should just be a short paragraph that gives an overview of your career, experience and ability in relation to the specific job.
When going through your previous roles, provide the start and end dates with both the month and the year clearly stated. Sometimes CVs just show the year and that doesn&rsquo;t always give the client enough information about the length of the roles, especially if you&rsquo;ve had a lot of short-term contract jobs.
Finally, ensure the spelling and grammar within your CV is all correct. If you&rsquo;re applying through a recruiter, we can correct any errors for you (although this still isn&rsquo;t a great first impression). If, however, you&rsquo;re applying directly to a client - this won&rsquo;t go through that proofing process so could cost you. The spellcheck function is a great asset to you in these circumstances!
&nbsp;
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
The market is competitive, but hopefully these tips can help you with any applications you&rsquo;re about to make within the Renewable Energy sector.&nbsp;
If you need help with starting your CV, we have put together a template that can give you the building blocks to write a great one!&nbsp;
<a class="button" href="~/link.aspx?_id=8FA435A7C57F47A2A0A68531122905F3&amp;_z=z">Click here to download</a>

Barry Jones, Principal Consultant in Renewables & Energy, has given his top industry advice for writing a great CV

Top CV writing tips for a job in Renewable Energy

Covid-19 brought lasting changes to the economy which touched just about every industry. Engineering is no exception and as we emerge post-pandemic, we&rsquo;ve been watching engineering recruitment activity with added interest.
That&rsquo;s why we&rsquo;re pleased to bring you this 2022 Salary Survey and report, with a particular focus on Site Engineers and Project Managers in the Renewables sector. We&rsquo;ve pulled together information from our database over the past six to twelve months to share market insights and uncover any trends.
If you&rsquo;re an engineer in Renewables looking to compare your own salary, or an employer looking to benchmark current and future Renewables roles, this report is for you.
&nbsp;
<h3>A positive outlook for Renewables Site Engineers and Project Managers</h3>
Firstly, let&rsquo;s look at the number of roles available for Site Engineers and Project Managers in the Renewables sector.
It&rsquo;s positive news for both when looking at job postings following the pandemic. For the past year we&rsquo;ve seen a remarkable increase in the number of live vacancies for Site Engineers and Project Managers. To date, for Site Engineers we&rsquo;ve recorded an increase of around 80% in the number of unique job postings, with a sharper surge occurring from February onwards.
For Project Managers, that percentage increase has been slightly lower, but still significant at around 70%. There have been no sizeable peaks for this group, but instead, a steady and gradual rise in the number of unique job ad postings month-on-month.&nbsp;
This suggests Site Engineers and Project Managers are in a strong position post-pandemic and likely reflects a period of recovery for industries requiring the support of engineering for their continued growth. Great news for engineering which appears to also be thriving.
When comparing the two specialisms with one another however, there is one that is head and shoulders above the other. The number of Renewables Site Engineer jobs per month has averaged 964 in the past twelve months, whereas for Project Managers, this figure stands at 7,078 live roles per month.
&nbsp;
<h3>Leading locations for Site Engineer and Project Manager roles</h3>
Looking at locations now, it&rsquo;s perhaps anticipated that the highest number of live Renewables vacancies over the past year have been in and around London. 35% of all Site Engineer roles and 49% of Project Management roles advertised have been London-based.
Demand is still high in other areas of the UK though, with Northern Powerhouse scenes including Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds featuring highly on our list of top UK cities for Renewables. Scotland and specifically Glasgow and Edinburgh are also currently popular locations for Site Engineers and Project Managers with a Renewables focus.
At the other end of the scale, Reading is cited as the area with the fewest Site Engineer jobs per month and Liverpool for Project Managers. That said, we&rsquo;ve still been recording average numbers of around 57 and 417 roles respectively per month for the past year. These are stats we&rsquo;ll continue to measure with interest for the rest of 2022.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h3>Top skills for Site Engineers and Project Managers</h3>
What skills are employers looking for in their Renewables engineering specialists? We were keen to understand what they are and whether there are similarities between the requirements for the two different roles.
Hard skills, as we may expect, differ between the two disciplines.
For Site Engineers, the most highly sought-after skill (36%) is Civil Engineering and for Project Managers, it&rsquo;s perhaps unsurprisingly, Project Management (42%). Risk Management/Analysis and Construction feature on both lists but beyond that, the hard skillsets for each are quite different. Site Engineers are preferred to have experience in Subcontracting, AutoCAD, Earthworks and Health &amp; Safety. Project Manager employees are looking for capabilities in Agile Methodology, Stakeholder Management, Finance and Change Management.
When it comes to soft skills though, job descriptions for Site Engineers and Project Managers in Renewables are much more aligned. The most requested soft skill for both is Management (20% for Site Engineers and 40% for Project Managers). And in second place for both roles is Communication (19% and 38% respectively).
Planning, Problem Solving and Operations are also all amongst the most common soft skills included in job ads for both functions.
&nbsp;
<h3>The average Site Engineer earns more than Project Managers</h3>
There&rsquo;s long been speculation about the roles of Site Engineers and Project Managers and which specialism offers the most income &ndash; Site Engineers providing invaluable specialist technical expertise and Project Managers having a more holistic view of engineering environments and operations.
Currently our data shows that Renewables Project Managers&rsquo; wages have been consistent since late 2021, except for a small increase of around &pound;2000 from February which has remained in place to date.
For Site Engineers in the Renewables space, wages have fluctuated more, experiencing a much sharper increase of &pound;10,000 between December 2021 and February 2022, which has steadily decreased again by &pound;4-5,000 as the year has progressed.
Currently our data shows that in the past six months Site Engineers in Renewables have on average been earning more than Project Managers. Project Managers&rsquo; wages have averaged <a>&pound;</a>51,840&nbsp;, however, this doesn&rsquo;t account for performance bonuses which are often between 5 &ndash; 30%, bumping up this figure considerably. For Site Engineers the average has been <a>&pound;59,136. </a>One thing to note is that this salary may not factor in costs of accommodation, food, transport etc. This does of course include the substantial spike seen in February which has bumped up the overall figures for Site Engineers. &nbsp;These are further statistics we&rsquo;ll be monitoring in the coming months to see whether this increase is a one-off occurrence or could indicate a longer term rise for Site Engineer professionals.
<hr>
Keen to know more? As an end-to-end talent acquisition specialist, Carbon60 is supporting countless clients and candidates with advice on the latest market intel and industry best practice. Remember to <a href="../../../../../../contact-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">get in touch</a> if you&rsquo;d like to discuss the findings of this survey or to better understand the latest developments in your specialist area of engineering.
&nbsp;

Our review of Site Engineer and Project Manager roles in 2022

Renewables Salary Survey and Report for 2022

<h3>Follow the instructions</h3>
First and foremost, check your email confirming the interview and do exactly what they&rsquo;ve asked. If they want to see your passport, don&rsquo;t just bring a photocopy. And if they&rsquo;ve asked for a presentation, prepare it well in advance and check how best to send it to them.
Don&rsquo;t fall at the first hurdle.
<h3>Test the route</h3>
Remarkably, recruiters suggest that thousands of candidates still regularly arrive late for interviews. Frankly, you won&rsquo;t have much chance if you&rsquo;re late.
Phoning well ahead might help, but avoid any problems by testing the route in advance and allow for delays. Besides, being early is a good thing &ndash; time for a coffee or to freshen up after the commute.
<h3>Research the business</h3>
Another problem interviewers regularly moan about is candidates&rsquo; lack of knowledge about their business. You don&rsquo;t need to spend a huge amount of time studying them, but you do need a solid understanding of what they do, their size, their values and their aims.
And the key is making sure you collect up-to-date information &ndash; following them on social media will help with that.
<h3>Be nice to everyone, not just the interviewer</h3>
Be polite and friendly with the receptionist and everyone you come across, because your interviewer may ask other people what they thought of you. Try to think of your interview beginning the second you arrive at their premises.
<h3>Think about your body language</h3>
Because candidates tend to focus on the questions they might be asked, it&rsquo;s easy to forget about what&rsquo;s being communicated physically.
Don&rsquo;t overthink it, but do try to remember the following:
<h3>Smile!</h3>
<ul>
<li>Eye contact is important, but it has to be natural &ndash; try not to stare</li>
<li>Sit upright &ndash; slouching conveys negative character traits</li>
<li>Don&rsquo;t fidget</li>
<li>Relax &ndash; the more relaxed you are, the better your answers will be.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Be enthusiastic</h3>
It&rsquo;s an obvious but essential point to make &ndash; enthusiasm makes a big difference. Your interviewer is passionate about their business, and passionate about the role on offer.
If you can&rsquo;t get excited about what they do and what they&rsquo;re offering, you&rsquo;ll struggle to make a lasting impression.
<h3>Don&rsquo;t plan too many answers</h3>
It&rsquo;s worth going over your skills and experience in your mind &ndash; how your ability has developed, and some of the key achievements in your career. But planning answers to specific questions is risky. It&rsquo;s impossible to know exactly what will be asked, and your answers will be difficult to memorise.
Too much rehearsal leads to stiff and nervous answers. Talk confidently and naturally, rather than as if you&rsquo;re recalling a script.

Occasionally, charisma alone can get you through an interview successfully. But for most of us, careful preparation is the key. This guide helps you to get the basics right...

Preparing for that all important job interview

For as long as there has been flight, there have been great women in aviation. From pioneers such as inventor Emma Lilian Todd, who opened America&rsquo;s first female-focused aviation training club in 1908, and legendary adventurer Amelia Earhart, to the many women who build, repair, service and fly aircraft around the world every day, some of the biggest influences in the industry have been female.
However, the number of women in aviation is still considerably lower than that of men. Thankfully though, as the industry &ndash; along with the wider world &ndash; realises the importance and benefits of diversity, inclusion and providing equal opportunities for all, women are starting to find their wings in aviation. 
Read on to learn more about the difference-making people, organisations and policies which are driving a better future for women in aviation, as well as the sort of opportunities that are available to talented females in the industry today. 
<h2 class="MsoNormal">Women in Aviation: The Challenges</h2>
In the UK, the number of women in aviation continues to be a challenge. For example, even as recently as late 2023, it was found that of the almost 30,000 pilots in the UK only 5% were female. &nbsp;Meanwhile, the <a href="https://www.wiaacharter.com/about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women in Aviation and Aerospace Charter</a> (WIAAC) highlights a well-recognised shortage of women studying STEM subjects and subsequently moving on to careers in engineering &ndash; including vital roles within the aviation industry. 
But of course, the problems extend way beyond British borders. <a href="https://www.wai.org/mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women in Aviation International (WAI)</a> &ndash; the world&rsquo;s largest organisation dedicated to increasing the number of women in aviation and aerospace &ndash; report that women make up less than 20% of the global aviation workforce, across all the industry&rsquo;s roles, pointing to dormant levels of female introduction to aviation caused by lack of education and opportunities.
<a href="https://www.wiaacharter.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Propelling-a-Gender-Balanced-Industry.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Research carried out by WIAAC</a><a href="https://www.wiaacharter.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Propelling-a-Gender-Balanced-Industry.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> </a>suggest the problems extend further than a shortage of education and opportunities however, with perceptions and expectations of careers in aviation &ndash; and the experiences of those already within the industry &ndash; impacting female participation too. 
For example, 84% of females asked by WIAAC perceived that pay may not be equitable between men and women working in aviation &ndash; a potential inhibitor to the progression of women in the industry; whilst one-third of female respondents already working in aviation and aerospace believed they would potentially need to leave the industry to progress their career, with many citing negative experiences endured only by them and other females.
<h2 class="MsoNormal">Women in Aviation: The Actions</h2>
Faced by challenges such as those outlined above, there is a global drive to ensure aviation becomes more inclusive and diverse, not only to ensure greater, fairer, and more diverse opportunities for all, but also to build a better, more sustainable future for the industry by attracting, retaining, and advancing the talents of women and minority groups around the world.
Driven by organisations such as the Women in Aviation and Aerospace Charter and Women in Aviation international, as well as key figures and companies including some of the biggest in the world, not just aviation, key objectives and goals have been set such as: 
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Investing in current and future workforces across aviation.
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Building a diverse, inclusive, and sustainable industry.
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Inspiring women and girls to pursue aviation careers, through education and employment opportunities.
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Providing support at every step of the aviation career journey. 
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Promoting progression and gender balance for all. 
And, whilst there is still plenty of work to be done, thanks to the dedication and commitment of everyone involved, we are already seeing results from the efforts already made. Insights from <a href="https://www.wiaacharter.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Propelling-a-Gender-Balanced-Industry.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WIAAC&rsquo;s Propelling a Gender Balanced Industry study</a> found that almost all women in aviation they interviewed had been inspired by an early age to see an aviation career as fulfilling and exciting, and to make the most of their passion and drive for STEM. &nbsp;
<h2 class="MsoNormal">Women in Aviation: The Opportunities</h2>
Putting the spotlight on women in aviation (or rather the lack of) and the need to close the gender gap within the industry has already started to pay dividends, with companies across the sector &ndash; from airlines and air forces to manufacturing and engineering specialists &ndash; committing themselves to being more diverse and inclusive across their workforce and in the way they operate. 
In the UK alone, over 250 aviation and aerospace companies &ndash; such as Airbus, BAE Systems and major airports including Heathrow and Gatwick &ndash; have become <a href="https://www.wiaacharter.com/signatories/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signatories of the Women in Aviation and Aerospace Charter</a>, promising to provide roles for women in aviation from apprenticeship level upwards, and support the progression of females into senior roles, and ensuring a commitment to &ndash; and accountability for &ndash; driving diversity change. 
British Airways, one of the major signatories, is an outstanding example of the efforts being made to make a difference in the diversity of aviation.<a href="https://www.britishairways.com/content/information/about-ba/ba-better-world/people" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> </a><a href="https://www.britishairways.com/content/information/about-ba/ba-better-world/people" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Working toward their goal to achieve 40% representation of women at senior management level by 2025, and equal representation by 2030, they already reached 39% by the end of 2023.</a> 
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Beyond senior management roles, BA are focused on diversifying their entire workforce, including in areas &ndash; such as engineering &ndash; which are more challenging to attract women. <a href="https://www.carbon60global.com/job-seekers/british-airways" target="_blank" rel="noopener">At Carbon60, we&rsquo;re proud to support British Airways with their recruitment project</a>s, including their diversity drive, providing our engineering recruitment expertise and knowhow to help find, hire, and develop talent for a brighter future for aviation.

The number of women in aviation is, even today, considerably less than that of men. Thankfully there is a brighter future ahead for females in the industry, with a drive towards diversity, inclusion and equal opportunities for all. 

Prepare for Take Off: Looking Ahead to a Brighter Future for Women in Aviation

Carbon60 was thrilled to learn that our Scaffolding Project Manager, Ian Drysdale, has been shortlisted for the <a href="https://exforcesinbusiness.co.uk/#about">Ex-Forces in Business Awards</a>.
The awards, taking place in Glasgow on 25th May, feature several categories, all of which salute ex-military personnel who have gone on to second successful careers in the civilian world. For Ian, his nomination recognises the value he&rsquo;s added to our business since leaving the Navy, as well as the support Carbon60 has provided in his transition.
We&rsquo;re immensely proud that Ian&rsquo;s a finalist for the Military Values in Business category. It&rsquo;s an award designed especially for veterans who have created successful business results and advanced their career through exhibiting and applying military virtues and values to their role.
As an employer with strong connections to our British Forces, this is a great achievement that we&rsquo;re delighted to shout about! Ahead of the awards later this month, we took some time out with Ian to speak with him more about his career and how it feels to be an award nominee.
&nbsp;
<h3 style="margin-bottom: 8.25pt;">Q: Tell us about your career within the armed forces</h3>
A: I joined the Navy one freezing cold January (I&rsquo;ll never forget that!) when I was 17 back in 1990. I joined up as a Marine Engineer after completing my basic training. The first ship I joined was HMS Brilliant and my first trip was straight into the Gulf War in 1991.
After spending six months out there, I came back and was then sent to the former Yugoslavia for 3 months.
When I returned, I went into the emergency support pool, so I could basically be put onto any ship that was short of labour. I was sent to do short stints on another two frigates - Battleaxe and Broadsword.
After that, I went up to Faslane (Naval Base in Clyde) for three years working on the ship lift and floating dock. I became a crane operator and was docking and undocking nuclear submarines which was quite scary at times!
And from there I went onto Fisher Protection around the Bay of Biscay area - making sure boats are legal and working within limits. I did that for probably four or five years.
Next, I went back to Faslane and onto Minehunters, travelling Europe and Scandinavia for a couple of years.
Then, because of an ongoing wrist injury, I spent my final three years of service based in the Armed Forces Careers office in Edinburgh, recruiting for the Navy and Royal Marines. It was at the end of this role that I got the unfortunate news my services were no longer required due to my injury and I was medically discharged in 2003.
So, it was a really varied career!
<h3 style="margin-bottom: 8.25pt;">Q: Why did you chose the Royal Navy? </h3>
A: It goes back to the Falklands War. I was only ten or eleven at that time, but I was intrigued by it, and I said back then &ldquo;I&rsquo;m joining the navy&rdquo;. Fortunately, I got to.
I sat my test on my 16th birthday and was adamant I was going to be a Marine Engineer. There were no positions at that time, so I had to wait a year and went back at 17. I joined HMS Raleigh aged 17.5.
<h3 style="margin-bottom: 8.25pt;">Q: Following your medical discharge in 2003, did you start your career in recruitment straight away? </h3>
A: No, not straight away. My training was electrical and I had a friend who worked away as an electrician. I managed to start with him, and it led to me working with General Electric on power stations as an electrician in the UK, Spain, Holland, Norway, Turkey - I even had a short stint over in America.
Recruitment was something I fell into&hellip;
I never applied to be a Recruitment Consultant. Companies had just picked up my CV and I got two calls in two days: one from Rullion, one from ABC, and had interviews arranged with both. The meeting with ABC was first and by the time I got home, I had a call saying there was no need to attend a second interview and they&rsquo;d like me to start on Monday. That was in 2007.
<h3 style="margin-bottom: 8.25pt;">Q: So, what&rsquo;s it been like since?</h3>
A: Well, my recruitment career has been as varied as it was in the Navy. I started as a Consultant on an M&amp;E desk in Edinburgh, before being asked to go and be an onsite consultant down in Bredero Shaw (The Pipes). I did that for about seven years - early starts, long days, but good times. Not unlike the Navy.
From there I was Onsite Account Manager for around three years, until the contract we were working on wasn&rsquo;t renewed and I went back up to spend time in both Glasgow and Edinburgh offices.
In between that I&rsquo;ve done contractor care roles and eventually fell into scaffolding, something I really enjoyed, kept working on, and it grew from there.
<h3 style="margin-bottom: 8.25pt;">Q: Is there anything that&rsquo;s stood out in transitioning from a Forces career to a civilian one?</h3>
A: There&rsquo;s a lot you bring with you from the military. Skills, discipline, respect, values attitude. My Marine Engineering background was completely different, but some things will always stay with you from the Navy and they definitely help in other areas of your life.
<h3 style="margin-bottom: 8.25pt;">Q: Did you know about the Ex-Forces in Business Awards before being nominated? </h3>
A: I&rsquo;ve seen them before and have received emails from them in the past asking if I&rsquo;d be interested in nominating myself, but I could never do that! However, no-one has admitted to having nominated me. I have my suspicions about who it is, but she hasn&rsquo;t owned up yet!&nbsp;
<h3 style="margin-bottom: 8.25pt;">Q: So, congratulations on being a finalist. What&rsquo;s next?</h3>
A: Yes, I&rsquo;m a finalist for the Military Values in Business award. The nominations are now put in front of a board made up of different veterans and senior business professionals. They&rsquo;ll decide the winners and we find out the results at the awards ceremony on 25th May.
<h3 class="p1" style="margin: 0cm;">&nbsp;</h3>
<h3 class="p1" style="margin: 0cm;">Transition to Civilian Life</h3>
For some servicemen and women, the transition into civilian life can take years to adapt to.&nbsp; Like Ian, they&rsquo;ve often developed valuable transferrable skills and qualities that perfectly complement commercial environments - but communicating those skills to potential employers can be challenging. The Ex-Forces in Business Awards are crucial in highlighting these challenges and for increasing the visibility of, and support available for, our ex-military role models. They&rsquo;re further important for empowering and inspiring current and future service leavers and in educating employers about the value that ex-services personnel can add to their business.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
For this reason, Carbon60 looks forward to continuing to support the Ex-Forces in Business Awards, and our ex-military employees. It&rsquo;s a topic close to our hearts. We&rsquo;re already extremely proud to have signed the <a href="https://www.carbon60global.com/about-us/csr-partnerships">Armed Forces Covenant</a> and to have subsequently achieved an <a href="https://www.carbon60global.com/blog/carbon60-recognised-with-mod-gold-award">MOD Gold Award</a>. These are in addition to our ongoing sponsorship of the RAF Ski Team and the <a href="https://www.carbon60projectservices.com/blog/carbon60-proudly-sponsors-the-royal-navy-football-association">Royal Navy Football Association</a>, and of course our strong links with the MOD in providing ongoing technical and engineering solutions.
&nbsp;
On hearing of Ian&rsquo;s nomination, Carbon60&rsquo;s MD, Paul Nolan said:
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve had the pleasure of working with Ian and, as with many of our ex-service personnel, have been delighted with his aptitude and attitude over the last 15 years. It&rsquo;s not easy to survive in our particular industry without resilience and self-discipline in your role, before even learning and honing your recruitment skills, but veterans seem to thrive in this environment. Within Carbon60 we also work to a set of values &ndash; Role Model, Collaboration, Willingness to Learn and Driven to Deliver which marry very well with the values that ex-service men and women bring to the commercial world. I&rsquo;ve seen Ian grow and flourish at Carbon60 into a leadership role and I&rsquo;m quite sure this stems from his Navy training and this, combined with trying to give our business a &ldquo;family feel&rdquo; in what is ultimately a corporate landscape, has helped Ian succeed.&rdquo;
When asked at the end of our interview, whether Ian had anything he&rsquo;d like to add he simply told us what an honour and privilege it was to be nominated - especially for simply pursuing a career he really wanted to do. Ian described how surprised he was to then be shortlisted as a finalist and said the thought of having to collect an award was actually &lsquo;quite frightening.&rsquo;
Ian&rsquo;s very humble and modest and we know he&rsquo;s not a fan of being the centre of attention. But on this occasion, we think Ian is something to shout about. We&rsquo;re extremely proud of what he&rsquo;s achieved during a very varied career with Carbon60 so far, his success undoubtedly underpinned by the skills, values and disciplines Ian gained from his time in the military.

We speak to our Scaffolding Project Manager, Ian Drysdale, about his nomination for the Ex-Forces in Business Award ahead of the awards ceremony on 25th May.

Our QandA with Ex-Forces in Business Award nominee Ian Drysdale

Carbon60 are proud to collaborate with some of the biggest STEM companies around the globe, finding them the best and brightest talent available to help shape the future of industries that have a big impact on world and the way we live our lives, such as engineering, technology and more.&nbsp;
One of our long term partnerships has been British Airways and to assist them in discovering and hiring people to not only fill, but thrive and develop in, fantastic Aircraft Mechanic, Technician and Licenced Engineer roles &ndash; an unmissable opportunity to begin or build a technical or engineering career with an iconic company in aviation.
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Who are British Airways?</h3>
British Airways are, without doubt, one of the world&rsquo;s largest and most recognisable aviation brands. A global airline connecting people, places, and cultures from each corner of the earth, the iconic British Airways branding is seen in the skies and on the ground 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year. 
Behind the terminal gates, teams of thousands of talented people are powering every single journey that their aircraft makes, from those who care for and prepare every British Airways aircraft, to the crew on the ground who make sure they&rsquo;re always &lsquo;fit to fly&rsquo;. They are the beating heart of the engineering department at British Airways; and that&rsquo;s why the airline continues to invest in its people, their skills and potential, and they&rsquo;re always looking for the talent that will help build a better future for aviation and the world. 
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Which roles are British Airways recruiting for in this partnership with Carbon60?</h3>
Assisted by the recruitment expertise, experience, and knowledge of Carbon60, British Airways are currently looking for people for to join their technical and engineering teams in Aircraft Mechanic, Technician and Engineering roles. 
Not only will these roles offer incredible opportunities to work for an iconic aviation brand and get &lsquo;hands on&rsquo; with their aircraft, such as Boeing B777s, B787s and Airbus A380s, A320s, A350s for example, but also excellent career progression, training and development programs alongside personal development and a multitude of benefits &ndash; including a pension scheme, discounted flights, discounted car hire, and more &ndash; to take advantage of too.
Additionally, for certain technical or engineering roles, sponsorship and/or cover for relocation costs is provided, to help employees build a fantastic career with British Airways. 
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Why has the Carbon60 &amp; British Airways partnership been so successful?&nbsp;</h3>
Carbon60 are passionate about the future of STEM and helping the next generation of STEM talent grow, and partnering with companies such as British Airways on projects like this can lead to amazing opportunities for candidates, clients, and STEM industries as a whole. 
With our expert knowledge, over 25 years of aviation recruitment experience and an unrivalled track record &nbsp;of helping to discover and place talent in roles at various points of their career, from apprentice to senior management, and British Airways providing passionate individuals an exciting, unique chance to embark on a career journey that could help shape the future of engineering and technology in aviation, our partnership is a no-brainer. 
&nbsp;

Carbon60 are proud to collaborate with some of the biggest STEM companies around the globe, finding them the best and brightest talent available to help shape the future of industries that have a big impact on world and the way we live our lives, such as engineering, technology and more. 

Land a career in aviation with British Airways & Carbon60

Employers and recruiters look at a CV for an average of 8 seconds, so yours must stand out to be noticed. Here we have put together a list of 11 easy to follow hints and tips to help you make the perfect first impression.
<h2>1. First things first: Get the basics right</h2>
When making a start on your CV, try not to overthink or overcomplicate the process. Begin with the beautiful basics; so that includes adding important information such as your name and contact details, so that they're easily accessible when someone's trying to contact you.
Include your first and last name, job title or profession if you&rsquo;re currently employed, email address, phone number (that you can be reached on easily), and your town &amp; country of residence. There's no need to include your full address, or a title that says "CV", "Curriculum Vitae" or "resume".
<h2>2. Make it personal</h2>
Add a short personal statement or a covering letter (sometimes these are requested separately as part of an application process) that explains why you're interested in the job, and what aspects of your personality and skillset you think would fit with the employer's culture.
It is so important to research the company you&rsquo;re applying to, and tailoring your CV to each application you send. There isn&rsquo;t a &lsquo;one size fits all&rsquo; approach &ndash; recruiters will see right through it.
Pick out requirements from the job advert that you're confident you can match and tailor your personal statement to compliment them. Recruiters and employers will appreciate the extra effort.
<h2>3. Employment history</h2>
Include details of current and previous employment, with the most recent at the top. Include the company name, your job title, the dates you were there, and a simple description of your responsibilities.
We suggest not going into too much detail here; save some insight back to discuss in more length during your interview, when you can really delve into your experience and what you can offer. But of course do make sure you mention things that are as relevant as possible to the job you're applying for.
<h2>4. Fill those gaps</h2>
If there are gaps in your employment history, don't hide them. You're better off including them and explaining them, rather than hiding them and having to lie on your CV. Try to think of things you did during that time, other than job-hunting. Did you learn a new skill or gain a qualification? Or perhaps you spent some time travelling, gaining new experiences or volunteering? I
t is likely that you weren&rsquo;t just lazing around during your time of unemployment, so don&rsquo;t let anyone assume that you were!
<h2>5. Skills and Qualifications</h2>
Write a skills section that is relevant to the role you're applying for. Remember that it may be worth making alterations to your CV for each application you send, to ensure that it perfectly matches the job description and the culture of the place you&rsquo;re applying at. Also, search the job title you're applying for online to see what skills are desirable, and if you've got any of those, add them in.
When it comes to your qualifications, what you include depends on what level you've reached. If you've got a bachelor's degree, a masters and a PhD, then you probably don't need to include your GCSE results. But if you've got A Levels or an apprenticeship, then including your GCSEs might still be relevant as supporting qualifications. It's a judgement call and if in doubt, more is more in these circumstances.
<h2>6. Tell the truth and back it up</h2>
This is pretty simple: don&rsquo;t lie on your CV. Even if you think you can get away with it, you don&rsquo;t want to take the chance. When you&rsquo;re asked about your CV in the interview and you&rsquo;re either trying to avoid certain points or, much worse, double down on a few fibs you&rsquo;ve told, the interviewer will see right through it.
And even if you don&rsquo;t get caught out, get through the interview and get the job, it&rsquo;s worth remembering that you&rsquo;ll likely trip up once you start your new role, which won&rsquo;t be a good look.
If you&rsquo;ve lied about a previous employer or gap in employment and your new boss finds out while you&rsquo;re still in your probationary period, the likelihood is you&rsquo;ll be out of the door.
It&rsquo;s all very well saying you increased sales in your last role, provided great customer service, or carried out a task successfully, but numbers will help back up your claims. You increased sales by 70%. You had 92% customer satisfaction. You carried out this task in one week rather than two. Back. It. Up.
<h2>7. Keep it short(ish)</h2>
It&rsquo;s best to keep your CV to two pages or under, but it&rsquo;s important not to just squeeze stuff in. If you&rsquo;ve got so many relevant skills, qualifications and previous jobs that you can&rsquo;t fit them all in, then go to three pages. On the other hand, overloading your CV with information can dilute the details and points you really want to get across. It&rsquo;s a tricky balancing act.
Relevant is the most important word here &ndash; be brutal and only keep things in that the employer will actually care about.
<h2>8. Check, check and check again</h2>
Employers and recruiters get so many CVs that any with errors will be likely be assigned to the &lsquo;no pile&rsquo; immediately, simply because it shows a lack of care and attention.
If you can&rsquo;t be bothered to spell-check your CV (even when the computer does it for you), then why should a recruiter be bothered to consider your application? It doesn&rsquo;t show a level of care and attention either, and these are vital traits for any employee.
Make sure you sense-check, too. Does your CV flow well and make sense? And, if you can, get someone else to check it, so that you can get an outside perspective.
<h2>9. Make it look good!</h2>
With so many CVs to read, employers and recruiters will want something that displays its information in an attractive, easy-to-read format.
So use a simple font, and include paragraphs, short sentences and bullet points, with plenty of white space around each text element to make it easy to read. Don&rsquo;t go OTT, though.
Microsoft Word gives you all sorts of options from WordArt and borders, to colourful text and ClipArt, but you want to keep it simple. Having one simple colour scheme throughout is fine, but no bright or clashing colours. Images aren&rsquo;t necessary and just take up space.
<h2>10. Keywords are key</h2>
Including the job titles you&rsquo;re interested in and buzzwords related to them makes your CV pop up when those words are searched for on search engines and job boards. If you&rsquo;re not sure what to include, search your job title on Google and see what related terms come up.
This might seem like a lot of things to think about, especially if you&rsquo;re changing your CV for each job you&rsquo;re applying for, but if you&rsquo;re serious about getting the perfect job for you, it&rsquo;ll be worth it. Plus, once you&rsquo;ve got a perfect format in terms of look and layout, you can just change the details when necessary and save the new version.
<h2>11. Keep it up to date</h2>
Every time you leave a job, achieve a new qualification or gain a skill, get it on your CV as soon as possible that when it comes to applying for jobs in the future, you're all set with the best possible version of your CV.
If you&rsquo;re looking for more help and advice about applying for jobs, you can contact us <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=41A0870BBA104687B23323B701F21120&amp;_z=z">here</a>.

Learn how to write a solid CV and nab that dream job...

How to write a solid CV

Life doesn&rsquo;t get any less challenging, does it? For many, finding the balance between work, family, and everything else gets tricker, with so much to do and seemingly so little time to do it.
Finding that balance and making the most of your time is more of a skill than you may realise, however with the right approach to time management it is possible to find a way to do what you need &ndash; and, importantly, want &ndash; to do, whilst remaining relaxed, focused and able to thrive.
To help you on your way, here are a few easy-to-follow tips for managing your time better and more effectively.
<h2>1. Prioritise Your Time</h2>
With lots to do, and so little time to do it, it is vital you prioritise your time in accordance with what you need to get done and when by.
A great way to do this is to utilise the &lsquo;ABC Method&rsquo;, to prioritise your tasks and time in order of importance and what matters to you most on a particular day.
The &lsquo;A&rsquo; tasks are your most important, the ones that are &lsquo;must-do&rsquo; and should be focused on first; &lsquo;B&rsquo; tasks are secondary tasks, slightly less important and should only be turned to once &lsquo;A&rsquo; tasks are taken care of; and &lsquo;C&rsquo; tasks are those that are &lsquo;nice to do&rsquo; but can wait to be completed if time is better used elsewhere.
Seems simple, doesn&rsquo;t it? Sometimes a simple approach is best!
<h2>2. Be on Time!</h2>
Again, this may seem simple and obvious, but you can&rsquo;t expect to make the most of your time if you don&rsquo;t afford yourself all the time you have available to you.
Being on time, or early, if possible, to whatever you need to do, or wherever you need to be, puts you on the front foot from the off. This will not only give you more time to complete your tasks, but also help you feel more relaxed. What&rsquo;s more, it&rsquo;ll show those around you that you care and are reliable too.
<h2>3. Make Plans and Follow Them</h2>
Planning each and every day, where possible, and following the plans you make is one of the easiest &ndash; yet most powerful &ndash; time management tips you can follow.
Having structure to your day, and the tasks and goals you&rsquo;ve assigned yourself, allows you to not only control your schedule, but keep yourself on track too. Perhaps you&rsquo;ll find that you&rsquo;re better at doing certain things in the morning; so, it makes sense to try and fit them in before lunch. And then your afternoon is free to do other things on your list. Whatever works for you &ndash; it may take some trial and error.
Once you&rsquo;ve found your way to make plans that suit, always try your best to follow them. It&rsquo;ll soon become natural, helping you to manage your time overall in the process.
<h2>4.Utilise Time Management Tools</h2>
Long gone are the days of having to plan our time in a diary or notebook &ndash; though there is still plenty to be said about the benefits of writing things down!
With us all living in a digitally-dominated age, time management and planning has been made easy thanks to the variety of time management and productivity tools &ndash; from outlook calendars to handy mobile apps.
We recommend utilising task and time management tools to keep track of what needs doing and when, and to centralise the elements you need to complete your tasks effectively and efficiently. If and when possible, look to take advantage of automation tools too &ndash; if you can allow software to take care of certain tasks, you&rsquo;ll have a few less things to worry about and more time to focus on yourself and what&rsquo;s most important.
<h2>5. Say &lsquo;No&rsquo; Sometimes!</h2>
Naturally we don&rsquo;t like to disappoint people or feel like we&rsquo;re letting them down. As a result, we often feel like we should &ndash; or even must &ndash; say yes to anything and everything we&rsquo;re asked to do. But in the interest of managing your time most effectively, we&rsquo;re sorry but that simply isn&rsquo;t an option!
Sometimes you simply have to say &lsquo;no&rsquo;. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing so. It can be tricky at first, but mastering the art of politely saying no or turning something down allows you to take control of what you do and control how you use your time, focusing on what you know you need or want to do, not what others want you to.
<h2>6. Avoid Multitasking</h2>
Multitasking. It has long been discussed as a vital skill that everyone should look to master; the thought behind it being that if you can manage multiple tasks at once, you&rsquo;ll complete multiple tasks all at once.
Sadly, it&rsquo;s not that simple. Managing time effectively and multitasking don&rsquo;t actually go hand-in-hand too well. By definition, multitasking means that you&rsquo;re giving your attention to a number of things, and not just focusing on one task at a time and giving it the attention it deserves. This can of course lead to mistakes; mistakes that may require more time to correct.
Giving one task your full attention at a time is often a much better approach; not only in the interest of time management, but to also complete tasks on time, and to the best of your ability.
<h2>7. Be Kind to Yourself and Take a Break</h2>
Think working flat out is the best way to get things done and make the most of your time? Think again.
We all like to think that we are capable of anything, but burnout is a real thing and can have a big impact on you, how you manage your time and, most importantly, your mental and physical health.
An exhausted person isn&rsquo;t a productive person, and it important to give yourself a break. This could be as simple as getting away from your working environment for a little while and taking a short walk for some fresh air; or, even better, treating yourself to some time away if possible. It is a much better use of your time than burning yourself out.
<hr>
If you want to learn more tips and tricks on how to love what you do and excel in your career, check out our career advice blogs. You'll find helpful insights on topics such as job search, resume writing, interview skills, career development, and more. Whether you're looking for a new job, a career change, or a promotion, our blogs can help you achieve your goals and enjoy your work.<ins cite="mailto:Elle%20Bradbury" datetime="2024-06-12T10:43"></ins><ins cite="mailto:Elle%20Bradbury" datetime="2024-06-12T10:45"></ins>
<a href="https://www.carbon60global.com/blog/tag/career-advice"><ins cite="mailto:Elle%20Bradbury" datetime="2024-06-12T10:45">Career Advice</ins></a>

Effective time management can be the key to finding the perfect balance across all aspects of work, family, life and much more. With these handy tips, we’re here to help you make the most of your time.

How to Improve Time Management: 7 Top Tips

As long-time supporters of our brave military service men and women, who have employed and championed the skills and dedication of ex-forces personnel for many years, Carbon60 - Forces Covenant civilian employment support providers and one of the UK&rsquo;s Top 25 Veteran Employers &ndash; are proud to get behind a number of projects and initiatives designed to help Service leavers and Veterans gain employment and transition back into civilian life.
Our latest partnership, with STS Aviation, is another exciting chance to provide such opportunities. Utilising our recruitment expertise, and experience in supporting military leavers, we&rsquo;re helping STS find and hire talent ex-military personnel for their Forces to Civilian Transition Programme 2024 &ndash; providing experience, training and potential careers in the engineering and aviation and, most importantly, the security and support employment provides.
<h2>Who is STS Aviation?</h2>
STS Aviation Services operates three state-of-the-art aircraft hangars, two interior modification facilities, and over 40 line maintenance stations worldwide. Their facilities and expert personnel drive a commitment to providing comprehensive aircraft maintenance, engineering, and modification solutions to the global aviation industry.
<h2>What is STS Aviation&rsquo;s Forces to Civilian Transition Programme 2024?</h2>
STS&rsquo; new programme has been designed with providing ex-forces personnel a secure, supported route back into employment and civilian life. Additionally, it provides STS an opportunity to expand, improve and futureproof their workforce, by taking advantage of the existing engineering expertise and experience that military leavers and veterans will have gained during their time in service.
So, with the help of Carbon60, STS are looking for individuals with mechanical or avionics experience to join this exciting programme in a variety of mechanical and avionics roles. For the many spaces available, STS are searching for some people currently without a UK CAA B1 Mechanical Licence or B2 Avionics Licence, who will join at step one of the programme and be trained to by Carbon60 ahead of deployment at STS; and some who already have a UK CAA B1 or B2 Licence who will join STS directly as part of their existing workforce.
Candidates don&rsquo;t have to be in the Armed Forces currently, but must have served previously if not, and can even apply if they have already gained post-military employment elsewhere.
The programme celebrates the skill, passion and dedication of the brave men and women who&rsquo;ve served in our forces and rewards them with an opportunity to learn, gain even more experience and build a career at one of the leading engineering companies in aviation.
<h2>What Training and Qualifications are available?</h2>
For those currently without a UK CAA B1 or B2 Licence, Carbon60 will provide all the training required to complete the CAA Part-66 Category B licence modules whilst candidates perform OJT in a live hanger environment. This will include a 22-week classroom-based course for obtaining the B licence, followed by a type rating course on a wide body aircraft.&nbsp;
Additionally, as part of the programme, a tailored ILM-accredited leadership program is provided at a foundation degree level &ndash; designed to build on the leadership prowess already gained during military service and shape it for a seamless transition into potential leadership positions in a civilian environment-based role.
<h2>Where is the programme based and when does it start?</h2>
With an existing, well-established foothold in the aviation industry, across the UK and around the world, STS benefit from access to, and the ability to utilise, world-class facilities.
For this programme, training will be held in Manchester initially, with OJT opportunities being offered in Manchester or Birmingham.
Carbon60 are recruiting now for individuals to join the programme with STS in the 2nd half of 2024, however there is a chance to join the second course &ndash; starting in the 1st half of 2025 &ndash; if preferred.
What&rsquo;s more, shift patterns in each location are diverse to suit your lifestyle and promote work-life harmony.
<h2>What about salary, work patterns and progression?</h2>
The programme has been created to provide opportunities aplenty. But there are rewards aplenty too.
So, during the training phase, a competitive starting salary of &pound;26,000 is provided. This increases to &pound;42,740 during the OJT phase; before finally being raised to &pound;64,785 as a reward for completing the training provided and gaining the licences available.
What&rsquo;s more, the shift patterns have been created with adaptability and flexibility in mind, to ensure a better work-life balance and allow everyone within the programme to perform and excel.

Carbon60 have partnered with STS Aviation to help them find talented ex-forces personnel for their Forces to Civilian Transition Programme 2024.

Carbon60 & STS Aviation: Partnering to create exciting Forces to Civilian transitions

Health &amp; safety has been a key focus for construction businesses for many years now, but in a new world of social distancing and infection control it has highlighted the need for us to continue focusing on developing new ways of keeping everyone safe.
Although the government didn't formally shut construction sites during the lockdown, I know many companies considered the health &amp; safety of the workforce and closed operations for several weeks.
Now as we are encouraged to go back to work where it is safe to do so, we are working closely with our customers to quickly establish care packages and develop new ways of working to ensure that everyone on site remains safe and well.
<h3>Keeping every person safe</h3>
Throughout this pandemic, our focus has been on making sure all our existing workers have had access to required PPE such as face masks, sanitiser and hand soap. And in these challenging times we've had to come up with some creative solutions to make sure these resources have been continually available.
Now as we transition into what is a new normal, I am partnering with many of our customers to make sure we have sustainable solutions to maintain social distancing, and that all workplaces remain clean and sanitised for all workers.
No one yet knows the answer around the best way to do this, and as advice continues to be released, we will keep our promise to continue to work closely with our customers and develop new and innovative solutions to keep businesses running and every person safe and well.

In a new world of social distancing and infection control, we need to continue to focus on developing new ways of keeping everyone safe.

Working in the Socially Distant Future

There are some industries which have continued to grow every year, even through the COVID-19 pandemic. One of those industries is Renewable Energy. 
Here at Carbon60, as sector specialists we have seen the growth first-hand. There are a huge number of jobs to fill, covering everything from Engineering to Planning, Business Development to Digital.
Our sister company Lorien, who specialise in digital and technology recruitment, recently published a blog featuring one of our Principal Consultants Barry Jones, and their Director Chris Barton. We&rsquo;ll go over a few of their key talking points, and pinpoint some of the reasons why the Renewable Energy industry is booming.
&nbsp;
<h3>A fully futureproofed industry</h3>
One of the main learnings from Barry and Chris was on the impact the pandemic has had on both clients and candidates within Renewables. The general theme is one of progress and positivity.
Chris said: &ldquo;Renewable energy weathered the pandemic pretty well, overtaking fossil fuels as the largest source of UK electricity for a full year, and the result was quite a buoyant job market.&rdquo;
He added: &ldquo;On a personal level, I have definitely seen an increase in talent demand over the last year from renewable energy companies, but also from traditional energy providers looking to increase their footprint in renewables.&rdquo; 
Barry believes &ldquo;the pandemic has changed how candidates job hunt&rdquo;, and the future-focused nature of Renewables is one of the things that makes it so appealing.
&ldquo;Few industries have such a clear path for industry expansion laid out, and the chance to be a part of that movement is a key driver for candidates.
There&rsquo;s also a lot of career security in the renewables industry, given its focus on the future. I&rsquo;m seeing increasing volumes of candidates choosing to turn their hand to roles in renewables over more traditional engineering roles.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
<h3>Solving the biggest problem</h3>
Business owners always talk about USPs and the need to solve an existing problem. In Renewables, every business is playing a huge part in solving the biggest and most urgent problem out there &ndash; climate change. 
The necessity of taking steps to combat this is clear to everyone. A big part of the solution is producing clean energy, so as coal and gas power generation continue to be weaned off, renewable energy sources will take centre stage. 
Naturally, this means there are excellent long-term career prospects here. 
As Chris mentioned earlier, even traditional energy companies are looking to do their bit and increase their renewable footprint &ndash; so wherever you look, there are opportunities to be found.
&nbsp;
<h3>Providing people with purpose</h3>
The days of people being happy with just a salary and the promise of a good final pension are long gone. It&rsquo;s widely acknowledged that employees want more from a job, including a purpose and knowing they are doing something meaningful. 
This desire has gone up a notch since the pandemic. A global study by <a href="https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/employees-seek-personal-value-and-purpose-at-work-be-prepared-to-deliver">Gartner</a> saw 65% of respondents say the pandemic had made them rethink the place that work should have in their life, while 56% said they wanted to contribute more towards society. 
This is one of the biggest attractions of the Renewable Energy sector. Anybody working in this space is helping to fight climate change and build the future energy system of the world.
In the blog for Lorien, Barry said this was one of the reasons he&rsquo;s seen an increase in interest from jobseekers.
&ldquo;I think renewable energy has always been an interesting industry to be a part of, but over the pandemic people have renewed their values and really want to feel like they are contributing to something meaningful.&rdquo;
He summed it up best when saying: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a very rewarding industry to join because you&rsquo;re creating a world for the next generation.&rdquo;
Ultimately, people working in Renewables are having a bigger impact on society than most industries. For purpose driven employees, this makes it ideal.
&nbsp;
<h3>Promoted by policy makers</h3>
It&rsquo;s understandable that after the instability of the last two years, jobseekers now want more certainty. They want to be at a company that can weather any storms, or in an industry that has a real future. Renewables definitely ticks these boxes.
There is no uncertainty in this industry &ndash; it&rsquo;s backed by governments and is at the heart of many policies. For example, the UK has set a Net Zero carbon emissions target by 2050, along with a pledge to produce all electricity in the country through clean energy sources by 2035.
This is all driving demand within the industry, and as Chris pointed out, gives a lot of bargaining power to candidates.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an interesting one, because on the one hand a lot of candidates are drawn to the sector, but on the other, demand is massively on the rise. As a result, salaries and rates in the industry are staying quite lucrative, which is another plus for candidates reconsidering their careers. It&rsquo;s not an industry where your value is going to decline, particularly because of the emphasis on specialism.&rdquo;
All of this means that Renewables is as close to a sure thing as you can get.
&nbsp;
<h3>Going global</h3>
Another consequence of the pandemic and people&rsquo;s re-evaluation of what they want, is the shift towards wanting to travel. This has always been there, but as the world becomes less restrictive and more &lsquo;borderless&rsquo;, employees want to explore further.
Now, we mentioned the problems that are being solved by renewable energy earlier, and these problems are global. That means the same applies to job opportunities. Here at Carbon60, we&rsquo;ve been placing candidates not just in the UK, but across Europe. Demand is high everywhere so it&rsquo;s no surprise that people who are looking to relocate are keeping an eye on Renewables.
There are also many vacancies, such as Lead or Senior Engineers, which require occasional travel to overseas sites. This is great for people who don&rsquo;t want to relocate completely.
&nbsp;
<h3>Varied and cutting-edge tech</h3>
For people who are excited by technology, the Renewable Energy industry hits the sweet spot. You have the chance to work with a range of tools that are at the forefront of the latest developments.
The sheer nature of the industry requires constant thinking outside of the box. Recent examples are floating solar panels or the building of gigafactories for battery storage. For people who are passionate about innovation, there aren&rsquo;t many better industries to be in &ndash; something Barry was keen to emphasise.
&ldquo;You&rsquo;re experimenting with new concepts, using the latest technology, and thinking outside the box. For people that are wanting to cut their teeth on the latest skills, you&rsquo;d be hard pressed to find a better industry.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
<h3>A breadth of roles</h3>
Variety also comes in the types of roles you could do. Renewable energy projects &ndash; for example those involving Wind, Solar Energy or Battery Storage &ndash; require people from a range of backgrounds. You could also find yourself working on a site, in a lab, in an office, or at sea, so there&rsquo;s something to suit most people. 
In addition, there are plenty of transferable skills which open doors for people that aren&rsquo;t in Renewables at the moment. Barry provided some examples in the blog for Lorien, saying:
&ldquo;You might be surprised by how transferable skills for renewable energy are. I typically work with clients for renewable energy jobs in project and programme management, site engineering, quality engineering, project development, construction management, civil/structural engineering, HSE, technical and design, and logistics. 
Experience in renewables will always be a selling point, but typically clients are looking for people with transferable skills in EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction), who will bring their experience and knowledge of the market with them.&rdquo;
We also wrote a blog specifically about transferable skills <a href="https://www.carbon60global.com/blog/transferable-skills-for-a-career-in-renewable-energy">here</a> &ndash; feel free to take a read!
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
With so much global investment, and many government commitments, Renewables is fast becoming the industrial revolution of our times.
And whether it&rsquo;s financial freedom, travel opportunities, or the chance to help change the world &ndash; there are several reasons why it&rsquo;s highly sought after by jobseekers.&nbsp; 
If it&rsquo;s an industry you like the sound of, we&rsquo;d love to have a chat and help you explore. Get in touch today!
&nbsp;

An industry that is growing year on year, and will continue to do so. Find out why now is a great time to join the Renewable Energy sector.

Why the Renewable Energy jobs market is red-hot

Change is an ongoing challenge for businesses, and this means getting the best talent is more important than ever. Whether it&rsquo;s technological advances, shifts in customer behaviour, or the &lsquo;new normal&rsquo;, your success will depend on having the right people in place.
The use of contingent workers has been rapidly growing over the years, and the demand is set to accelerate. In a recent study by McKinsey, 70% of business leaders said they were planning on hiring more contingent workers after the COVID-19 pandemic than they did before.&nbsp;
The knock-on effect is increased pressure on businesses to manage their expanding contingent workforce. It&rsquo;s why partnering with a Managed Service Provider (MSP) is becoming a popular option. By using an expert third party to take on the responsibility for your contingent workforce programme, you can gain a better oversight, whilst reducing the demands on your own teams.
Here, we look at some of the main benefits of teaming up with an MSP.
<h3>1) Operational and cost control</h3>
When you engage an MSP, the decision of what gets managed by them and what stays in-house is completely yours. This allows you to outsource the tasks which are more repetitive and time consuming, whilst still having managerial responsibility for the service. It becomes a win-win situation, as you and your team can focus on things that add greater value to the business, without losing control of what matters. You will also find significant cost savings by using an MSP. Their pricing models are more predictable (for example outcome-based pricing), and third-party recruitment fees will also decrease.&nbsp; Finally, your supply chain will become much more efficient, as all contractor and supplier engagement is done through one single provider. This not only saves you time, but many MSPs will reduce the number of suppliers in your network, therefore bringing costs down even more.
<h3>2) Global talent pipelines</h3>
If your business operates in multiple countries, or if you&rsquo;re about to expand heavily, your talent pipeline needs to be global. This can be a challenge, and is one of the reasons organisations like to partner with an MSP that also operates globally. They will have the ability to attract and retain the best people in all of your locations, as well as valuable local know-how.&nbsp; This last point is especially important as each country has its own labour laws and working culture. Rather than you having to get to grips with each one individually, you can allow the MSP to use their on-the-ground expertise.&nbsp;
<h3>3) Access to cutting-edge technology</h3>
When it comes to recruitment technology, things are constantly evolving. Internal recruitment teams are either not aware of the latest tools, or unable to purchase them. This is because investing in single-use technology is not commercially viable for most businesses.&nbsp; An MSP on the other hand, will have access to all of these tools and will use it for your talent acquisition needs. Not only does this give you an edge over your competitors, but it means you get the benefits of the technology without having to invest your own capital.
<h3>4) Agility</h3>
As mentioned earlier, change is a constant challenge, and this means agility is key. When the market shifts, you need to shift with it and adapt your recruitment accordingly. An MSP will have the experience and ability to not only guide you in the right direction, but actually take the actions required. This means that even in highly competitive markets, you can attract the talent that&rsquo;s best for you, at the exact time you need it.&nbsp;
<h3>5) Flexibility</h3>
When it comes to hiring, there can be peaks and troughs throughout the year. One of the reasons businesses look for an MSP is because they can scale the programme up or down depending on their hiring needs. It&rsquo;s far more difficult to do this if everything is kept in-house, or if you&rsquo;re trying to work with multiple agencies on a piecemeal basis. But an MSP will see themselves as a partner rather than a supplier, so will always be able to provide that flexibility.
<h3>6) Visibility</h3>
As touched upon earlier, using an MSP allows you to outsource parts of the programme without losing control. Part of this control relates to visibility &ndash; you will always want full oversight of your contingent workforce. Most MSPs will provide you with a bespoke Vendor Management System (VMS). This means you can keep a handle on all the key metrics and build a better workforce strategy.
<h3>7) Best practice methods</h3>
Just in the last few years, many HR teams have had to deal with the complexities of Brexit, IR35 and the COVID-19 furlough scheme. It can become a bit of a bureaucratic nightmare, but partnering with an MSP give you access to experts in all legislative and governance requirements. This gives you the peace of mind that your business is fully compliant. Quite often, the MSP will also offer to train and educate your team on upcoming changes.
<h3>8) Employer branding expertise</h3>
With so much demand for contingent and flexible workers, you need to make sure you&rsquo;re appealing to the best talent on the market. This is particularly important in a post-pandemic world, as the needs and expectations of candidates have changed.&nbsp; A good MSP can work with you, as well as any of your suppliers, to develop a strong employer brand and Employee Value Proposition (EVP). This is an end-to-end process, from research into what candidates want, right through to practical recruitment marketing strategies.
<h3>The key takeaway</h3>
Engaging with an MSP is a win-win for any business that has a substantial temporary workforce. It provides control without overwhelming your resources, and allows you to access high-class expertise in a cost efficient way.&nbsp; Finding an MSP that can become a strategic partner is key to attracting, onboarding and retaining quality contingency workers. Get this right, and your business will be well positioned for success.
<div>&nbsp;</div>

With the use of contingent workers growing rapidly an MSP can help position you for success.

Why should you work with a managed services provider?

Trust. A word defined by the Cambridge English Dictionary as: "to believe that someone is good and honest and will not harm you, or that something is safe and reliable."
Most of us understand that trust forms the basis of personal relationships, but did you know that it's just as paramount when it comes to business and professional relationships too?
The most successful organisations across the globe are built on trust and that means developing strong, trusting relationships between not only your employees and colleagues, but external contacts as well. It's a fact that people buy from people they trust, so ensuring that your customers believe and have confidence in you is essential in ensuring your ongoing success.
In this article we'll explore the importance of building workplace trust and how forging trust in you and your company are crucial steps to ensuring you're smashing those all-important business objectives.
<h3>Trust me, I'm an engineer!</h3>
We've already mentioned how important trust is in any organisation, but it's perhaps especially important in industries such as engineering. From the perspective of employees, engineers often work in challenging or high-risk environments, meaning that having trust of your management and peers comes down to much more than simply feeling warm and fuzzy at work - it can in fact have serious implications when it comes to safety and wellbeing.&nbsp;
From the point of view of a client, the risks are similar, and your customers will want to know that their potentially high-risk, high-value project is in safe hands. Your primary route to convincing them of that is to ensure you gain their trust in both you and your abilities.
<h3>Meeting objectives through trust</h3>
There's no doubt that trust is a key component to business success. Statistics have shown time and time again that teams instilled with trust are higher performing. But why is this the case? And why is it so important that you're gaining trust in your workplace and amongst your teams?
Well firstly, let's consider&nbsp;morale and motivation. When team members trust their management, and to some extent their colleagues too, morale is naturally higher. Like it or not, employees are inherently inclined to mistrust managers, but where leaders are able to turn this preconception around and actually gain the trust of their staff, the result is an increase in both morale and motivation. Employees working for individuals they believe 'have their back' are automatically more efficient, hardworking and greater performing.
Decreased workplace stress&nbsp;is something that can be achieved through ensuring a culture of trust as well. This spans not only your management/leadership team, but peer-to-peer trust too. Employees want to know they can trust that your Board will demonstrate openness when communicating on things like change, profit and loss figures and their career progression.
And, where team members have trust in one another, there's less hostility and increased&nbsp;teamwork and collaboration&nbsp;- all factors that will greatly benefit your organisation, productivity and retention.&nbsp;
Next, let's look at&nbsp;loyalty and retention&nbsp;- equally important considerations when thinking about both your employees and customers.
It goes without saying that having sound relationships built on trust in place, will ensure that you're able to retain valuable customers and that they're returning to use you time and time again. A business' reputation depends heavily on trust - not only so that your customers know they can rely on you and your services, but so that you can in turn, rely on them to pay invoices, bring return business and recommend you to others.
Having robust customer relationships in place will also help you to build market-place credibility through gathering things like case studies and testimonials that demonstrate to others that you are a trustworthy and professional partner.
Focusing on the loyalty and retention of employees,&nbsp;all businesses strive to lower their staff turnover rates, and a major consideration in achieving excellent staff retention ratios is whether your people place trust in you as their line manager and employer. There's a well-known saying that 'employees don't leave bad companies, they leave bad managers', and this is never truer when thinking about the levels of trust that your employees are able to place in you and your leadership team.&nbsp;
Where trust isn't apparent, your people will feel uneasy, demotivated and are more likely to move to another organisation. Where trust is evident, employees will be more loyal, committed, productive and are much more likely to stay with your company for the long-term.
Closely linked with staff retention, trust should also be of significance when&nbsp;hiring.&nbsp;An individual's perception of you and your business will normally begin right from when they interview with you and you'll want to instill a sense of trust in order to attract new talent to your organisation.
And let's not forget things like&nbsp;remote working.&nbsp;Several recent surveys carried out on employee benefits have revealed that the most sought-after employee benefits are no longer necessarily linked to salaries and bonuses. Nowadays, and overtaking money-related benefits as employees' top priorities, are things like work/life balance and flexible/remote working options. But to successfully implement these kinds of opportunities into your workplace, there has to be a strong sense of trust between management and workers. Employees want to know they're trusted enough to carry out their work remotely, and managers of course want to be reassured that work will still be completed to a high standard under more flexible conditions. Once trusting relationships are built however, these more modern ways of working can function well in your organisation - and often result in a happier, more efficient workforce.
<h3>A culture of trust</h3>
There's no denying then, that building trust in the workplace is important, and it's obvious to see how gaining the trust of your colleagues and customers can play a vital role in helping you to achieve your critical business goals.
A key point to remember though? Building true trust into a relationship can be a very slow, steady process - but breaking that trust irreversibly can happen in an instant.
Make sure therefore, that trust is at the centre of your strategy for success and promoted throughout your business as an integral part of its culture.
<a href="https://calendly.com/chrispblackburn/the-importance-of-building-workplace-trust?back=1&amp;month=2020-05&amp;utm_source=carbon60&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=llmay20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;</a>

Trust. A word defined by the Cambridge English Dictionary as: "to believe that someone is good and honest and will not harm you, or that something is safe and reliable."

Why is workplace trust so important?

The video games industry is&nbsp;expected to grow from &pound;73.9 billion (2015) to a staggering&nbsp;&pound;95.5 billion&nbsp;by 2019.
Video games are popular for many reasons, including the boost in self-esteem from solving puzzles or trivia games, to the relief of stress by focusing your mind on something else by escaping to another world for a few hours. Games release&nbsp;dopamine in the brain which is the chemical responsible for the excitement we feel when we chase a reward, something which video games are full of, and is also one of the reasons many people find them addictive.
A fun, addictive, stress relieving escapism for many people which employers are starting to utilise in different ways to make more mundane, everyday tasks more exciting.
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">What is gamification?</h3>
You can&rsquo;t get further from a &lsquo;game&rsquo; than when you&rsquo;re at work, but gamification refers to the use of game theory, mechanics and design in non-game situations and environments.
By the end of 2015, 40% of the world&rsquo;s top 1000 organisations used gamification as the primary mechanism to transform their business, and it&rsquo;s predicted that the worldwide gamification market will grow from &pound;195 million in 2012 to an incredible &pound;2.2 billion in 2016.
Gamification as a concept is used in various scenarios in different ways. It&rsquo;s already heavily used in fitness (<a href="https://www.myfitnesspal.com/">MyFitnessPal</a>), productivity (<a href="https://habitica.com/">Habitica</a>), mood/mental health (<a href="https://www.mindbloom.com/">Mindbloom</a>) and managing your finances.
Gamification taps into peoples&rsquo; basic intrinsic motivators, the top 5 being:&nbsp;Autonomy &ndash; &ldquo;I control&rdquo;, Mastery &ndash; &ldquo;I improve&rdquo;, Purpose &ndash; &ldquo;I make a difference&rdquo;, Progress &ndash; &ldquo;I achieve&rdquo; and Social interaction &ndash; &ldquo;I connect with others&rdquo;.
These motivators are common to everyone and research has shown that satisfying them can make an activity more productive and enjoyable.&nbsp;By making tasks feel more like games, it becomes a lot more effortless to encourage people to complete the tasks if they appear to be getting instant gratification or a buzz from them. People will then be rewarded for completing certain tasks which could be in the form of achievement badges, filling a progress bar or even being rewarded a virtual currency. Also, making these rewards visible to other players (i.e. work colleagues) in the form of leaderboards, will encourage others to compete against them in the quest to become the best.
A range of industries are now utilising the concept of gamification within the work environment for various reasons whether it be improving the motivation of their staff or attracting people to work for them.
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">In the workplace</h3>
Regardless of how much someone enjoys their job, being able to keep everyone engaged fully is a challenging task. Traditionally, KPIs are put in place to show staff what targets in particular they need to achieve on a regular basis, but sometimes these tasks can prove tiresome and repetitive, causing interest to fluctuate and people to become less interested in the job at hand.
Employees are strongly motivated by recognition, rewards and the sense of accomplishment, so taking the essence of games such as fun and competitiveness and applying them to non-game contexts, people are more likely to want to participate, driving positive behaviours and therefore becoming more driven to complete the task or hit the target.
Research by Gallup shows that companies are increasing their interest in gamification because only 31% of employees are engaged at work. The least engaged generation are Millennials with only 28.9% engagement compared to 32.9% for Gen X &amp; Baby Boomers. Considering that Millennials are going to make up 75% of the global workforce by 2025, you can understand why companies are having to adapt.
The issue with the traditional method of performance management is that your weekly/monthly/yearly targets and objectives can become stale, but using a real-time performance management tool - where you could visually keep track on how you&rsquo;re doing towards target, how you compare to others, how far to your next milestone and perhaps even how you&rsquo;re doing compared to this time last year &ndash; can keep things relevant and interesting.
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">In recruitment</h3>
From a recruitment perspective, it can be used to measure a candidate&rsquo;s potential suitability and commitment before you&rsquo;ve even looked at their CV.
Unilever have a digital recruitment programme which uses online games to help with candidate selection. To help them narrow down the 250,000 graduate applications they receive every year, they now invite each candidate to play a series of games which are used to determine the candidate&rsquo;s potential and how well they connect with the company&rsquo;s goals. The top performing applicants are then invited for a video interview which is then followed by a face to face.
PricewaterhouseCoopers in Hungary developed and launched a game called Multipoly which is made up of an online part and a section based on personal participation. The &lsquo;player&rsquo; submits a virtual application, takes part in the virtual interview process which presents them with tasks based on the competencies of the company. PwC then narrow down the applications to the best players and invite them in for a real interview. The outcome was that the candidates who played the game were much more prepared for the live face to face interviews because they had been pre-educated by the game. Time spent on their career page went from an average of 15 minutes to up to one and a half hours.
Using gamification, recruiters can become more efficient. Rather than organising an interview, why not send the candidate a game which can simulate the work environment and test their personality traits? This can then enable recruiters and employers to see upfront how a candidate may react in different scenarios. This can help decide whether someone is the right match for the company/job before they&rsquo;ve even stepped into the office.
Regardless of the skills required for a role, gamification can be tailored to target its content around those attributes. It saves time for the recruiter, but it&rsquo;s also is a good measure of the candidates&rsquo; commitment &ndash; if they can&rsquo;t be bothered to complete the tasks the game requires, chances are they would have dropped out of the process at some point anyway. It&rsquo;s also beneficial to the candidates; they get to build up a picture of what the company&rsquo;s like and figure out if it&rsquo;s the right fit for them.
Gaming is a way of injecting a bit of fun into the recruitment process, encouraging some friendly competiveness between candidates while providing valuable insight and information to recruiters.
Regardless of how gamification is applied - whenever you have a contest that has a winner, you create losers. If gamification isn&rsquo;t done right, it can have the opposite effect and end up demotivating people. In the workplace, the trick is to create more winners more often, and don&rsquo;t just keep it focused on individuals - also reward teams for working together.
Businesses need to adapt to changing technology and market conditions which won&rsquo;t work without a motivated team. Some people are concerned that Gamification is just a sugar-coated, game-like facade to make work cute and fun, which normally causes people to dismiss it at face value. Applied in the wrong context and that&rsquo;s exactly all gamification would be, however used in an ingenious, original and engaging way means it can be a game changer. Not just making it more fun to hit targets, but changing the culture and the way people tackle and perceive work could be the breath of fresh air employees need.&nbsp;
Interested to hear how we can improve your recruitment? Get in touch with us today:&nbsp;
<a class="button-secondary" href="~/link.aspx?_id=41A0870BBA104687B23323B701F21120&amp;_z=z">Contact Us</a>

Employees are strongly motivated by recognition, rewards and the sense of accomplishment, so introducing the essence of gaming into the workplace can really help boost employee engagement and bring out their competitiveness...

Why gamification can improve employee engagement

Most people would assume that December would be the worst time of year to start thinking about a career change. Companies cease trading for the festive period, fewer people are in the office and budgets tend to be tight. But if a new job is at the top of your Christmas list this year, we&rsquo;re here to tell you why there&rsquo;s actually no better time to start looking.
<h2>More Time to Search for a New Role</h2>
A lot of businesses tend to cease trading around mid-end December which means more free time for you to clean up your CV and start that lengthy application process. You might also have annual leave you need to take before the end of the year, so why not use it to focus on your career development? As well, if your general workload starts to ease you can always spend that extended lunch scanning jobsites for the latest vacancies. Just remember to save your favourites and apply for them out of work when you&rsquo;re not distracted and can give them your full attention.&nbsp; &nbsp;
<h2>Less Competition</h2>
 Most people take the time out over Christmas to enjoy the festivities and spend time with family which naturally means less time is spent focusing on job hunting. It&rsquo;s always easier to stand out from the crowd and get ahead of the game by January when the rest of the talent pool are still &lsquo;umming and ahhing&rsquo; about their current jobs. Stay determined, be pro-active and be sure to keep up conversations throughout December. Recruiters are more likely to have a stronger rapport with a candidate that has kept in contact with them throughout this period than those who have been unresponsive.&nbsp; &nbsp;
<h2>Companies are still hiring</h2>
 Despite what you might think companies are still hiring and most companies will still trade throughout December. In fact, a lot of companies may have remaining budget that they need to spend by the end of the year. If this is the case, they could be looking to hire in December to ensure they are prepared for the New Year. Take advantage of this and remember, December can be a difficult month for recruiters who may be struggling to hit target so they&rsquo;ll be more than happy to help you find your next role.&nbsp;
<h2>More vacancies</h2>
 It&rsquo;s quite common that people leave their jobs at this time of year to spend more time with loved ones and to start a fresh in January. This inevitably opens up new opportunities for you. Companies will want to start out the new year with everything in place and with no loose ends which could mean hiring extra people is at the top of their to do lists.
<h2>Increase in networking opportunities</h2>
 Whether it&rsquo;s a Christmas party thrown by family and friends or a business function hosted by work or professional association, this means plenty of opportunities to let others know you&rsquo;re on the market for a new job or career change. Fellow party-goers may be feeling merry and could be willing to put you in touch with potential connections. If your friend works for a company where you&rsquo;d like to be employed, then why not see if you can attend their Christmas party with them &ndash; it&rsquo;s a great opportunity to make some solid connections and really sell yourself in a more informal environment.&nbsp; &nbsp;
<h2>Temp work opportunities</h2>
When you think of Christmas temp work don&rsquo;t automatically just think of retail. Many companies look for temporary staff to assist with end of year clean-ups and hectic tasks that current staff don&rsquo;t tend to have time for. It may not be exactly what you&rsquo;re looking for at present but at least it means you&rsquo;re available immediately when you do find your next perm role. It can also mean you&rsquo;re in the right place at the right time when the company is looking to take someone on permanently in the New Year so never overlook it as an option.&nbsp;
 &nbsp; So what are you waiting for, click <a href="https://www.carbon60global.com/jobs">here </a>to view our latest vacancies or <a href="https://www.carbon60global.com/contact-us">contact us</a> for help with any aspect of finding and landing your next great job.
&nbsp;

There's no better time than Christmas to start looking for that new role and getting ahead of the game...

Why Christmas is the best time to job hunt

Interviews can be a nerve-wracking experience but it&rsquo;s important that you come across as professional and don't say the wrong thing. No-one&rsquo;s perfect, and the interviewer will know that, but your challenge is to turn any negatives into positives to present the best version of yourself.
<h3>&ldquo;So&hellip;&rdquo; (See also: like, sorry, just, um)</h3>
Using 'so' and 'like' as filler words give the impression that you're unsure of yourself and haven&rsquo;t prepared sufficiently. If you need to pause, just pause, and use the time to think about what you're going to say next.
<h3>&ldquo;Bad.&rdquo; (See also: boring, hate, annoying)</h3>
Never use negative language in an interview, focus on the positives. Even if what you&rsquo;re describing turns out to be positive, using negative language sets a bad tone for the whole process.
<h3>&ldquo;Ugh, my previous company was just the WORST.&rdquo;</h3>
Don&rsquo;t badmouth your previous company. Try and focus on turning everything into a positive &ndash; if you had a bad experience with your last employer, try describing what you learnt from it, and how you managed the situation.
<h3>&ldquo;My last boss and I had a terrible relationship.&rdquo;</h3>
The interviewer has no way of knowing whether this was your fault or not, so it could reflect badly on you. Explaining it further could result in you digging yourself into a hole, so it's best to avoid the topic altogether.&nbsp;
<h3>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m so nervous.&rdquo;</h3>
Being nervous is a natural part of the interview process, and your interviewer will expect it, but there&rsquo;s no reason to actually tell them! You're a skilled and professional individual so focus on speaking positively and confidently.
<h3>&ldquo;My weaknesses are&hellip;&rdquo; (Unless the interviewer asks for them)</h3>
Don't be self-deprecating, always big yourself up. However, the interviewer may ask you what you think your weaknesses are, in which case tell them - everyone has flaws &ndash; and then describe what steps you&rsquo;re taking to improve.
<h3>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll do anything!&rdquo; &nbsp;</h3>
The interviewer wants to hear how passionate and devoted you are to the role that you&rsquo;re there to discuss, not that you&rsquo;ll take any job going. When preparing for the role, think about all the skills you&rsquo;ve got that make you a good fit, and all of the things that you&rsquo;ll enjoy about the job if you get it.
<h3>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry I don&rsquo;t have much experience.&rdquo;</h3>
Don&rsquo;t apologise for not having much experience &ndash; use it as an opportunity to explain how willing you are to learn, and how you&rsquo;re going to further your skills.
<h3>&ldquo;No.&rdquo;</h3>
Obviously you can answer questions using the word no, but when the interviewer asks if you have any questions, it&rsquo;s best to have some prepared. They don&rsquo;t have to be complicated, just things that you might want to know e.g. are there opportunities for progression?
<h3>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s on my CV.&rdquo;</h3>
Not only is this a rude response when asked about your skills or experience, it gives the impression that you&rsquo;re not willing to expand on anything you&rsquo;ve done, and that you&rsquo;re not particularly invested in the interview.
<h3>&ldquo;What's in it for me?&rdquo;</h3>
Don't talk about the salary or benefits in the early stages of the interview process, otherwise it might look like you're only after the money. If you need to confirm salary details, either contact the employer after the interview, or say something like &ldquo;was the salary estimation on the job advert correct?&rdquo;
<h3>&ldquo;F$%k.&rdquo; (See: any other swear word)</h3>
This should be a given, but keep your language clean, even if the interviewer swears. Right now you need to sound professional.
<h3>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know.&rdquo;</h3>
Even if you&rsquo;ve really got no idea what to answer with, don&rsquo;t say this. Say something like &ldquo;let me think&hellip;&rdquo; and use the time to really consider your answer. If you absolutely have nothing to say and have gone completely blank, just say: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m really not sure on this, but it&rsquo;s something I&rsquo;d love to learn more about, and I think this job gives me the opportunity to do that.&rdquo;
For further career guidance, CV help and more, email us at <a style="color: #ffffff;" href="mailto:enquiries@carbon60global.com">enquiries@carbon60global.com</a>, or browse our jobs here: <a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.carbon60global.com/jobs">Find a new Job with Carbon60 today.</a>

Interviews can be a nerve-wracking experience but it's important that you come across as professional and don't say the wrong thing.

What NOT to say during an interview!

Ever wondered what kind of project manager you are? Answer the five multiple choice questions below to find out whether you&rsquo;re a superhero, a sensei or a general!
1) You and your team have been working on a project for a long time and are close to completion, but the client has suddenly requested for the deadline to be moved forward. It&rsquo;s an unforeseen emergency from a big client and it would really boost your business if the project was a success. Do you:
a) Agree to the deadline and throw yourself at the project. This is all on you. It&rsquo;s your responsibility to ensure deadlines are successfully met and clients are kept happy.
b) Talk with your team. Do they think it&rsquo;s achievable? Would they be willing to work
extra hours to get everything done? If yes, great! If not, you&rsquo;ll need to tell the client the original deadline will have to stand.
c) Agree to the deadline, gather the team together and sort out how this can be achieved. The hard work will pay off.
&nbsp;
2) Your team has had a series of spats recently. A small misunderstanding has blown way out of proportion and the atmosphere is heavily charged. Do you:
a) Allow the team some time to sort it out themselves. It needs to be resolved, but by making a thing out of you&rsquo;ll only make things worse.
b) Bring the team together and talk it out. What happened? How did it start? How can it be resolved?
c) Talk to the individuals involved and tell them to get a hold of themselves. They&rsquo;re adults at work. Either they get over it, or they leave.
&nbsp;
3) A few members of your team have booked holidays soon and are beginning to fall behind schedule in the run-up to them. Do you:
a) Pick up the slack for them. They&rsquo;re going away on a long-deserved break, they&rsquo;re allowed to wind down a little in the lead up to it.
b) Speak to the team together. Ask them why progress is slowing down and what they can do to get back on track.
c) Talk to the slower members of the team individually and tell them to get back on schedule. They&rsquo;re not on holiday yet.
&nbsp;
4) The business is in a bit of a bind financially &ndash; no one is to blame, it&rsquo;s just bad luck &ndash; and the only thing to do is cut salaries. Do you:
a) Take it all out of your own salary without telling anyone. You don&rsquo;t want to worry the team, plus you earn the most.
b) Talk to each team member individually and tell them everyone is going to have a small salary cut, including you. Be transparent and honest about the reasons why.
c) Tell the team about the cuts at the same time, explaining the logic behind your decision and its importance for the business.
&nbsp;
5) You made a mistake. It isn&rsquo;t devastatingly huge, but a sizeable problem that will impact the team. Do you:
a) Avoid telling the team and concentrate on fixing it yourself before anything goes wrong.
b) Tell your team individually, asking for assistance so that you can all turn things around quickly.
c) Come clean in a team meeting and outline how you&rsquo;re going to fix things.
&nbsp;
Mostly As - You're a Superhero
If something goes wrong, you want to be the one people turn to. You confront issues head-on and
deal with problems directly, even if they&rsquo;re not your own. You&rsquo;re willing to sacrifice yourself for the
good of the team and everyone feels safe with you as their leader. However, you need to remember
that relying on others isn&rsquo;t a character flaw and is sometimes necessary.
Mostly Bs - You're a Sensei
You're a real team-player. You believe in moving forward as a collective and emphasise the
importance of building a supportive network within a relaxed atmosphere. Day-to-day things are
happy and smooth-sailing. All for one and one for all! You&rsquo;re like a gentle, caring parent, coaching
others with wise words and logic, but you're not always as authoritative as you perhaps should be.
Mostly Cs - You're a General
You rouse the troops into action on a daily basis with a no-nonsense attitude and a black and white
approach. You get things done and make the team feel as though they can get things done as well.
You're powerful, strong and people respect you. You might be accused of micro-managing on
occasion, but your team would follow you into battle without a second&rsquo;s thought.
A Mixture -&nbsp;You&rsquo;re a Chameleon
You change your approach to fit the situation. Sometimes certain issues call for a change in tactic,
but try to remain consistent where you can. Your team will feel more at ease if they can predict your
reaction.

Ever wondered what kind of project manager you are? Answer the five multiple choice questions below to find out whether you’re a superhero, a sensei or a general!

What kind of project manager are you

As specialists within the Engineering and Technical markets, we work with a range of different businesses, and it&rsquo;s abundantly clear why so many of them are choosing the executive search route. When you think about the well-documented skills shortage within this sector, combined with the demand for people who can really accelerate business growth, it makes sense to go for a highly specialised service.
That said, at times people can misunderstand what executive search is. Often, the term gets used interchangeably with &lsquo;recruitment&rsquo;. Both terms do relate to the art of hiring, but executive search is a very different model.
To provide some clarity, we&rsquo;ve put together an overview of executive search, and the differences compared to traditional recruitment. This is also a way for you to analyse which solution could work for your business.
<h3>What is executive search?</h3>
Executive search is a highly specialised service, used when companies need talent that&rsquo;s hard to find. Often this is for senior level roles, such as Vice Presidents, Directors or Chief Operating Officers. Alternatively, it may be because the role is in a niche sector where the candidate pool is small. Either way, these are high-impact and strategically important roles.
This is where executive search comes in.&nbsp; Unlike other recruitment models (such as contingency recruitment), it involves a highly bespoke and targeted approach. Your executive search partners will have industry expertise and a proven track record of sourcing hard-to-find people. They&rsquo;ll also have a strong network of contacts, and the ability to conduct searches in a highly confidential manner.
It&rsquo;s more than just hiring as well. Executive search consultants offer a range of other bespoke talent related services. Examples include market mapping, employer branding, benefits analysis and Diversity &amp; Inclusion advice. Many businesses go down this route because they need the extra expertise to build out their hiring strategy.
<h3>Is executive search the same as headhunting?</h3>
Headhunting is another word used interchangeably with executive search, but the two aren&rsquo;t the same. Headhunting is actually one of the techniques used during a search.
Put simply, it&rsquo;s when your executive search partner identifies and approaches a passive candidate &ndash; someone who&rsquo;d be a good fit for the position, but isn't actively looking for a new role.
Headhunting plays a part in executive search, but there's a lot more to the process.
<h3>What about a retained search?</h3>
Retained search is when you have a consultant working on an exclusive basis to fill your role. Many companies like this exclusivity, knowing that they&rsquo;ll have someone completely dedicated to their vacancy.
To secure this, an up-front fee (known as the &lsquo;retainer&rsquo;) is paid. There are then normally two additional payments &ndash; one when a shortlist of candidates has been provided (you can specify how many people need to be on the shortlist), and then a final payment when a candidate has been placed.
Some agencies may operate on a fixed-fee basis, where they receive a specified amount if they can fill the role within an agreed timeframe.
<h3>How would a retained executive search actually work?</h3>
When using a retained executive search agency, the service you&rsquo;ll get will be bespoke. Think of them as partners rather than suppliers.
Once you&rsquo;ve finalised the agreement and paid the retainer fee, the executive search consultant will have detailed conversations with you to find out what you want from the candidate.
This isn&rsquo;t just about a simple job description. They will want a full picture of your needs, your Employee Value Proposition (EVP), and crucially, the type of person you want. This is important because if someone is being hired in a business-critical role, you&rsquo;ll want them to fit in from a cultural point of view. An executive search consultant will sometimes use psychometric testing or other profiling tools, to see how aligned a candidate is with your values and how likely they are to stay for the long-term.
Because this is an exclusive agreement, they can dedicate maximum resources into filling the role, both in terms of their time and the tools they&rsquo;ll use to analyse the market and reach out to quality candidates. Usually, these candidates won&rsquo;t be actively seeking opportunities, so they wouldn&rsquo;t register on your radar, or that of a traditional recruiter. Executive search teams on the other hand, will have the network and tools to find them, as well as the track record to engage them in a discussion.
<h3>Should I use retained executive search for my business?</h3>
This depends on the type of role you are hiring for. There are normally some key factors you should consider when deciding what type of agency to use for your hiring needs.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Candidate pool size If the type of talent you&rsquo;re looking for is readily available, you should go to a traditional recruitment provider. If it&rsquo;s hard to find, then executive search is a better option. </li>
<li>Sensitivity of recruitment In some cases, a candidate search needs to be confidential. This may be because you&rsquo;ll need to hire someone from a competitor, or because the person in your role currently is leaving and you don&rsquo;t want the news to leak. In this scenario, executive search is your best bet.</li>
<li>Geographical spread Are you looking for someone purely from the UK, or is the search more global? If it&rsquo;s the latter, opt for executive search. </li>
<li>Market data If you&rsquo;re not sure about the typical compensation and benefits packages in the market, a search team will be able to provide you with this data. </li>
<li>Time-critical Do you need to find someone urgently? As mentioned earlier, a retained executive search agreement means you have a dedicated consultant, so this may be a good option for you. </li>
</ul>
Ultimately, the quality of your hires will determine the growth of your business. That&rsquo;s why choosing the right recruitment model and partner is so important. By analysing your business needs, you can make an informed decision and increase your chances of landing the right talent.
<h3>SEARCH by Carbon60</h3>
Our STEM focussed search offering combines the technical expertise of Carbon60, Lorien &amp; SRG to offer a data-led approach that delivers much more than just a list of CVs.
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>SEARCH BY CARBON60 &ndash; offering senior technical hires within the product lifecycle.</li>
<li>SEARCH BY LORIEN &ndash; Digital, transformation &amp; technical recruitment.</li>
<li>SEARCH BY SRG &ndash; Scientific, Technical &amp;&nbsp;Operations, Commercial,&nbsp;Medical &amp; Clinical Development, AI, Machine Learning and Bioinformatics.</li>
</ul>
Specialising in your niche we can help you to attract and retain the right talent with:
Find out more here:&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../our-services/search">https://www.carbon60global.com/our-services/</a>

In recent years, executive search has become a popular option for employers looking to hire top talent. This is especially the case within the STEM sector.

What is executive search and how does it differ from other recruitment models

"We don't use agencies" you hear yourself saying for the fortieth time that week as you put down the phone to another recruitment agency.
We can probably hazard a guess as to why you don't use agencies:
<ul>
<li>You don't need to</li>
<li>They cost too much</li>
<li>They're ineffective</li>
<li>They're old-fashioned</li>
<li>They don't know your business</li>
</ul>
You know something? I'm sure in some cases, you're absolutely right. However before you write agencies off completely, read on to see the reasons it would benefit you to use a specialist technical recruitment agency such as Carbon60.
Get the best talent
According to <a href="https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/2014/03/active-vs-passive-candidates-the-latest-global-breakdown-revealed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">LinkedIn</a>, only 12% of the workforce are actively looking for a new job, but 85% are open to hearing about new opportunities. This means that only a small minority are likely to be responsive to advertising, as the rest just aren't looking - peculiarly referred to as 'passive candidates' in recruitment circles. Agency recruiters don't sit around and wait for a quality candidate to walk through the door (or respond to an advert), they'll proactively target your competitors and scour the marketplace for people in similar positions, to see if anyone is interested in new opportunities.
A specialist agency either already has a database of excellent candidates, or if not then they know the best places to find them. As they live and breathe recruiting, they have more time to identify and reach out to passive candidates in a way that's probably just not possible for your recruitment team or hiring managers.
There are strong brands out there, yours may be one of them. But a candidate has greater access to the employment market through registering with a third party. Many who decide to start actively looking for a job are more likely to register with a specialist agency first. This increases significantly in the temporary workforce and specialist contractor marketplace.
More efficient
Most agencies are able to manage the whole process. Agencies can save you time sifting through countless CVs and provide you with only the best. For instance, Carbon60 can provide vetting, arrange interviews, relay feedback and negotiate the offer. In addition, due to the large pool of candidates, temporary roles can be filled at short notice. We can turn a month-long search into one that lasts only a few days, as our experts can understand your niche and find the right people quickly.
In small companies especially, employees' time is already stretched thin, therefore recruiting in-house doesn't make for a wise investment of resources, so reducing the in-house resource you use for recruitment saves not only your time, but money too.
As recruitment is their core function, agencies can invest more in recruiting tools, job-board credits and candidate management technology, automating where possible, resulting in both time and cost efficiencies.
Cost saving
Posting job adverts is expensive, so we cover that cost and not only post them on your behalf, but create awesome adverts for you too. A decent agency will always provide replacements or rebates if they provide someone that you're not happy with.
<blockquote>"Within our Engineering Technology division, we have a diamond guarantee that goes beyond recruitment standard practices. We are so confident that your new hires will be the right fit for your business, that if you're not happy with one of our candidates or the service we provide, you don't pay. In fact, we go further than that - if we place someone in a permanent position and they leave within the first 100 days, and we aren't able to re-fill it for you, we refund you 110%." - James Spurling, Associate Director, Carbon60.&nbsp;</blockquote>
Give us a try!
We hope those are enough compelling reasons to use a specialist recruitment agency if you don't already, and we would love to chat to you if you're looking to use our services in future.
Call us on 01329 227000 or email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:enquiries@carbon60global.com?subject=Specialist%20Recruitment">enquiries@carbon60global.com</a>

Hear us out - this is why you should use Carbon60.

We don't use agencies

Whilst the world of industry is becoming more diverse and inclusive, women have unfortunately been underrepresented in engineering. But whilst the work of females in engineering may have gone unnoticed somewhat, many contributions have been crucial in shaping the modern world and the way we live.
From designing and building iconic structures to helping to shape the landscape of space travel; women have changed the engineering game in some of the most important and innovative ways, whilst shattering stereotypes, paving a route for future generations, and showcasing the unyielding spirit of STEM along the way.
Join us as we highlight and celebrate just a few of engineering&rsquo;s greatest female minds, their work and the undeniable impact they&rsquo;ve made on us all.
&nbsp;
<h2 class="MsoNormal">Highlighting Top Women Innovators in Engineering</h2>
Emily Roebling: After her husband fell ill, leading him to step back from construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, Emily Roebling &ndash; bringing with her exceptional knowledge of mathematics, materials strength, stress analysis, and cable construction &ndash; stepped in to oversee one of the most iconic engineering projects in history. Roebling&rsquo;s role was truly groundbreaking, shattering societal norms and paving a path for future engineering roles for women.
Hedy Lamarr: Whilst known for being a leading lady in Hollywood, Lamarr&rsquo;s most important role was in engineering. Having co-invented frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology during World War II, a breakthrough that paved the way for modern Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth, her ingenuity demonstrated the transformative power of innovation spanning diverse fields.
Yvonne Brill: Brill&rsquo;s work is at the heart of an engineering revolution. Through inventing the hydrazine resistojet propulsion system, she developed a more efficient, longer-lasting and more reliable method of satellite propulsion, leading to improvements in communications, weather forecasting and space exploration.
Deborah Jin: Jin&rsquo;s work has had major implications in modern technology; studies of supercooling atoms led to the creation of the first fermionic condensate, advancing our understanding of quantum mechanics and shaping developments in superconductivity and quantum computing.
Gwynne Shotwell: SpaceX is one of the most exciting and innovative space programs currently in operation. At its heart is Gwynne Shotwell, one of the program&rsquo;s leaders and a key contributor in the race to making commercial space travel a reality, marking a new era in space exploration and travel, and impacting the future trajectory of the aerospace industry.
Debbie Sterling: A Stanford University engineering graduate, Sterling recognised the gender gap in her field and sought to address it at its roots: childhood play. Driven to make a change for females across engineering, Sterling founded &ndash; and is now CEO of &ndash; GoldieBlox, which creates toys and stories designed to encourage girls to take an interest in engineering. This innovative approach has challenged stereotypes, opened avenues for future generations of females and helped reshape perceptions across the wider STEM industries.
Marissa Mayer: Mayer is a true trailblazer in tech, having made significant contributions in the industry, including game changing impacts at two huge brands &ndash; Google and Yahoo. As Google's first female engineer, Mayer played a crucial role in developing key products like the search interface, Gmail, and Google Images, greatly influencing the way we interact with the web today; whilst at Yahoo &ndash; as the company&rsquo;s CEO &ndash; she revitalised the company by creating and implementing a new approach to mobile technology and modernisation. But Mayer's contributions go far beyond her innovations; her roles helped to break down gender barriers and highlighted the impact that women could have, when given the chance, across STEM.
By hurdling and breaking down barriers, and setting examples in the industry, these remarkable women &ndash; among many, many others &ndash; have helped build the foundations for a better future for women in engineering, technology, and STEM industries, heralding exciting new developments that make for a better world for us all.
&nbsp;

Whilst the world of industry is becoming more diverse and inclusive, women have unfortunately been underrepresented in engineering. But whilst the work of females in engineering may have gone unnoticed somewhat, many contributions have been crucial in shaping the modern world and the way we live.

Visionary Voices: The Women Who Shaped STEM - Engineering a World of Possibilities

Several aspects of the recruitment process have changed over the years, for both employers and candidates. In many sectors, one of the biggest changes for candidates has been the increase in choices available to them. This has had a knock on effect for employers.
With so much competition for the best candidates, using traditional recruitment methods is no longer enough, while it also takes more than just a good salary to attract and retain people. Businesses now need to promote themselves in the best possible light to candidates.
This is commonly known as employer branding. By showcasing your culture, benefits and ways of working, you can position yourself as an attractive place to work. The likes of Google and Apple are commonly mentioned as desirable employers, and it&rsquo;s not just because of their business success, but their Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Meanwhile, data from LinkedIn suggests that companies with a strong employer brand see 50% more qualified applicants.
This makes it a critical part of your recruitment process, and one of the fundamentals of your overall business strategy. You&rsquo;d do everything you can to build an appealing brand that brings in customers &ndash; why not pay the same attention to candidates?
Of course, employer branding isn&rsquo;t a magic bullet solution for all of your talent acquisition needs, but it certainly plays a big part. Here are just some of the ways it can benefit you.
<h3>Attracting top talent </h3>
More and more candidates want to work for a company that aligns with their values. By marketing your business in the right way, you will get them coming to you. Think about employer branding in a similar way to storytelling &ndash; you have to let people know what you do, what you stand for and what it&rsquo;s like to work for you.
Authenticity is key &ndash; communicate your mission, vision and values in a way that&rsquo;s real and believable.
A big part of employer branding is using the right channels to tell your story. For example, Millennials and Generation Z make up a big part of the workforce, and will continue to do so. These groups are highly active on social media platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn, so use them to promote your employer brand. Things like employee stories or behind the scenes snapshots of your business always go down well.
Some companies also incorporate these channels into the actual candidate journey. For example, they use social media to build connections and have conversations with potential hires, making it a two way conversation rather than pure promotion.
<h3>Saving time&hellip;.</h3>
A strong employer brand will mean a bigger pipeline of talent is available to you, perhaps following you on social media, or having registered on your website. This means you can actually start the process of screening and vetting candidates earlier, and begin interviewing almost as soon as you have a vacancy.
In addition, candidates who you reach out to are likely to respond to hiring managers or recruiters a lot sooner, as they will already be familiar with your brand.
All of this speeds up the recruitment process, reducing your time-to-fill. In such a competitive market, this could be the difference between bringing in a top tier candidate, and losing them to another company.
<h3>&hellip;.and money</h3>
A quicker process also means you can fill more roles in a short period of time, bringing down your cost per hire &ndash; and this isn&rsquo;t the only financial saving.
Having an attractive employer brand also means you need to spend less money on recruitment marketing and other hiring process. In some cases, you may even be able to get a candidate on a lower salary than expected if they&rsquo;re eager to join.
After all, research from Talent Now shows that 50% of candidates wouldn&rsquo;t work for a company with a bad reputation, even for a pay rise. So while your budget may only stretch to a figure that&rsquo;s lower than a competitor, having a better reputation may just tip the scales in your favour.
<h3>Increasing staff retention</h3>
The employer brand isn&rsquo;t just about new candidates and their perception of you. It also incorporates the employee experience &ndash; in other words, how your existing staff feel about you.
It&rsquo;s difficult to position yourself as a desirable employer if people are constantly leaving. That&rsquo;s why a solid employer brand strategy has to take the employee experience into account. This starts from onboarding &ndash; the first 100 days in particular are key. Make sure staff buy into your culture and values and are staying engaged. Attrition can always be a problem for organisations, but if you create a good working environment, this can be prevented.
Don&rsquo;t forget that existing employees are the ones who offer the most reliable insight into what working for you is actually like. They could be your biggest advocates, but also do the most damage to your employer brand. Social media and dedicated employee review websites such as Glassdoor have made it easier than ever for employees to tell people about your business, so ensure you create a positive experience at all times.
If you get this part of your employer brand right, you will naturally find your staff becoming ambassadors. Not only will they stay with the company, but they&rsquo;ll recommend you to others &ndash; further increasing your pipeline and reducing recruitment costs.
<h3>Building trust with customers</h3>
Good recruitment leads to good business. There&rsquo;s a famous Richard Branson quote that&rsquo;s often used when talking about this subject:
&ldquo;Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.&rdquo;
The reason it&rsquo;s often used is because it&rsquo;s true. The success of a business depends on having talent and motivated people working within it. Focusing on your employer brand will help you attract the best people, and keep them engaged. This will translate into a better experience for your customers, and increase your credibility with them.
One common factor which links all of the best employer brands, is a focus on people. The days of being able to attract candidates with just a good salary and pension are gone. Things like work-life balance, company culture and employee wellbeing are big priorities for candidates, and should be for businesses too. This then needs to be communicated to them in the right way, using the right channels.
The employer brand was once seen as a nice-to-have, or an expensive addition to traditional recruitment. But with so many companies fighting for the same talent, and the needs of candidates also changing, it&rsquo;s now an essential part of your recruitment toolkit.
If you would like to know more about how Carbon60 can help with your employer branding, <a href="https://www.carbon60global.com/contact-us">please get in touch.&nbsp;</a>

By showcasing your culture, benefits and ways of working, you can position yourself as an attractive place to work, helping to attract top talent, save time & money in your recruitment process.

Using employer branding to boost your recruitment process

Leaving the Army doesn&rsquo;t need to feel like the end of the world. John Zampa-Howe worked for the Army for 25 years before deciding to take the leap into a new industry.
John, who is now a Carbon60 defence and technology specialist consultant, shared his initial thoughts on leaving the Army after 25 years; &ldquo;I just thought - What have I done?!&rdquo; Like most career soldiers, he was institutionalised and thoughts of discharging made him think of prison movies where a convict was being released after 25 years back into civilian life.&nbsp;
But John realised it wasn&rsquo;t nearly as daunting as he&rsquo;d initially feared.&nbsp; &ldquo;It is important to research a new industry, to minimise the risk of starting a new job you do not understand, with no training. Seizing an opportunity to start again can be a great experience,&rdquo; explains John. John offers some top pieces of advice for army personnel venturing into new careers, aimed to support those considering a transition to civilian life:
<h4>Maintain and Expand your Professional Network</h4>
&ldquo;Despite wanting to leave the Army, defence can still offer you security and stability while you seek out your next role. If you&rsquo;re unsure about making the final jump, Reserve Service can provide great networking opportunities.&rdquo;
<h4>Be Proactive</h4>
&ldquo;Start talking to people in the sectors and fields that interest you. Create a LinkedIn profile and start making connections with recruitment consultants and leaders in the industries you&rsquo;re considering. Carry out research on the type of career you want to pursue, and look into possible routes to your new dream role.&rdquo;
<h4>Prepare for Interviews</h4>
&ldquo;Practice makes perfect! Write down and rehearse your elevator pitch. Think about your successes, transferable skills, and personal attributes. Seek advice and feedback wherever possible. Rehearse with someone you&rsquo;re comfortable with and get them to ask you some difficult questions in anticipation of the big interviews you&rsquo;ve got lined up.&rdquo;
<h4>Resumes Matter</h4>
&ldquo;Research what good resumes look like and start building your CV in-line with the roles you&rsquo;re applying for. Ask contacts in your network to review your CV, and ask them to share theirs with you for inspiration and guidance. I asked my partner to read over my resume, and she tweaked the language away from &lsquo;Army speak&rsquo; so it was better suited to the roles I was applying for. Find a format that is clear and concise and tells the story of who you are through your career to date.&rdquo;
<h4>Employers Want Technical, Specific Experience&nbsp;</h4>
&ldquo;Many jobs require technical skills or expertise in addition to managerial experience. Getting to an interview on general managerial experience can be hard. Think about how you can utilise previous technical experience and skillsets, and where you can gain more experience that may be needed for your next career move.&rdquo;
<h4>Find Somewhere to Live</h4>
&ldquo;I found that after moving around every three years, an advantage that came with leaving the Army is you can choose where you live. Pick somewhere within your means that has a good employment rate, and convenient commuting options. Doing your homework and talking to people in the geographical areas you&rsquo;re interested in moving to is key.&rdquo;
<h4>Accept it&rsquo;s Going to be Vastly Different&nbsp;</h4>
&ldquo;If you&rsquo;ve done well in the high-pressure military environment, then you should be confident in your transferable abilities. You can use your high-level military leadership skills to excel at whatever you decide to pursue. I was a Sergeant Major in the Army and had spent a lot of time in Special Operations Command (SOCOMD) so I had a very strong leadership style and was used to working under pressure. Those conditioned skills helped me massively when I transitioned into a civilian role.&rdquo;
John&rsquo;s main tip for all defence personnel is to embrace change and new opportunities, and enjoy the ride - &ldquo;Leaving the military and finding a great new career is no more daunting than joining the military in the first place!&rdquo;

Leaving the Army doesn’t need to feel like the end of the world. John Zampa-Howe worked for the Army for 25 years before deciding to take the leap into a new industry.

Transitioning from Army to Civilian Job

The Renewable Energy sector continues to blossom, as the demand for clean energy grows. While technology plays a huge role in this, it&rsquo;s workers who are at the heart of the energy transition.
Take this stat for example. Even during the pandemic disrupted year of 2020, <a href="https://www.irena.org/newsroom/pressreleases/2021/Oct/Renewable-Energy-Jobs-Reach-12-Million-Globally" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">half a million jobs were added</a> in the Renewables sector, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The same body also predicts that by the year 2050, total employment within Renewables will be up to 100 million.
With so many opportunities available, in an area which will continue to be a key global priority, it&rsquo;s a great time to make a career change. But what do you need to be aware of if you&rsquo;re transitioning to a career within Renewables, and what skills do you need?
Read on for some of our top tips.
<h3>Evaluate your industry experience</h3>
First things first, it&rsquo;s important to analyse your industry experience. Some industries are particularly useful in terms of giving you a head start within Renewables.
For example, if you work within Oil &amp; Gas &ndash; the other side of the energy coin &ndash; you&rsquo;ll find yourself in high demand, as many of the skills and processes you currently use are applicable to Renewables.
Similarly, if you have a background in Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC), you should have the ability to manage large-scale infrastructure projects &ndash; perfect for the Renewable Energy sector! Logistical experience is also great to have if you want to work on sites that are being built.
It&rsquo;s not just about the obvious industries though. Perhaps you&rsquo;re an engineer that works at sea. In that case, you could investigate roles related to wave energy, or within the offshore wind energy industry.
<h3>Analyse your transferable technical skills</h3>
No matter what field you work in, you are bound to have some transferable skills. What you need to do is identify what they are and then emphasise them throughout the job search &ndash; in your CV, cover letter and job interviews.
If you&rsquo;re already a civil, electrical or mechanical engineer in another area, then there&rsquo;s plenty for you to highlight. In Renewables, you&rsquo;ll generally be managing projects that involve Solar Energy or Battery Storage, but a lot of the technical and organisational skills you use in your current sector will still apply. Examples include being able to interpret drawings to a high standard and being at an advanced level with computer-aided design software.
Those who work within Construction or Project Management should also keep a close eye on vacancies within Renewables, as skills here are easily transferable. Examples include the ability to put together a Programme of Works (PoW), allocate resources and supervise sites.
Health and safety skills are also highly transferable from almost any industry. There will of course need to be some training specifically related to Renewables, but the general experience will stand you in good stead.
<h3>Showcase your soft skills</h3>
Those are all some of the technical skills. But you might find that your soft skills are easier to highlight. Some of the key ones required within Renewables are:
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Communication (written and verbal)</li>
<li>Problem solving</li>
<li>Attention to detail</li>
<li>Flexibility</li>
<li>An analytical mindset</li>
<li>The ability to absorb and then simplify complex information</li>
</ul>
If you feel you have most of these, then you will definitely be seen as an appealing candidate. Don&rsquo;t overlook or downplay them and just focus on the technical side of things.
You can also draw upon experiences you&rsquo;ve had away from the workplace. For example, if you spent time away looking after your children, talk about skills such as discipline and multi-tasking that you&rsquo;ve needed. If you&rsquo;ve travelled, you may have picked up international knowledge. This could prove to be quite useful &ndash; we actually work with a lot of businesses who either have or want to grow their global presence.
You should also emphasise any training courses you have done. This shows your passion and ambition to potential employers. For example, if you&rsquo;re a Project Manager, have you gained any certifications? The most popular ones are Prince2, Project Manager Professional (PMP) and Association for Project Management (APM). These will add real value to your CV.
<h3>Immerse yourself within Renewables</h3>
Research is the key to any job hunt, but even more so if transferring industries. Absorb as much knowledge as you can &ndash; download research reports, keep up with the latest news, join relevant groups and forums, and start networking.
Speak with recruiters who specialise within Renewables &ndash; these are people who know the industry in great depth. It&rsquo;s far better to use recruiters that are sector specialists when you&rsquo;re moving to a new industry, as their insight will give you the extra 10% you need to stand out.
Your research will also help you work out exactly what you want to do in Renewables. There are many different types of projects, such as offshore wind or battery storage ones. Different roles will also require different skills. If you&rsquo;re someone who prefers to be on-site every day, a Project Manager or Site Engineer role would be good, whereas a Quantity Surveyor role will see you spending more time at a desk crunching numbers.
Think about which location you want to work in as well. If you go down the Site Engineer route, it offers the opportunity to work on a site abroad. In fact, even if you choose to stay in the UK, there are many roles which require the Lead or Senior Engineers to travel to overseas sites occasionally. Ask yourself whether this is something you want, or whether you&rsquo;d prefer to stay local.
<h3>Use the right keywords on your CV</h3>
Many CVs go through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and are scanned for specific keywords. Therefore, it&rsquo;s important that your CV has the right ones on it, which are related to the Renewable Energy sector. Make sure they&rsquo;re not just stuffed in though &ndash; incorporate them in a natural way.
Transferable skills are always a great thing to have, particularly when there is economic uncertainty in some markets. The exciting thing about the Renewable Energy sector is that there is no uncertainty and no room for doubt &ndash; it&rsquo;s a fast-growing area which has the backing of policy makers. That means the job opportunities are there. It&rsquo;s down to you to put the work in and grasp them.

Are you looking to transition to a career within Renewables? Read our top tips on how to identify your transferable skills.

Transferable skills for a career in Renewable Energy

Demand for workers within the Renewable Energy sector is growing. You may be one of the many people interested in working within this area &ndash; whether it&rsquo;s as a Project Manager, Construction Manager, Site Engineer, or any of the other roles available.
Hopefully you&rsquo;ve found some of our previous advice around things like <a href="https://www.carbon60global.com/blog/top-cv-writing-tips-for-a-job-in-renewable-energy">CV writing</a> useful, and have got yourself an interview. At Carbon60, we&rsquo;ve been placing candidates within Renewables for over a decade, so I thought I&rsquo;d share some best practice for interviews. Take a look at the tips below, as well as the short video I&rsquo;ve recorded.
<div class="flex-video widescreen"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0zFaZ5yE0ho" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>
&nbsp;
<h3>Use prep time wisely</h3>
You&rsquo;re probably aware that preparation is the name of the game for any interview, and that certainly rings true within Renewables. Look at the company&rsquo;s website and familiarise yourself with their work. Pick a couple of specific projects they&rsquo;ve worked on to really drill down into. These can be referenced during the interview, which will impress the hiring manager.
Go over each element of the job description and work out how you&rsquo;re going to match yourself up to their requirements (more on this later). Use websites like Glassdoor to do a bit more research on the company, and even potential interview questions you could be asked. Don&rsquo;t be afraid to speak with your recruiter as well &ndash; this is exactly what they are there for.
There&rsquo;s one other key bit of advice for your preparation. What you want to do is spend the bulk of your time researching the company, the role and practising your answers to role-related questions. What you don&rsquo;t want to do is spend time preparing for questions like salary or length of contract (if applying for a contract role). Therefore, it&rsquo;s important you&rsquo;ve already gone through this discussion at the outset with your recruiter &ndash; they should be fully briefed on what you&rsquo;re looking for and should have made the client aware of this before they submitted you.
&nbsp;
<h3>Treat virtual interviews like a face-to-face</h3>
Generally, a lot of clients are doing interviews virtually and will probably continue to do so. The last couple of years has shown that this is the way forward &ndash; in terms of ease, speed, time and commuting costs. It&rsquo;s also better for the environment, which clients in Renewable Energy particularly like!
However, it&rsquo;s important not to slip into a comfort zone if your interview is virtual. Treat it in the same way you would a face-to-face, as I can guarantee you that the hiring manager will.
Be on time and dress professionally. This doesn&rsquo;t mean a three-piece suit, but equally, I wouldn&rsquo;t advise wearing the same tracksuit you&rsquo;ve just been out for a jog in either!
Ensure you&rsquo;ve done a tech check well beforehand, so things run smoothly. I would also pay attention to your background &ndash; you don&rsquo;t want things too busy or distracting.
Once the interview begins, do what you&rsquo;d do if you were in the same room as the interviewer. Make good eye contact, answer questions calmly, while also showing your passion for the role. Renewable Energy is such an exciting sector to work in &ndash; you get to work with incredible technology, whilst shaping the future energy systems. This should come across in your body language.
&nbsp;
<h3>Connect your experience to the job requirements</h3>
As mentioned, you should match your own skills and experience to what&rsquo;s on the job description. Highlight specific projects and achievements related to this. For example, you may be going for a Site Engineer role (whether it&rsquo;s Civil, Mechanical or Electrical). The likelihood is you&rsquo;ll be managing the site operations for a particular Renewable Energy project. Look back at your previous projects &ndash; was there an occasion where you identified significant energy saving opportunities? What impact did it have?
Similarly, this role will probably see you supervising a number of subcontractors. How many did you supervise previously, and how well did they eventually implement the construction drawings?
These are just some examples I am giving. The ultimate point is to link previous successes with the job you&rsquo;re interviewing for.
&nbsp;
<h3>Ask the right questions</h3>
Another way to show how keen you are is by asking questions yourself. This shows that you&rsquo;re not just going through the motions and are genuinely interested in the opportunity.
The obvious questions are about the role and the specific Renewables projects you&rsquo;ll be working on. But I also advise my candidates to dig a little deeper into the company itself. Ask your interviewer why they joined. What is it that made them move from their previous company to this one?
What do they enjoy most about working there? What&rsquo;s the culture like? These are the types of things you can&rsquo;t glean from a job advert &ndash; it&rsquo;s somebody&rsquo;s first-hand experience which is pretty priceless information.
Remember an interview is a two-way street. You&rsquo;re selling yourself, but they should also take the time to sell the benefits of working there. If you ask the right questions, then they&rsquo;ll be able to do exactly that.
As well as the positives, it&rsquo;s a good idea to find out about some of the challenges as well. Don&rsquo;t be afraid to ask the interviewer what these are or would be for you if you got the role. We all work at companies that, whilst we may love them, aren&rsquo;t always perfect. There will be challenges you face on a day-to-day or weekly basis and it&rsquo;s important you understand those.
Ask about progression opportunities. For example, if all went well over the next few years, where and how do they see you moving? Going back to the Site Engineer example from earlier &ndash; the next step up is Lead Engineer or Senior Site Engineer. Maybe you could ask about the people in those roles currently, and whether they were external hires or internal promotions? Don&rsquo;t push this too far, as you want to strike the right balance. Show ambition, but not arrogance.
&nbsp;
<h3>Finish with a flourish</h3>
You may also want to finish off with a question like:
&ldquo;Are there any concerns that I haven&rsquo;t addressed for you during this interview that I can address for you now?&rdquo;
This shows you&rsquo;re engaged and keen on the position, and also gives you the peace of mind that you&rsquo;ve got all of your key points across. There may have been something you prepared but forgot to mention &ndash; by asking this question, it could give you another opportunity if the interviewer brings it up.
I&rsquo;ll give you an example. One of my candidates went for a Project Manager role and had planned to showcase his knowledge of Solar PV, which he&rsquo;d enhanced through training courses he&rsquo;d been on. While he hadn&rsquo;t mentioned it during the interview, that final question led the interviewer to ask whether he was someone who could constantly keep up to date with the latest developments. This allowed him to talk about some of the courses he&rsquo;d done during his spare time.
It's bold, but it can be very effective.
&nbsp;
Getting to the interview stage means you&rsquo;ve already done well, as it&rsquo;s such a competitive field. Hopefully, these tips will help you during the next stage, and help you land a job in what is such an important sector worldwide.
&nbsp;
<h5>Looking for more of our expert career advice?&nbsp;</h5>
We have a wide range of advice, from writing your CV and Cover Letters to tips for your first week at a new job.&nbsp;
<a class="button-secondary" href="https://www.carbon60global.com/find-a-job/career-advice" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Click here</a>

Advice on how to have a successful job interview, from our Renewables recruitment expert.

Top tips for your Renewable Energy job interview

The high demand for tech talent is a double-edged sword. While it&rsquo;s good to know there are plenty of employers who need your skills, it&rsquo;s also pretty hard to stand out from the countless other tech professionals on the market. Here&rsquo;s a selection of CV tips to help you project &ndash; and differentiate &ndash; yourself in the best possible way.
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Start with a bang</h2>
Introduce your CV with a short and punchy profile that gives an overview of your skills, your experience and what you can bring to an employer. If you&rsquo;re a web designer, outline your design skills and how you use them to win business and satisfy customers. Research the most sought-after qualities in your field and reflect them in your profile.
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">&nbsp;Make it practical</h2>
A CV should be more than just a list of all the software, tools and programming languages you&rsquo;ve used in your career. You need to show how you apply your technical abilities practically and explain the changes you&rsquo;ve made to businesses.
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">&nbsp;Count on clarity</h2>
Make sure your CV is easy to digest and cleanly laid out, with a bullet-pointed core skills section and employment summary. Prospective employers need to be able to pick out the key information on a CV quickly and easily. This is especially important for a technical CV.
Write in plain English so that your CV makes sense to non-technical people. Assume the person reading your CV thinks that Java is an island of Indonesia.
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Mention the metrics</h2>
Use statistics to show the impact you&rsquo;ve made in your previous roles. These could include the value of a project you were leading, the number of staff you managed, the number of users you supported and the amount of time you took to respond to queries.
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Stay up-to-date</h2>
By the time you&rsquo;ve put a tech CV together, tech has probably changed. So make sure you update your CV regularly. It doesn&rsquo;t mean you&rsquo;re always looking to move &ndash; but it&rsquo;ll save you a lot of trouble when you do come to search for a new job. Keep up-to-date with the newest and most popular technologies and mention them on your CV.
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Streamline your skills</h2>
Include only the technical skills that are important to the role you&rsquo;re applying for. Listing your entire technical repertoire will only obscure skills that are actually relevant and make your CV tough going for any hiring managers.
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Transcend the tech</h2>
You need more than tech skills to thrive in an organisation. The biggest tech expert in the world won&rsquo;t be much use to an employer without the ability to interact with other human beings. List your wider skills, such as communication and leadership, to give employers a holistic view of the value you can bring to their company. For example, you might have experience of managing suppliers and gaining sign-off for software upgrades.
&nbsp;
Carbon60 has access to hundreds of outstanding tech roles with leading employers. 
<a href="../../../../../../jobs">Browse our jobs</a> or <a href="../../../../../../contact-us">get in touch</a>&nbsp;if you&rsquo;d like to talk to us about your career.

No matter what type of technology job you're looking for, our selection of top tips can help guide you when you're writing or updating your tech CV...

Top tips for a tech CV

According to new data recently released by Indeed, 1pm on a Monday is statistically the most popular time in the UK for employees to search for a new job.
Researchers analysed the searching patterns of millions of jobseekers in five European countries and found a clear trend with Monday seeing the highest search activity in all five nations.
Job hunting traffic peaks at 1pm on the first working day of the week in the UK and Ireland whilst earlier peaks take place in France and Belgium at 11am and from 12 noon in Germany.
Table: Peak day and time for job search by country.
France: Monday 11am Belgium: Monday 11am Germany: Monday 12pm Ireland: Monday 12pm UK: Monday 1pm
Mondays may see the highest spike in activity, however weekday evenings are also consistently popular for jobseekers looking for a new challenge, whilst seasonal variations also play a part in the types of roles employees are searching for.
Come the summer months, searches soar for travel-related and flexible roles, with the summer months typically seeing a five-fold increase in searches for jobs at the Edinburgh and Reading festivals, zero-hour contract jobs and immigration officer and cruise ship nurse roles.
Mariano Mamertino, EMEA economist at Indeed, said, &ldquo;The power of the internet has transformed the way all of us look for a new job. With just a few keystrokes or taps on our mobile device, we can view millions of vacancies whenever and wherever we want.
&ldquo;So it&rsquo;s striking that even with this freedom, one day is universally the most popular for people to look for a new role. This reveals perhaps the emotional side of looking for a new job. Just as the start of&nbsp;January is a very popular time for people to consider a job change, so too the start of the working week.
&ldquo;With the UK enjoying record levels of employment and the number of unemployed people per vacancy now at its lowest level for 15 years, competition among recruiters for the best talent is intense. So while the online jobs market is &lsquo;always on&rsquo;, we&rsquo;re seeing hiring companies be increasingly tactical in how and when they target potential recruits.&rdquo;
To find out more about our latest aviation, construction, defence, engineering and technology vacancies or to speak to one of our experienced consultants, contact us today www.carbon60global.com

According to new data recently released by Indeed, 1pm on a Monday is statistically the most popular time in the UK for employees to search for a new job...

Top times employees job hunt

There are many reasons why an employee may decide to quit their job. However, the majority of reasons people tend to leave are within the control of their employer. Here&rsquo;s the top 5 reasons people leave their jobs and how you can improve employee retention:
<h3>Pay&nbsp;</h3>
If you have a good relationship with your employee, offer a great benefits package and a highly competitive salary already, it is likely that any employee who moves for &pound;1,000 more a year probably didn&rsquo;t value the job too much in the first place. Rather than allowing your staff to run out of the door at the first wave of a higher pay cheque, ensure you offer them long-term growth and a clear career path where they can increase their salary at your company through internal promotions. If an employee isn&rsquo;t happy with their current salary, sit down with them and find out more about their expectations so you can both manage them accordingly.
<h3>Location </h3>
Unfortunately this may be the one reason which is actually out of your control. If your employee is struggling with the daily commute and/or relocates due to personal reasons then it may be best for both of you if they left. On the other hand, if you&rsquo;re a national/global wide organisation and have offices in various locations you may be able to offer them a transfer. An employee may have no choice but to leave their current position if the commute is getting too much for them but the offer of a transfer could be just the answer to keep them.
<h3>Non-flexible working&nbsp;</h3>
In this day and age most companies now offer flexible working so if you&rsquo;re not, maybe you should ask yourself, why? Flexible working is more than just working from home and can be anything from flexible hours to allowing employees to work from different locations. The potential benefits includes a more efficient and productive organisation, more motivated employees, better customer service and increased staff retention. This will also help attract new potential employees. Talk to your employees and find out what they would like to see in terms of flexible working.
<h3>Meaningless work </h3>
Everyone wants to feel like they are doing something which is making a difference in their line of work. They may not be feeding the hungry, rescuing abandoned animals or even curing illnesses, but employees need to feel a connection to their work. Tedious, transactional work can often leave employees feeling flat and demotivated so make sure you help employees see where and how their work contributes to the execution of deliverables that actually make a difference in the world, or at least the general functioning of your business. Try to keep their role varied and engaging.
<h3>Poor working environment </h3>
Trying to stay motivated and driven in a poor, lacklustre working environment is difficult and can bring down company morale whilst affecting employee&rsquo;s day-to-day performance. Does your organization appreciate its staff and treat them with respect? Do they have the equipment they need in order to perform accordingly? Do you invest in their well-being to ensure staff feel happy and believe your company is a great place to work? Employees appreciate transparency and approachable management so be aware that your company culture plays a huge part in keeping employees.&nbsp;
To discuss your recruitment needs further, why not Contact Us and speak to one of our specialist consultants.

Find out the most popular factors that cause people to start looking elsewhere...

Top 5 reasons people leave their jobs

The IR35 legislation has now been delayed for a year, until 6th April 2021, as a result of the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic. It's still important to prepare for IR35, so if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.
With the reform to the IR35 legislation coming to the private sector in April 2020, now is the time to start preparing. With the onus of assessing compliance to this tax law now shifting to the fee-payer (be that your business if you engage directly, or your recruitment agency partner) rather than the individual contractor themselves. Failure to prepare could result in hefty fines, increased costs or loss of talent.
However, this process doesn't need to be difficult! There are some simple tasks you can do right now to start this process:
<h3>Work out if your business will be affected</h3>
These reforms are first being rolled out in the private sector to medium and large businesses. That means if you qualify as a small business then you don't yet need to make any changes.
A business is deemed to be 'small' if it meets 2 or more of the following criteria within a 12-month period:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Turnover not more than &pound;10.2 million</li>
<li>Balance sheet total not more than &pound;5.1 million</li>
<li>Fewer than 50 employees</li>
</ul>
As a tax legislation, this also only applies to contractors, so you will only need to consider this if you are actively engaging contractors who will still be working on the April 2020 deadline.
<h3>Map out the operating structures of your contractor workforce</h3>
If you don't classify as a small business you need to move on to the next step, which is understanding the contractor base you have.
The legislation is aimed at targeting 'disguised employment' of those working as a PSC (Personal Service Company) also known as Limited Company Contractors.
It is essential that you understand which of the contractors in your business are operating in the way so you can assess their roles. Other operating structures that could be in place are:
<ul>
<li>All PSCs (high risk)</li>
<li>PAYE Umbrella (no risk)</li>
<li>Direct PAYE (no risk)</li>
<li>Agency PAYE (no risk)</li>
<li>Other* (high risk)</li>
</ul>
*if you don't know how the contractor is operating, this is also high-risk, and we would recommend moving on to the next stage for these individuals too.
It could be that you don't have access to this information, especially if you're working with a recruitment partner, so you may need to request this information from them. With this information you will then be able to work out which roles in your business are high-risk, and make the necessary preparations.
<h3>Use the CEST tool to assess high-risk roles</h3>
CEST (Checking Employment Status for Tax) is a tool from HMRC which allows you to answer a series of questions about a role to assess if they would fall inside or outside IR35.
You only need to do this for every role type, not every contractor, providing that they are managed the same, and you will likely need to work closely with the Hiring Manager/Line Manager of that role to gather all of the information you need to be able to complete the questions.
If this tool considers the role to be inside of IR35 and you have contractors operating via a PSC, you will need to start communicating with them that they will need to change the way they operate from April 2020.&nbsp;
If the role is deemed to be outside IR35, great! This means that your contractors working via PSCs are compliant and will not need to make any changes to how they operate. We recommend that you produce an SDS (Status Determination Statement) and share this with the worker and their relevant the recruitment agency. This is your defence in the event of a claim from HMRC.

April 2020 is just round the corner, so now is the time to start preparing.

Three ways you need to be preparing for IR35

The IR35 legislation has now been delayed for a year, until 6th April 2021, as a result of the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic. It's still important to prepare for IR35, so if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.
With the IR35 legislation reform coming to the private sector in April 2020, now is the perfect time to familiarise yourself with the preparations necessary for contractors who are operating via a Personal Service Company (PSC).
Here are three easy ways to make sure you are aware of how this might impact you:
<h3>How do I know whether I'll be affected by the change to legislation?</h3>
You will only be affected if you are working as a PSC, also known as a Limited Company Contractor.
Up until now it has been the contractor's responsibility to determine whether they fall inside or outside of the scope of IR35, but the change in legislation now means that the onus is on the company with which you are providing services ('client') to notify you.
Should you be notified that your role is inside IR35, you may want to change the way you operate from April 2020. If you are providing services through a recruitment agency, and they pay your company fees, it would be worth discussing your options with them.
It is also worth noting that IR35 only applies to medium and large companies who meet at least two of the following criteria:
<ul>
<li>An annual turnover of &pound;10.2 million or more</li>
<li>A balance sheet of &pound;5.1 million or more</li>
<li>Over 50 PAYE employees</li>
</ul>
You can find most of this information on Companies House <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/companies-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>, but in any event you should confirm with the client.
<h3>I have been informed that my role is inside the IR35 legislation. What do I do now?&nbsp;</h3>
Firstly, don't panic! It might seem overwhelming, but it just means you need to make sure that the way you operate is compliant. Should you choose to remain as PSC, then the organisation paying your company feed will need to make appropriate deductions for employment taxes, and this is likely to result in a change in your contract. However, there are alternative methods of payment for you to consider.
By becoming a PAYE employee, either directly with the end client, with your agency or through an umbrella company, IR35 will no longer apply and you will become eligible for additional benefits as an employee.
<h3>What should I do if I'm not happy with the response from the company or my recruitment agency?&nbsp;</h3>
The client has a duty to carry out the assessment using reasonable care but if you do not agree with their findings you can challenge the decision and the client shall have 45 days to respond.
You can make your own assessment by using the CEST tool on the gov.uk website <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-employment-status-for-tax">here</a>. Please note however that the client may stand by their original decision. When completing the tool, you will be asked to provide a range of information including:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Your responsibilities</li>
<li>Who decides what work you do</li>
<li>Who decides when, where and why the work is done</li>
<li>How you are paid, and if the contract includes benefits or reimbursements</li>
</ul>
HMRC has stated they will stand by the results of the CEST tool in the event of an investigation or legal dispute, provided that the tool has been used correctly.
IR35 may sound complicated, but getting advice from appropriate sources will help you through the transition period. This could be from your own tax advisor or the organisation that pays your company fees.
For more information, or if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us <a href="https://www.carbon60global.com/contact-us">here</a>.

Contractors, get ready for IR35 with our latest blog.

Three ways for contractors to prepare for IR35

I regularly speak to Training &amp; Engineering managers in leading MRO businesses and many of them are faced with the same challenges.&nbsp;
There is a chronic shortage of licensed engineers within the industry, which is resulting in more and more pressure on training departments to train up individuals to fill this void.
It makes sense. If you don't have them, train them. Yet in reality this training is expensive and takes staff away from the business and out of productive work in other roles.&nbsp;
That is where we need to look at this problem differently. There is apprenticeship funding available in the form of your apprenticeship levy, meaning you could make your costly aviation engineering training cost neutral. Now I know you want to know more.
The apprenticeship levy isn't just another tax for big businesses
When the apprenticeship levy was introduced in 2017 many corporate businesses saw it as an additional tax. It is true that all businesses with a wage bill over &pound;3m need to pay 0.5% into the apprenticeship levy, but this isn't a tax, it's an investment piece.&nbsp;
You can draw down from this pot to fund training and development for your workforce and, if it runs out, you only pay 5% of the training costs, with the rest funded by the government.
If an employer has not paid the levy and would like to train an apprentice, they need to co-invest. For new starters from 1st April 2019, the employer has to pay 5% of the cost of training and assessment for their apprentices. Government funding of 95% is provided to cover the remaining costs.
I thought apprenticeships were for 16-18-year-olds?
It's a common misconception that apprenticeships are reserved for school leavers as an entry to the world of work. Yet apprenticeships are available to everyone in your workplace, regardless of age or ability. It doesn't just have to be for new employees either. You can enroll your current staff on an apprenticeship at any time.
Over a third of employees at Carbon60 are enrolled in an apprenticeship, from Level 2 Business Administration to Level 5 CMI Management, aged from 18 to our oldest learner in their late 50s, and all funded by the apprenticeship levy.&nbsp;
You have 24 months to use it, or you'll lose it
Once money is added to your levy pot, it has a life span of just two years, so this really is a use-it-or-lose-it scenario.
But this shouldn't discourage you from accessing it, as you are adding to the levy every month with your payroll. So as &pound;1 expires it is likely another is being added and can continue to fund training.
I would encourage you to take the time to consider accessing your apprenticeship levy, so as not to lose out, and to ensure the funding is utilised to increase productivity and ultimately aid the growth of your business. Your estimated funds that are due to expire can also be viewed in your employer digital account.
Need more information on apprenticeship or how to unlock your levy? Book in a call with me to chat through your options.&nbsp;

Making the most of your Apprenticeship Levy could be a key part of your company's future. Find out more about what means for you. 

Three things you might not know about the apprenticeship levy

Close your eyes and picture an engineer. What are they wearing? What are they holding? Where are they? Are they a man or a woman? You've probably got a very specific image in your head, and we want to help change that. We're submitting a selection of photos to the Royal Academy of Engineering's (RAE) #ThisIsEngineering collection, that will help the engineering sector to increase the diversity of its visual representation.&nbsp;
A <a href="https://www.raeng.org.uk/news/news-releases/2019/november/ai-reveals-misrepresentation-of-engineers-online" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent study</a>&nbsp;by the RAE analysed more than 1,100 images of engineers found online and using Artificial Intelligence (AI), generated images based on the analysis. Most of those images were of white men in hard hats - hardly an exhibition of the diversity that's present in the industry. You get the same results from Google Images, where 63% of the first page of images for 'engineer' contain men in hard hats. Based on this research the Academy, and over 100 companies including the BBC, Facebook, Google and EDF Energy have pledged to increase the public visibility of more representative images of engineers and engineering.
Engineering has been a male-dominated profession for centuries, and although women now make up 12.37% of the UK engineering workforce, they're still drastically under-represented.
<h3>What's it really like to be a woman working in STEM?</h3>
As a specialist recruitment company that works with engineering candidates every day, we wanted to get the female side of the story. We approached women in the engineering sector to hear their experiences about education, discrimination, mentoring and their working environment, and to take some photos of our own to submit to the RAE.
Paige Seaton works on an engineering shop floor, working on sensors that eventually make their way into aircraft, both commercial and military. She's in her 20s and worked in a factory, building diesel engines, before starting at her current role last year. We asked her some questions about working in an engineering environment.&nbsp;
<h3>What made you want to enter the engineering field?</h3>
I wanted to do something to prove that this isn't just a man's job.
<h3>What difficulties have you faced (if any) during your career?</h3>
None to date!
<h3>Have you experienced any sort of discrimination in the workplace?</h3>
There was a time when I was being given precious jobs by my line leader that were never given to men.
<h3>How was this dealt with and were you satisfied with the results?</h3>
I went to management to discuss this issue, and it was resolved.
<h3>Have you ever had a female mentor in the workplace, and how did it affect your career?</h3>
Yes I have. I was happier and got on better with her than my previous male managers. It was easier to speak to her about things, and I felt more comfortable going to her with problems I was facing, as I felt like she would be more understanding.
<h3>Can you share a positive experience from your career that has motivated you to keep moving forward?&nbsp;</h3>
Yes - I've been able to prove people wrong who thought I wasn't up to the job, and that feels great!
Paige has no formal engineering education and found her role through a family friend. She received two weeks of intense training, with written tests throughout to prove she understood the concepts. Her lack of engineering-specific education isn't surprising, considering the statistics around young girls and the subjects they study at school.
&nbsp;
<h3>STEM statistics for girls in secondary/further education</h3>
Nearly half of all girls would consider a job in engineering between the ages of 11-14, which is a really encouraging number. As they get older however, this number drops by 21% by the time they reach their A Levels. Comparably, boys have a similar drop-off rate, but the number is far higher to begin with, at around 70%. Only 25% of girls are still looking at a career in engineering at 16-18, even though the take-up of STEM GCSEs is similar between the two genders, and girls consistently outperform boys in STEM A Levels, including Maths, Further Maths, ICT, Technology and Design. Female engineering university students are also more likely to go on and get a First Class or Upper Second-Class degree, so what is happening between the ages of 14 and 16 to cause such a dramatic change of heart for these girls?&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h3>Female role models</h3>
Only around 17% of STEM lecturers in UK universities are female. To become a professor, it can take 8 years or more of higher education, so by the time women are 30, they may have just started their careers in teaching. This is of course the case for men as well, but if the women in question have chosen to take a career break in their 20s in order to have children, this can result in a further delay. When young women are researching higher education, and they don't feel represented, they're more likely to be reluctant to apply for the courses.
If young women make it through their education, and then go on to look for roles in the sector, when only 12% of the engineering workforce is female, they may feel they will be unsupported when they start work, and when you don't see people like you, it's easy to assume that you don't belong. Men can be just as understanding as women of course, but they simply don't understand some of the pressures and difficulties that women can face in the workplace. Faye Jackson, a consultant at Carbon60 who specialises in engineering roles said:&nbsp;
"The lack of female role models in engineering workplaces makes it really difficult for women to see themselves working these roles. It can feel daunting when you've got no-one who understands the specific problems you might be facing, and it's easy to feel unsupported, which makes women reluctant to forge a career in this sector."
With the figure of 12% echoing in our minds, it seems unlikely that women starting engineering roles will have a female role model to guide and support them in such a male-dominated environment.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h3>What is being done to change this?&nbsp;</h3>
Althought 12% is double what it was in 2013, there is still more to be done. UNESCO have launched a campaign called Cracking the Code: Girls' and women's education in STEM, which aims to understand the drivers behind this situation, and try to reverse the trends. There are several levels that need to be addressed in order to make changes, which can be seen below in their visual.
By UNESCO - Cracking the code: Girls&rsquo; and women&rsquo;s education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), CC BY-SA 3.0, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69472784">https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69472784</a>
By attending to each of these, it's believed that girls will be armed with everything they need to be able to have a successful career in STEM. It's important that girls are allowed to see their options from a young age, enabling them to visualise a future career in STEM, and that responsibility falls to parents in the early years, and teachers during time spent at school.
For more information, click <a href="https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000253479" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a> to read the full report by UNESCO.
To see the Royal Academy of Engineering's new #ThisIsEngineering image library, including the submission by Carbon60, click <a href="https://flickr.com/photos/thisisengineering/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.

Engineering is still a male dominated industry. However, the tides are turning and females are making more of a mark. Here we find out how. 

#ThisIsEngineering - What's it like to be a female engineer, and how can we increase their numbers?

With a 4.3% unemployment rate and the seemingly endless Brexit uncertainty, built environment employers are finding it harder than ever to hire good people. So what sets your job description apart from the rest?
Consider this the next time you're recruiting:
Personality goes a long way Show candidates what it&rsquo;s like to work with you! Give them an insight into your culture, your team, your vision and your future. When you sell a role based on your culture &ndash; not just remuneration &ndash; you will naturally attract people who fit into your business.
Look in a different ocean In a world where there are increasingly few specialists, don&rsquo;t be afraid to look outside your market. Innovation breeds innovation. After all, a person won&rsquo;t just bring experience and skills to the table &ndash; they&rsquo;ll bring passion and personality too. And they might even add a fresh perspective that encourages you to look at how you do things and understand how you can do them better. Hiring shouldn&rsquo;t necessarily be about finding the best &lsquo;candidate&rsquo;, it should be about finding the right person.
Make it genuine We see hundreds of job descriptions with the same words and phrases. Drop the &ldquo;must have good communication skills&rdquo; and &ldquo;must have basic Microsoft Office skills&rdquo;. Make it specific, and make it genuine. Explain why people need the criteria you desire, and try to make it as descriptive as possible. Remember, it&rsquo;s about putting your company above the rest.
If you would like to learn more about how to attract the best talent to your business please contact us on 0203 096 0484 or <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=C593811D489E43F2B14EF23F6B9A3FE2&amp;_z=z">contact us</a>.&nbsp;

Find out how you can tweak your construction job descriptions to help you attract the right people...

The rules of attraction

One of the fastest growing sectors in recent years has been Facilities Management. This hasn&rsquo;t just come about because of the post-2020 focus on having COVID secure buildings either. Even before that, the push towards a better and cleaner environment meant there was a big spotlight on the FM sector.
Ensuring that buildings have a reduced &ndash; or even neutral &ndash; impact on the environment has started to drive more and more business activity. This in turn has ramped up the opportunities for jobseekers to take on a role in Sustainable Facilities Management.
Like all growing sectors though, there&rsquo;s a lot of competition amongst candidates for the best jobs. So how can you give yourself the best opportunity to get noticed?
It all starts with the CV. In this blog, we&rsquo;ve rounded up some of the best advice from our various FM consultants, to help you put together a winning CV.
<h3>Provide a hook within the first five seconds</h3>
Recruiters and hiring managers look at CVs all day long &ndash; so you need to get their attention early. Think of this as a classic elevator pitch. If you only had 30 seconds to speak to your recruiter, what would you say that would make them want to continue the conversation with you?
Use this information to write a short and punchy summary before you list your previous roles. This doesn&rsquo;t need to be any more than a paragraph, but should immediately highlight your best attributes, the type of experience you have, and what you&rsquo;re looking for. Try to avoid too many buzzwords and jargon &ndash; the purpose of this section is to introduce yourself as a person and get the recruiter to read on.
<h3>Provide depth and insight</h3>
When we talk about selling yourself, the best way is to talk about key responsibilities and achievements for each role you&rsquo;ve held, rather than just the title and day-to-day tasks. Don&rsquo;t copy and paste your current job description as this won&rsquo;t have anything about what you&rsquo;ve achieved. Job descriptions are essentially HR documents, so they won&rsquo;t be a 100% match for what you do, and certainly not in any great detail.
It's good to ask yourself a checklist of questions and answer these on your CV. Two of the most important ones are:
What type of clients have you worked with? Being a Facilities Manager in a prison or hospital is very different to having the same role for a blue chip company, so this needs to be clear.
How big were the sites you worked on? This incorporates the actual size of the building, as well as the number of people in your team and the value of the contract. Providing as much of this information as you can gives the recruiter a better idea of your profile, and helps them match you up to a relevant company. For example, if you&rsquo;ve been managing a team of 5 for a contract worth &pound;500,000 a year, they won&rsquo;t put you forward to manage a team of 200 on a &pound;15m contract, as that won&rsquo;t suit your current experience.
Other questions to include when writing your CV are:
How much did you help reduce emissions by? How much did turnover increase by and/or costs reduce by? What other targets did you meet? Did you manage both direct staff and contractors? Were there any additional responsibilities you took on, or secondments you did?
Also show additional knowledge and skills you&rsquo;ve picked up. For example, have you got any safety certifications such as ones from the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), or Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH)? Perhaps you&rsquo;ve done specific Facilities Management courses from somewhere like the IWFM? Highlight these very clearly in a dedicated qualifications section &ndash; these are far more important than what you got for your GCSEs!
Finally, any experience you&rsquo;ve had with automation, or new tech/sustainable solutions, should also be emphasised. Many clients who are recruiting have modern buildings and sites, so this is a valuable bit of information for them.
Providing this depth and insight allows your recruiter to match you up with the best possible role and company. The last thing you want is to be sent for interviews at places where you feel there&rsquo;ll be a poor fit.
<h3>Keep it short and sweet</h3>
You can write the best CV in the world, but it won&rsquo;t matter if you can&rsquo;t hold people&rsquo;s attention. That&rsquo;s why being concise is key. Try to keep your CV at a maximum of two pages &ndash; while still providing the depth and insight mentioned earlier.
Make sure that all the roles you list are relevant. If you&rsquo;re going for a Senior Facilities Management role, your experience in a coffee shop when you were 18 isn&rsquo;t what you want your recruiter to focus on, so don&rsquo;t include it.
Also avoid talking about roles older than 7-10 years. While it might be tempting to include ones that are still relevant to Facilities Management, these won&rsquo;t provide the best picture of your strengths and abilities here and now. If you have space, you can potentially just list the job title, company name and dates worked. You can then add a line at the end saying that more information on previous roles is available on request.
<h3>Create some variations</h3>
While cover letters often need tailoring for each application, doing this for your CV can be quite time consuming. A good method is to create a few variations for the different types of jobs you expect to apply for. Adapt the skills, responsibilities and achievements so they&rsquo;re relevant to each one. Do this for around 3 different roles &ndash; however, make sure you read lots of job descriptions for these roles first. That way, you&rsquo;ll know exactly what they&rsquo;re looking for.
<h3>Sweat the small stuff</h3>
Don&rsquo;t forget some of the basics of writing your CV. Sometimes candidates get caught up in everything to do with selling themselves and forget these.
For example, always include your name, contact details (phone number and email address) and location. You don&rsquo;t need to include your full address here &ndash; just the town will do so the person reading has an idea of commute times for you to any vacancies they have. If you&rsquo;re looking to relocate, then include the city you are moving to.
Recruiters often need to copy and paste CVs into a specific template, so make things easy by sending it as a Word or Google document, rather than something complex such as a PDF. Avoid images and graphs as well &ndash; if there&rsquo;s really something visual which you want to draw attention to, then save it in a Dropbox or Google Drive folder and just provide the link to it. Even then, this type of thing is better left for the cover letter.
Naming is also an important yet underrated thing to think about. You&rsquo;ll probably have updated your CV on a regular basis (it&rsquo;s always useful to go back and check the whole document with fresh eyes for flow and cohesion). Plus, as mentioned earlier, it&rsquo;s good to have different versions for different types of jobs.
All this means that it&rsquo;s important you send the correct one for each application, so be careful with naming. Label each CV with your full name, the job title, the month and the year. For example, it could be: John Smith_Sustainability Lead_October 2022
Finally, try to avoid using too many abbreviations. While the recruiters you&rsquo;re sending your CV to are likely to be experts in the industry, some may not know what every abbreviation means. In fact, many abbreviations are specific to individual companies, so won&rsquo;t mean anything to the rest of the industry. Plus, having too many of these can be a sign of a rushed CV &ndash; and this isn&rsquo;t the impression you want to give.
&nbsp;
If you&rsquo;re on the lookout for a Sustainable Facilities Management role, congratulations! As mentioned at the very start of this blog, it&rsquo;s an exciting place to be. Hopefully these tips help you get your CV in the best shape &ndash; and at the top of a recruiter&rsquo;s list.&nbsp;

In this blog, we’ve rounded up some of the best advice from our various FM consultants, to help you put together a winning CV.

The Recruiters Rule Book: Crafting a quality CV for sustainable facilities management roles

There are a lot of things out of our control but a great way for us to help ourselves and our teams to look after our mental health is to focus on what we can control.
<h2>The Research</h2>
Sleep has long been a mystery to the scientific community, however we know that getting enough sleep is essential in maintaining good mental health. As part of #mentalhealthawarenessweek we want to explore how employers can support their employees to create better sleeping habits.
<a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Studies have shown</a> that 7-9 hours of sleep every night are needed to allow the body to restore and rejuvenate. Sleep is an essential part of the body's process of controlling our emotions by triggering the right hormones. Not getting enough sleep disrupts this process, which in the short term can cause mood swings and in the long term can increase the likelihood of mental health problems.
And in a world where people face a number of personal and professional challenges, there's an increased risk of negative thoughts and anxiety becoming overwhelming, leading to problems with sleep, and if someone has an existing sleep problem this can make things even worse. This close relationship between sleep and mental health can lead to a vicious cycle if either the initial sleep or mental health issue goes unaddressed.
A sleep-deprived workforce can be 57% less productive, 1/3 less alert, suffer from a lack of engagement and creativity, and decreased powers of decision-making and problem-solving. Working 70 hours a week might mean they get everything done, but is it worth it if they have to take time off for stress?
<h2>What can employers do to help employees create better sleep habits?</h2>
Pressure at work can be a big contributing factor to stress, worry &amp; anxiety, so it's part of an employer's responsibility to support their people to counteract this. Here are some simple things you can do to help your team:
<h2>Recognise the importance of sleep</h2>
<ul>
<li>Have open conversations about the importance of sleep with your employees, and make sure they know how important it is to you to provide support.</li>
<li>Ask if there's any help they need from you specifically.</li>
<li>Set up training sessions with tips on how to improve their sleep, including changing their routine, sleep environment &amp; lifestyle choices. Mentalhealth.org have some useful information, which can be found <a href="https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/how-sleep-better" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Managing workload</h2>
<ul>
<li>Make sure your employees don't have too much on their plates. This can be a difficult thing to admit for some people, so make it an open, positive conversation and set your expectations, so that no-one feels chastised for not feeling able to complete all the work they've been set.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Help them to prioritise their workload by explaining which projects or tasks are most important to you as a manager, and set aside ones that aren't, allowing them to free up some time in their schedule.</li>
<li>Once the burden of an excessive workload has been taken away, stress &amp; anxiety levels may decrease, making falling asleep easier.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Assess working hours</h2>
<ul>
<li>We've all had to get used to working in different ways in recent years, and lots of businesses have realised that although having people in the office together can result in a really positive working environment, they've been forced to see the benefits of working from home some of the time.</li>
<li>The lack of a commute means people get to spend more time at home, and maybe even more time asleep - although we're sure the parents among you would disagree!</li>
<li>A better work-life balance can give people more time to focus on personal relationships and hobbies, resulting in reduced levels of stress and anxiety, and a better night's sleep.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Set boundaries</h2>
<ul>
<li>If your employees are in a 9-5 role, encourage them to log off and shut down when they're supposed to. If they've got too much work to finish on time, then you need to refer back to&nbsp;managing their workload&nbsp;and make sure they haven't got too much on. Some people enjoy working longer than necessary, but it can have a detrimental effect on their mental health that they might not notice until it's too late.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Set an example and put an embargo on emails</h2>
<ul>
<li>If you're encouraging your employees to clock off on time and get a good night's sleep, then you should follow suit. Sending them emails late into the night that they don't see until the next morning can cause them to feel guilt that they're not putting in as many hours as you, which can be a source of stress.</li>
<li>If they won't see your emails until the next morning, then don't send them until then, to prevent any angst that they're missing out.</li>
<li>Although the welfare of your workforce is important, managers have to be fighting fit as well in order to lead a team, so think about how your own work-life balance is affected by your workload.</li>
</ul>
For more information on the relationship between sleep &amp; mental health, take a look at these resources:
<a href="https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/sleep-problems/sleep-problems/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/sleep-problems/sleep-problems/</a> <a href="https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/how-sleep-better" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/how-sleep-better</a> 
<a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/why-do-we-need-sleep" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/why-do-we-need-sleep</a>

Getting enough sleep is essential for maintaining good mental health, and we want to explore how employers can help their employees create better sleep habits.

The Importance of Sleep for Good Mental Health

As we strive to make the world a more diverse and inclusive place for all, workplace inclusivity is of huge importance. Afterall, many people spend more time at work than they do anywhere else, so the experiences of working life have the power to positively or negatively impact employee performance and, most importantly, their mental health, happiness and life in general.
With this in mind, join us as we investigate how inclusive workplaces have been, and currently are, for LGBTQ+ people; the power of ensuring your workplace is LGBTQ+ inclusive; and top tips for ensuring a working environment is as inclusive for all as it can be. &nbsp;
<h2>Unlocking Potential: The Power of Making Workplaces LGBTQ+ Inclusive</h2>
It should go without saying that a more diverse, inclusive workplace (and workforce) is likely going to be a stronger, more skilled and experienced, and more productive. And, most importantly, people will feel like they are able to be &ndash; and blossom as &ndash; their most authentic selves, working in friendlier, happier, and more welcoming places to be.
However, with some organisations still behind the inclusivity curve, it is important to continue to promote the potential and power of making workplaces LGBTQ+ inclusive, and there are no better ways to promote it than through sharing the experiences of LGBTQ+ employees.
Below are just a few of the benefits of an LGBTQ+ inclusive workplace, <a href="https://www.stonewall.org.uk/about-us/news/8-lgbtq-people-describe-power-workplace-inclusion">according to a blog from Stonewall, who asked 8 LGBTQ+ people for their first-hand opinions and experiences</a>:
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Great HR teams and procedures help employees inside and outside work
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Healthier working cultures make for more confident employees
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Employees can discover and celebrate their authentic selves
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Championing LGBTQ+ inclusion from the top down dramatically changes employees&rsquo; experiences
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Embedding LGBTQ+ inclusion transforms the entire culture of an organisation
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; LGBTQ+ employees bring unique perspectives across your work
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; LGBTQ+ inclusion means attracting and retaining excellent staff
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Inclusive workplaces give hope to isolated LGBTQ+ people
<h2>How LGBTQ+ Inclusive are Workplaces Currently?</h2>
Various pieces of research and articles offering insights into LGBTQ+ workplace inclusivity suggest that, whilst many employers are taking action to ensure the environment for their people is diverse and inclusive for all, there is still plenty of work to be done, with many LGBTQ+ workers citing negative bias and experiences, including &ndash; in the worst cases &ndash; discrimination, harassment and bullying.
Examples:
-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://www.tuc.org.uk/research-analysis/reports/being-lgbt-work">The TUC&rsquo;s &lsquo;Being LGBT+ at Work&rsquo; study from June 2023</a> found that, whilst people have seen progress, &ldquo;homophobia and biphobia are by no means extinct in the workplace&rdquo;. Many respondents described, for example, &ldquo;discriminatory and bullying experiences such as being outed by colleagues or being persistently misgendered&rdquo;; and that workplace culture is &ldquo;slower to improve&rdquo; than workplace policies. It was also found that trans and non-binary stuff faced the most workplaces challenges, with progress of trans inclusion going backwards.
-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/issues/work/content/lgbt-at-work.html">Deloitte&rsquo;s Global 2023 LGBT+ Inclusion @ Work report</a> also found evidence of the challenges LGBTQ+ workers experience in the workplace, both directly and indirectly. It found that whilst six out of 10 respondents &ldquo;believe it is important to be able to be out at work about their sexual orientation&rdquo;, less than half felt comfortable being out with everyone in their workplace, and that a third of them would only be out with select colleagues. Many worried about being treated differently if they were out in their workplace, even citing fears for their personal safety.
-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Meanwhile, the <a href="https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/reports/inclusion-perspectives-lgbt/">CIPD Inclusion at work: perspectives on LGBT+ working lives</a> research found that &ldquo;Forty percent of LGB+ workers and 55% of trans workers have experienced such conflict, compared with 29% of heterosexual, cisgender employees. In addition, a higher proportion of LGB+ workers (16%) feel psychologically unsafe in the workplace compared with heterosexual workers (10%), while for trans workers, this figure is even higher at 18%.&rdquo;
<h2>Top Tips for Creating a LGBTQ+ Inclusive Workplace</h2>
As previously mentioned, and as supported by some of the research and experiences discussed above, many employers and organisations have made, or are in the process of making, their workplace inclusive for all.
But they can&rsquo;t rest on their laurels. And those companies which are still lagging must be prepared and ready to make a change.
That&rsquo;s why expert guidance, advice and support is essential, and why tips and suggestions such as <a href="https://www.stonewall.org.uk/about-us/news/top-10-tips-lgbt-inclusion-workplace">Stonewall&rsquo;s Tips for LGBT Inclusion in the Workplace</a>, as listed below, are so important to not only learn about, but implement too. &nbsp;
1. Ensure that your policies are fully inclusive of LGBT people
2. Get people involved across your organisation
3. Reward those involved in your LGBT network group
4. Decide upon a clear strategy and tactics
5. Engage staff members who don&rsquo;t identify as LGBT
6. Ensure senior support
7. Speak to your staff
8. Understand your staff
9. Celebrate your successes

The workplace should be a diverse and inclusive environment for all; somewhere where every employee can feel safe, accepted, can perform to their very best, and always be their true, most authentic self. 

The Importance of LGBTQ+ Inclusive Workplaces

The UK may be a small country, but it&rsquo;s never been short of big ideas. Just look at our history. We&rsquo;ve repeatedly innovated, invested, and invented to improve the way we work and meet our goals. Long before official recruitment partners existed, employers were looking further afield to find talent that could help make their dreams a reality. 
In the first industrial revolution, it was mainly Irish workers (known as &lsquo;navvies&rsquo; &ndash; short for &lsquo;navigators&rsquo;) who helped to build our canals and railways. The second industrial revolution, involving the rapid growth of Britain&rsquo;s factories, also brought in migrant workforces to support. And it was Irish nationals once again who made up a large percentage of the labour responsible for constructing the UK&rsquo;s major motorways in the 1950s. Fast forward to the more recent evolution of IT and technology and we continue to witness huge shifts in the world of work. Our businesses are online - remote working is not only possible but conventional &ndash; and social media and video calls are part of everyday life. Not to mention the technological advances in big data, machinery and equipment that make our workplaces more productive, efficient, and often safer. 
But did you know we&rsquo;re about to see the next big shift in the way we work? It&rsquo;s time to prepare for the Green Industrial Revolution. But unlike historical developments, this is the first revolution of its kind that has the potential to be truly global. Change is required from first and third-world countries equally, and could result in skills and services levelling out like never before. For recruitment, could this mean a revolution that actually slows skills migration and adds to already challenging skills shortages?
<h2>What is the green industrial revolution?</h2>
Now a top priority for government and private sector companies alike, the Green Industrial Revolution is set to change the face of how we work for good. The Green Industrial Revolution is designed to slow down and/or reverse global climate change, with the government committing to invest &pound;12bn to create and support up to 250,000 green jobs. They&rsquo;ve cited that this period of recovery following COVID-19 provides the UK with an opportunity to &ldquo;build back better and invest in making the UK a global leader in green technologies.&rdquo;
The government&rsquo;s ten-point plan includes:
<ul>
<li>Advancing offshore wind </li>
<li>Driving the growth of low-carbon hydrogen</li>
<li>Delivering new and advanced nuclear power </li>
<li>Accelerating the shift to zero-emission vehicles </li>
<li>Green public transport, cycling and walking </li>
<li>&lsquo;Jet zero&rsquo; and green ships</li>
<li>Greener buildings</li>
<li>Investing in carbon capture, usage, and storage </li>
<li>Protecting our natural environment</li>
<li>Green finance and innovation</li>
</ul>
<h2>The effect of the green industrial revolution on our sectors</h2>
But what does the Green Industrial Revolution mean for Carbon60 and our clients? 
Immersed in our specialist areas &ndash;<a href="~/link.aspx?_id=2670D41778E74B48B9D4696088017EE8&amp;_z=z"> aerospace &amp; defence</a>; <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=0481B8B12DF34C1A8620ECA2163DEF13&amp;_z=z">building, construction &amp; infrastructure;</a>&nbsp;<a href="~/link.aspx?_id=68D1FB64687643F787DFD1986A595CC0&amp;_z=z">manufacturing &amp; technologies</a>; <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=BBAF32C0196449289D70758EBDDA63FD&amp;_z=z">energy &amp; renewables</a> &ndash; we&rsquo;ve been considering the effects the green industrial revolution may have on each. 
For aerospace and defence, we&rsquo;ll likely see the sector looking at improvements in fuel efficiency, energy consumption and the investment and development of alternative non-fossil-based combustion fuels. In building and construction, the spotlight will be on things like insulation improvements and energy efficient heating and cooling systems. Demand for modular construction will almost certainly increase too. 
And in manufacturing, we&rsquo;re expecting to see proactive steps towards waste reduction, automation, and a rise in sustainable materials.&nbsp;But while this latest revolution will undoubtedly alter the future work across all our sectors, it&rsquo;s energy &amp; renewables that will be affected the most. 
The energy sector has been under pressure to reduce its carbon emissions for some time &ndash; long before the government&rsquo;s most recent plans. And in response, many traditional oil and gas companies are now switching their focus&nbsp;to greener, cleaner energy and renewable investments. Where diversifying into more environmental forms of energy generation (such as hydropower, biomass, geothermal, wind and solar energy) simply isn&rsquo;t viable, businesses are implementing alternative innovative solutions to lower their carbon footprint. 
Like other industries, energy giants are streamlining processes and improving efficiencies. But they&rsquo;re also recycling water and used oil in their operations and are working to reduce methane emissions using the latest tech. Technology is also helping oil and gas specialists to measure and monitor their outputs, providing them with insight for making safer, more sustainable business decisions.
At Carbon60, we have a specific interest in renewables. As well as hydrogen, biomass and energy from waste being a current focus, solar energy is fast becoming increasingly popular in the UK. With household names like Amazon investing heavily in solar energy to power their distribution centres, we&rsquo;re excited to support our client&rsquo;s growth in this budding area. As we move into a new era of greener, cleaner working, we&rsquo;re keen to achieve our own goal of helping to engineer a more sustainable future for us all.
<h2>The future of recruitment</h2>
In the recruitment world, the knock-on effect will be an increase in greener jobs,&nbsp;particularly those in solar power. With research and development in progress for a solar power plant in space, the possibilities are clearly limitless!
We&rsquo;re also anticipating a shift in the way people work. Remote and flexible options aren&rsquo;t going away any time soon; in fact, we envisage them increasing. Where people do travel to work, expect to see a surge in the use of public transport, alongside a decline in business travel.&nbsp;The use of suppliers is also likely to move towards local and/or more ethical, environmentally-sound companies.
 It&rsquo;s these kinds of trends that are currently shaping the ever-evolving world of recruitment. To support our clients, we&rsquo;re building teams of specialist green recruiters and are using our skills and reach in more traditional engineering markets to identify workforces with skills that can migrate into the emerging green engineering sectors. 
Internally, Impellam, our parent company, has already moved to green energy and we&rsquo;re encouraging our company car drivers to select electric vehicles through salary-sacrifice lease schemes.&nbsp;Are you ready for the Green Industrial Revolution? Changes are coming, and companies need to be prepared. While it may mean some rethinking and adjustment, the outcomes will benefit us, and our planet, long-term.
&nbsp;
We&rsquo;re excited and ready to assist employers as they invest in workforce skills that align with the aims of the Green Industrial Revolution.
&nbsp;

The green industrial revolution is the first of its kind that has the potential to be truly global. But how will this affect the future of engineering?

The Green Industrial Revolution: How will it affect our sectors?

Energy is at the forefront of Earth&rsquo;s climate system, with the ultimate message being clear; to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, we must invest in renewable energy.
As we grasp the ongoing need to combat climate change and reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, the future lies in renewable energy.
Renewable energy resources today make up 26% of the world&rsquo;s electricity, which is expected to reach 30% by 2024 according to The International Energy Agency (IEA). Renewable energy sources such as solar, hydro, wind and geothermal power are remapping the energy landscape as we see it, with a promising trajectory to renewable energy plans.
The transition from fossil fuels is a challenge which requires materials, systems, and devices efficient for harvesting, conversion, and management of energy, with many researchers investing in machine learning to advance their efforts further. Below are just a few of the many renewable energy sources we will see improving over the next decade.
<h4>Solar Energy </h4>
Experiencing exponential growth in recent years, solar energy is set to become the largest source of electricity generation by 2050, according to the IEA. With solar energy systems exhibiting lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduced pollution release, it is also reported to become 35% cheaper by 2024, this, coupled with the increase in the efficiency of solar energy, is powering the solar revolution, allowing this energy source to eventually surpass coal and natural gas. 
<h4>Wind Power</h4>
Another key player in the future of renewables is wind power, with both onshore and offshore wind energy projects expected to increase. Ambitious projects are planned for the UK and US, with onshore wind energy capacity increasing by 57% in 2024 and offshore wind capacity to grow to 234 GW by 2030, according to the GWEC, significantly contributing to clean energy goals. 
<h4>Hydroelectric Power</h4>
Water-generated power remains to be a reliable and sustainable method of sourcing energy. It is estimated that the global installed hydropower capacity reached 1,308 GW in 2020 reported by The International Hydropower Association (IHA), which is expected to rise a further 9% by 2024. With innovative technologies like pumped storage hydroelectricity emerging, hydropower is an essential part of the renewable energy future. 
<h4>Geothermal energy </h4>
Derived from the Earth&rsquo;s heat, geothermal energy is a source of energy often underestimated. It is reported that geothermal capacity is expected to grow to 18 GW by 2030 as stated by The Geothermal Energy Association (GEA), with an increase of 28% by 2024, with binary cycle power plants and enhanced geothermal systems being among the emerging technologies which predict to unlock this power sources full potential. 
<h4>Green Hydrogen </h4>
Another renewable energy source contributing to the reach of net zero by 2050 is green hydrogen. Green hydrogen is a clean and viable solution to renewable energy, which recently doubled national targets for low carbon hydrogen production capacity to 10 GW by 2030. 
The challenges we face with green hydrogen production are finding new technologies to meet large-scale projects. This industry has many major energy providers and distributors looking into green hydrogen to back their efforts in natural gas production over oil and coal. 
<h4>Battery Energy Storage Systems</h4>
One last solution to note is battery energy storage systems (BESS), which are playing an increasingly important role in the energy crisis. BESS can optimise wind and solar generation while also enhancing the grid&rsquo;s capacity to deal with energy surges in peak demand. In Ireland, Fluence and Statkraft have partnered on the market&rsquo;s first 4-hour battery energy storage system.
The future of renewable energy is promising, with hydroelectric, geothermal, solar, BESS, green hydrogen and wind energy technologies sitting at the forefront of the energy revolution. The transformation to a more renewably driven world is in sight, with a more sustainable future for our planet. 
If you are thinking of a career in renewable energy, we are proud to specialise in this area. You can find all energy and renewable jobs <a href="https://www.carbon60global.com/jobs">here</a>. 
Sources:
Energy Policy &amp; Economics Solutions &ldquo;What the Future of Renewable Energy Looks Like&rdquo;
Energy Storage News &ldquo;Fluence and Statkraft to build Ireland&rsquo;s first 4-hour BESS&rdquo;
Global Wind Energy Council &ldquo;Global Wind Report 2021&rdquo;
Geothermal Energy Association &ldquo;2020 Annual US and Global Geothermal Power Production Report&rdquo;
Open Access Government &ldquo;Why green hydrogen energy is more in focus now than ever before&rdquo;
International Energy Agency &ldquo;World Energy Outlook 2020&rdquo;
International Hydropower Association &ldquo;2020 Hydropower Status Report&rdquo;
Interesting Engineering &ldquo;From rays to watts: The ultimate guide to solar energy&rdquo;
&nbsp;

Energy is at the forefront of Earth’s climate system, with the ultimate message being clear; to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, we must invest in renewable energy.

The Future of Renewable Energy

2018 is the Year of Engineering in the UK. There are numerous campaigns running this year that aim to promote diversity within the broader engineering sector, and which celebrate initiatives that support industry changes to demographical imbalances. Such campaigns aim to ensure construction industry work forces mirror the communities for whom they develop, construct and maintain societal infrastructure.&nbsp;
The benefits of a diverse and inclusive workforce are extensive, and the scale of skill shortages in the industry is a well-known, ongoing challenge. Sobering statistics such as those in a <a href="https://www.arcadis.com/media/3/B/0/%7B3B0EED0D-0F16-4414-9540-F3C51A0AE199%7D9784_Talent%20Scale%20180817.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2017 report from Arcadis</a>&nbsp;indicate that the industry needs to recruit one construction worker every 77 seconds to meet 2021 project demand.
One of the fundamental problems with truly making changes is looking at how - and from where - the industry recruits. STEM and apprentice initiatives are being encouraged within the industry, but these initiatives are strong leadership solutions for a future generation.
The race and desire post-recession to rebuild capability, to second into clients ahead of competitors - to fill vacancies quickly in tight market conditions &ndash; have contributed to an industry tendency to search for individuals from within ever-decreasing talent pools. There is a risk that these recruitment practices could hold back the diversity agenda.
According to findings from the 2017 RICS All Party Parliamentary Group for Excellence in the Built Environment, &lsquo;only 13% of chartered surveyors and 28% of trainees are women and across the whole of the construction sector, employing over 2.5 million people, women comprise just 11%.&rsquo; It is inevitable then that if we only consider individuals with construction-specific industry experience, it won&rsquo;t be possible to make significant changes to that demographic in the short term.
If we are going to truly look at diversity, we need to look more broadly than just protected characteristics and look at diversity of culture, perception, skills, and experience. We need to look at potential, transferable skills, and the ability to adapt. As well as valuable career returner&rsquo;s initiatives, we need to promote the benefits of the industry to other sectors as part of a career changer initiative.
If we are going to address short term skill shortages, we need to start to think bigger and broader. We need to consider where else we can find people who have the stakeholder skills, entrepreneurial ability, drive to deliver, to innovate and adapt. After all, technical ability can be trained, or directed by those who&rsquo;ve already learned to think strategically, understand the needs of clients, lead and innovate in other industries. LEAN construction methodologies are a good example of where the industry has benefited by looking at how things are done elsewhere.
We&rsquo;re currently talking to industry associations and leaders to understand how we can evolve the landscape. If you want to be part of the discussion contact <a href="mailto:ian.potter@carbon60global.com?subject=Drive%20for%20Diversity">ian.potter@carbon60global.com</a>&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Promotion of diversity within the construction industry will help address critical skills gaps.

The Drive for Diversity in Construction

For a STEM industry, engineering and construction (E&amp;C) is surprisingly tech shy. McKinsey Global Institute&rsquo;s Industry Digitization Index once named <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/decoding-digital-transformation-in-construction">E&amp;C as one of the least digitized industries globally</a>. And more recently, <a href="http://constructioncloud.autodesk.com/rs/572-JSV-775/images/Autodesk-IDC-Digital%20Transformation_The-Future-of-Connected-Construction.pdf">research from IDC and Autodesk</a> found that just 13% of construction businesses were striding ahead in their digital transformation journeys &ndash; despite 72% citing digitization as a key strategic priority.
Yet the potential for digital in the E&amp;C sector is significant, not least because some of the most pressing issues worldwide rely on this intersection &ndash; such as the development of smart cities and faster construction to house a growing population, the threat of climate change and the role of sustainable development, and the rise of cyberwarfare over the last decade.
At an industry level, digitisation also promises to improve project efficiency, management, costs, and planning &ndash; according to McKinsey, <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/decoding-digital-transformation-in-construction">digital transformation in the E&amp;C sector could improve productivity by 14-15% and reduce costs by 4-6%</a>. With rising demands for construction projects (<a href="https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/data/industry-hails-jump-in-construction-workloads-14-01-2022/">workloads in the UK rose by 3.5% between October and November 2021</a>), compounded by a tough market (<a href="https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/contractors/mace/mace-hikes-tender-price-inflation-forecast-for-2022-again-11-01-2022/">Mace Consulting has recently predicted a 4.5% tender price hike in 2022 due to material and labour shortages</a>), this is no small thing.
The industry can&rsquo;t deny the inevitable for much longer. But to digitise the sector, first we must ramp up our data capability. Here&rsquo;s my view on how data could reinvent the E&amp;C industry.
&nbsp;
<h3>Collaboration and co-ordination</h3>
One of the biggest sticking points in E&amp;C is communication. E&amp;C projects are traditionally made up of different contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers. Moreover, each project can vary significantly, making it difficult to ever establish consistent tools, methodologies, or ways of working. These independent moving parts make it all too easy for anomalies to slip through the cracks, impacting project timelines and budget. Part of this boils down to a lack of integration &ndash; <a href="https://assets.kpmg/content/dam/kpmg/xx/pdf/2021/08/global-construction-survey1.pdf">60% of E&amp;C companies acknowledge they need to increase integration and visibility across risk functions</a>.
Another challenge facing the industry is accessibility and visibility of data<a href="https://www.forconstructionpros.com/business/press-release/21031884/fmi-corp-study-95-of-all-data-captured-goes-unused-in-the-ec-industry">. Almost 96% of data captured is not put to proper use in the E&amp;C industry</a>. This lack of available information then bleeds into onsite experience &ndash; according to a 2018 report by FMI <a href="https://www.forconstructionpros.com/business/press-release/21031884/fmi-corp-study-95-of-all-data-captured-goes-unused-in-the-ec-industry">constructions teams spend 13% of their time looking for project data and information</a>, meanwhile an ACG survey found that <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/nl/Documents/energy-resources/deloitte-nl-eri-2022-industry-outlook-engineering%20and%20construction.pdf">75% of E&amp;C firms experienced project delays due to longer lead times and market shortages</a> &ndash; suggesting the industry struggled to make accurate predictions on the market. This becomes even more concerning in secure environments like defence - <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/data-strategy-for-defence/data-strategy-for-defence">a recent policy paper on data strategy in the UK&rsquo;s defence industry</a> found that only a quarter of systems had data that was easy to access.
Naturally, there is an opportunity here for digital to join the dots and help the industry move from guesswork to insight-led decision making. Artificial intelligence and machine learning models are invaluable for unpicking historic data to anticipate future trends and needs, such as predicting market-wide resource or material shortages, identifying alternative solutions (and their likelihood of working), and identifying risks and process blockers. Digital supply networks (DSNs) can also use data (e.g. blockchain) to monitor materials through the supply chain and link up communications between different parties, meanwhile augmented reality (AR) can help E&amp;C companies demonstrate the finished environment, ensuring that everyone is kept on the same page.
&nbsp;
<h3>Prediction and patterns</h3>
When data is used to its full potential, we can understand trends and forecast to a scarily accurate degree. Part of this power comes through the Internet of Things (IoT) &ndash; a network of interconnected devices that capture and exchange information about the environment around them (a smart home is a great example of IoT in action).
Within construction, IoT can help us make predictions about future trends (such as energy consumption and growth of renewables by analysing consumer data), to improve communication within projects through real-time data across different sites (such as within logistics and fleet management), and for site maintenance. For example, we can anticipate machine failure before it happens by using IoT sensors to monitor real-time conditions and by using machine learning to interpret these readings against failure trends. The machine can therefore be removed, repaired, or replaced before it impacts the project. This information can then be relayed to everyone onsite using IoT-enabled smart devices, like mobile phones. In part one we saw one example of how using cutting-edge technology like drones and digital twins could take IoT to the extreme.
Another example of how IoT and data can enable predictive engineering is in urban planning. IoT can analyse a city&rsquo;s traffic &ndash; such as population size and footfall in different regions, popular commuter times, and congestion areas &ndash; using technology like contactless travel and mobile data, in order to pinpoint areas for streamlining (such as requiring additional transport routes in high-traffic areas). This can then also feed into technology like autonomous vehicles (which themselves are data based), to improve the efficiency, quality, and environmental impact of the cities we live in.
&nbsp;
<h3>Workforce reskilling and automation</h3>
Rising demand &ndash; <a href="https://www2.staffingindustry.com/eng/Editorial/Daily-News/UK-Job-vacancies-in-real-estate-and-construction-reach-record-highs-60543">job vacancies in the UK&rsquo;s real estate and construction markets rose by 107% year-on-year in 2021, an all-time high</a> &ndash; and a growing need for a more highly skilled, technical workforce, is causing a severe talent shortage in the E&amp;C sector.
To meet this growing need, businesses will need to recruit and reboot digital skills internally &ndash; potentially even working with specialist suppliers (like Carbon60 and Lorien) to acquire the best talent. But digitisation can also help resource challenges too. Whether that&rsquo;s using AI and machine learning to accurately resource plan and ensure the right skills are mapped to the right projects, or using technology such as automation or drones to remove some of the more repetitive, manual, or dangerous elements of work in E&amp;C. For example, a robotic arm that can perform bricklaying or a digital twin that can precisely simulate the conditions in high-rise buildings, free up people that can be upskilled into more technical roles.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h3>Final word</h3>
E&amp;C has recovered phenomenally well from the chaos of the last two years. But E&amp;C now requires a cultural shift to harness digital and accelerate into this demand. Cutting-edge technology doesn&rsquo;t always land, especially where there is a lack of project consistency and an unfamiliarity with tech potential. Locating common pain points (both across projects and teams), identifying test cases, and focusing on upskilling the workforce to pivot from transactional activity to end-to-end, iterative, and agile working, will all ease digital adoption. In establishing this digital mindset, HR has a core role to play by helping E&amp;C companies upskill their people, recentre their workforce and improve communication and collaboration between once disparate functions. If you would like to talk to me about how to hire the best people into your business to support your strategy, you can get in touch with me <a href="https://www.carbon60global.com/contact-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Are you interested in learning more about data trends and how they could impact your business this year? Download our sister company Lorien&rsquo;s free whitepaper <a href="https://www.lorienglobal.com/insights/data-domination">Data Domination: the data trends transforming your business in 2022 and what HR and talent acquisition need to know about them</a> to get an inside perspective on one of the most significant tech trends for this year.
&nbsp;

A look into the use of data in engineering and construction.

The data imperative in engineering and construction, by Paul Nolan, Managing Director at Carbon60

There&rsquo;s a misconception in the developed world that slavery is a thing of the past. Ironically, it&rsquo;s perhaps due to that misconception that the archaic exploitation of construction workers has silently been allowed to prosper within the industry&rsquo;s direct business operations and supply chains.
The International Labour Organisation estimates that there are 21 million people in forced labour around the world, generating a staggering $150 billion profit in the private economy. 13,000 modern slaves are currently employed in the UK. Alarmingly, many of the businesses perpetuating and profiting from this practice don&rsquo;t even know it&rsquo;s happening. Forced labour is hidden in plain sight. Forced labour is the silent threat of the construction industry.
Since the introduction of the Modern Slavery Act in 2015, slavery in global supply chains has become an increasing concern for the UK construction industry. The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) recently mounted a joint operation with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) targeting construction sites across London. In view of the rise in detected cases of forced labour in the UK, Prime Minister Theresa May pledged last July to spend &pound;33 million on tackling modern slavery.
Legislation and enforcement represent a start. But like all hidden threats, the problem needs to be fought from within. So what can you do to identify and prevent these practices within your organisation?
<ul>
<li>Ask where your labour is coming from. Audit your supply chain and ensure all your suppliers are working within the law.</li>
<li>Look out for unusual practices. If payment for a number of workers is going into a single account or workers are being dropped off and collected at the same time, the chances are that something isn&rsquo;t right.</li>
<li>Find out what your suppliers are doing to monitor and manage this issue. This not only keeps you in line with the law but also helps to shut off supply avenues for exploitative individuals.</li>
<li>Ensure you have flags in place to raise awareness of illegal activity and the action employees should take if they see anything suspicious.</li>
</ul>
At Carbon60, we feel the industry can do a lot more to tackle this issue. By highlighting the risks involved and raising awareness among your employees and suppliers, you can help to direct the industry&rsquo;s gaze to illegal practices that are happening right under its nose.
&nbsp;
We carry out relevant background checks on all our candidates to validate their identity, their legality and their skills. If you&rsquo;d like to talk to us about bringing in the right people for your business, please get in touch.
&nbsp;
You can find more information on forced labour, illegal trafficking and other forms of third party exploitation from the <a href="http://www.ciob.org">Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)</a> and Stronger Together.

13k modern slaves are currently employed in the UK. Forced labour is hidden in plain sight. Forced labour is the silent threat of the construction industry.

The danger within: facing up to forced labour in the UK construction industry

Testing Graduates

The benefits of a strong employer brand are well-known. Statistics show that 96% of companies believe your employer brand can positively or negatively impact revenue. From increasing productivity and staff morale, to improving retention rates and attracting even more great talent, there are huge advantages for businesses to get it right.
According to Glassdoor, 75% of active job seekers are likely to apply to a job if the employer actively works on its employer brand. Google, Greggs, HubSpot, John Lewis and Capital One have been cited as some of the top brands to work for. So how can you follow in the footsteps of these star employers?
For many organisations, employer brand falls short when it comes to authenticity. The challenge is creating an employer brand that&rsquo;s a true reflection of your company values and that supports your objectives. Businesses doing this best have a joined-up approach that resonates throughout everything they do. They don&rsquo;t only say they&rsquo;re great places to work &ndash; they demonstrate it daily. And they use an authentic employer brand to propel their success.
<h2>Sustainability - The New Agenda</h2>
So, what exactly are candidates looking for in an employer? While things like salary and holiday allowances have traditionally been important (and are still bound to bear influence), in recent years work/life balance and flexible/remote working options have become just as pressing deciding factors for candidates.&nbsp;
But according to data gathered by Employer Brand specialists, Link Humans, there&rsquo;s a new consideration for companies looking to attract candidates. They found that ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) was the second highest mentioned attribute of an attractive employer brand. And interestingly remuneration sat at the bottom of the 16 listed features.
These findings are perhaps no surprise given that sustainability is a growing concern for many businesses now. As more and more of us accept increased responsibility for lowering our environmental impact at home, it&rsquo;s only natural that companies are being expected to take steps to become more sustainable too. At Carbon60, we&rsquo;re actively working to reach our own sustainability goals. We&rsquo;re setting up verticals specifically for greener roles and are looking at where existing skills can be transferred to more sustainable specialisms. Our wider Impellam Group has already moved to renewable energy and we are working to encourage company car owners to opt for EVs.
From recycling and reducing waste to using less power or switching to greener energy sources &ndash; these are things that can be implemented by households and corporates alike. But when it comes to businesses looking to expand, carrying out sustainable activities is no longer enough. Companies need to be visibly taking accountability for reducing their carbon footprint and improving the environment we live in.
Why? Well, not only is it the right thing to do for our planet, but it&rsquo;s also now a key factor for talent on the lookout for their next position. Younger generations are now starting to choose an employer based on their sustainability credentials.
It&rsquo;s a growing priority for all of us as we rebuild and reshape our economy in the wake of COVID-19.
<h2>Top tips on creating a sustainable brand</h2>
Get everyone on board - Particularly senior management. Any change in strategy must come from the top and be embraced by your company as a whole.
Conduct an audit - Look at how green your business is already and where changes could be made to improve.
Educate your people - Lay out what&rsquo;s expected of employees to help you achieve your ESG objectives. Explain why people need to pull together to make a difference. Look at what activities you can implement to become more environmentally friendly.
Rewrite job ads - Remember how important sustainability is to today&rsquo;s candidates. Be sure to include your commitment on adverts and other communications.
Shout about it - Partner with your marketing team to promote the great work you&rsquo;re doing to be more sustainable. There&rsquo;s no point keeping it under wraps!
Revisit your values - Plus, your vision, mission, and purpose. They need to align with your sustainability goals. Remember authenticity is key.
Follow it through - Don&rsquo;t forget sustainability in all you do. From your hiring and onboarding process to daily BAU &ndash; for sustainability to be ingrained in your business, it has to underpin every department, each activity, and your entire strategy.&nbsp;In our experience, candidates are now willing to accept lower salaries to work for sustainable companies. In my career as a recruiter, I have had people approach me on LinkedIn from outside of the industry to say they are looking for a future-proof career and want to work with a sustainable employer. By showing how we are achieving this, we can attract talent away from competitors and from other sectors.
Further evidence of the importance of crafting an employer brand that&rsquo;s sustainability-focused is TotalJobs&rsquo; 2019 survey. It found that millennials would be willing to take a pay cut of up to &pound;11,400 to work for a company working to help the environment. According to the report, Generation X and Baby Boomers would also accept a pay reduction for the same reason.
 For advice on building your employer brand, why not <a href="../../../../../../contact-us">get in touch</a> today to find out how we can support you.

Find out our tips on how to look at your sustainability credentials and using them for your employer brand

Sustainability credentials and your employer brand

There&rsquo;s no better way to launch our Spotlight series than with our Managing Director Paul Nolan, bringing over 26 years of experience within the recruitment and engineering space. It was a pleasure to be able to have this chat with Paul and learn more about the two sectors. So, we headed straight in&hellip;
<h3>What are your thoughts on the evolution of the recruitment industry?</h3>
I have been in the recruitment industry now for 26 years and during that time, the industry and sector has changed massively. I think it's fair to say that when I started it was a little bit like the Wild West, it wasn't regulated in any way.
Temporary workers didn't have anywhere near the same rights as they do now, so if I think about some of the fundamental changes over that period, national minimum wage was one of them, and the AWR requirements in terms of ensuring that temporary workers are paid the same as their full-time equivalents. We&rsquo;ve also had the introduction of pension for temporary workers and the whole recruitment industry has become a lot more regulated and really serves now as a vital part of the economy in terms of how I see it moving forwards.
Early technology has played a massive part in a way that the recruitment industry has changed, and I think that will continue to play a part in terms of automating some of our interactions with both our candidate base and our client base.
<h3>Where do you see the future of engineering going?</h3>
Engineering principally is the art of solving a problem. And engineering specifically has got a huge task ahead of it in combating what is probably the biggest worldwide crisis, which is climate change and that's broadly a result of the massive amount of CO2 that we pump into the atmosphere.
I think the airline industry will be a part of some of the big projects that will be worked on from an engineering basis and reducing the amount of fossil fuels that airlines use.
Clearly, the production of electricity through power stations is another one. We're seeing a massive evolution within the UK in terms of moving towards renewable energy.
So, I think in 2022 (if the statistics prove me right), there are a couple of days where we got up to well over 50% of our power being produced by renewable energy across the UK but that's clearly not the case on a global scale.
I also think that there will be a lot of engineering focus across the globe in terms of reengineering the way that countries produce power. I think transport, infrastructure and housing stock are all big engineering problems that people need to find solutions from for how we move around, how we live, how we insulate our houses, how we provide effective low emission transport both for public and obviously for the haulage industry itself, which still relies on big diesel engines chunking stuff up and down the motorways.
Overall, the problem is climate change and underneath that there are a number of siloed engineering projects that will need to be undertaken to support the global aim.
<h3>Would you say engineering is one of the fastest growing sectors right now?</h3>
It is, probably for that very reason. Engineering has transformed itself as 50 years ago it was a dirty business - tools, factories and oil.
Now obviously most of the engineering takes place behind a desk in terms of a laptop and a very cheap piece of software. And so, I think it's becoming more attractive for school leavers, and we have to continue to drive new talent into the engineering sector.
<h3>What advice would you give to someone starting out in the recruitment industry?</h3>
My advice for somebody starting in the recruitment industry is firstly to be to be patient, recruitment is a craft, and it takes some time to develop that craft.
However, it is still one of the few industry sectors in the country that you can enter with no formal qualification and potentially over time, if you learn your craft well, earn as much as a doctor or lawyer.
It&rsquo;s unique in that sector, so patience and listening is key. I was taught at a very early part of my recruitment career to listen twice as much as you speak. I think that's still serves anybody well entering the industry and doing the little things consistently and doing them well. That would be my main advice.
<h3>What about somebody that's looking to start a career in engineering?</h3>
I would say for someone looking at a career in engineering, you need to have a passion for something, and you need to have a passion for a problem.
Generally, whether that problem is transporting somebody from their home to an office or transporting somebody from Heathrow to New York, or changing the way we develop power, the engineering industry is vast and being clear on where your passion lies is key.
Developing solutions to problems within that sector I think is really, really important.
<h3>Moving into the more fun part, have you got a funny or interesting story that's happened in your career so far?</h3>
Gosh, fairly early on in my management career I picked up a contract with a logistics company in South Wales. In the first weekend, there was a bit of a spotlight on service and we wanted to ensure we had the right amount of staff but were also able to convey to future staff exactly what the job requirements were, working conditions etc.
I actually volunteered to do a night shift at the weekend in the warehouse. And just so I could convey to the teams exactly what was going on, I was absolutely hopeless. I had to be taken aside because I dropped the whole palette load of stuff.
It gets worse - I then went on my break and got caught smoking in the wrong place and got asked to exit the site.
I never actually told them that I was the manager of the recruitment agency that was supplying the service to them.
<h3>Have you got any amusing things that you have heard or seen in the external market?</h3>
Probably an amusing thing that happens more often than you think is that I get recruitment consultants contacting me, thinking that our business is a construction or engineering business and offering me candidates.
And the first thing I always do is reply to them and say, as I would tell any of my own consultants, it's worth doing a bit of research on the company that you're targeting before you send that email because it makes you look really silly if you don't.
I had one just last week offering me the construction professional that we had on our database.
<h3>Are there any iconic things that we have been involved in as a brand and business?</h3>
Over a period, I would say many.
I think about the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff when that was that was built, we had a huge team of guys on that in preparation for the 1999 Rugby World Cup in Cardiff.
We support some of the largest brands from an airline perspective in the UK. Virgin and British Airways in particular, and we've been involved in the HS2 project in terms of supplying engineers and the design phase of that.
We've also done underground stations, roads, schools, shopping centres, you name it, we've been involved in it.
One of the quite exciting projects that we have been involved in recently is for an organisation that's manufacturing component parts to reduce our reliance on microchips from China. The car industry in particular is being slowed up significantly over the last couple of years in terms of ability to get these particular parts. There's a big project going on in terms of building Europe's capability to build their own, and we&rsquo;ve placed over 300 permanent staff with that organisation over the last couple of years.
It was an insightful conversation to have with Carbon60&rsquo;s MD Paul Nolan, with some great stories and advice. But not only that, in a few more years Carbon60 will be celebrating an amazing half a century!

There’s no better way to launch our Spotlight series than with our Managing Director Paul Nolan, bringing over 26 years of experience within the recruitment and engineering space.

Spotlight on Paul Nolan: our MD and industry expert with over 26 years’ experience in the recruitment and engineering space

For the latest edition of Spotlight, we spent some time with Matt Roach, Client Relationship Manager at Carbon60, to learn about his role and his career so far; hear his thoughts on recruitment, engineering and client-recruiter relationships; and to get his advice for anyone looking to follow in his footsteps.
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Q. What is your current role? And what does that entail? </h3>
A. So my current role at Carbon60 is Client Relationship Manager, and I primarily focus on building relationships and creating business for our Engineering Division.
I actually haven&rsquo;t done any direct recruiting per se for a few years now; my job is to is to identify prospective clients and connect them with our teams, with the objective of winning the client&rsquo;s business and providing them with our services and the solutions they need.
Then, in conjunction with the delivery team, I also make sure that we deliver on what we&rsquo;ve promised, overseeing the project from a programme management perspective.
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Q. Tell me a little bit about your background and career so far. </h3>
A. I&rsquo;ve been in recruitment, working in various roles, for about 20 years now, with most of that spent in engineering recruitment.
When I first joined Carbon60 a few years ago, I was tasked with starting a new division centred on automation and controls, but soon moved into an Operations Management role. I&rsquo;d always leant toward the sales side of the role however, which is a big reason why I am in a more sales-focused position now.
I actually took on my current role just before the COVID pandemic, so there have been plenty of challenges and changes to navigate along the way, with the recruitment landscape constantly evolving. But it&rsquo;s these challenges that make my job so interesting, varied and rewarding.
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Q. What are your thoughts on recruitment at the moment? </h3>
A. The recruitment industry is starting to settle down a bit now, following a COVID boom of sorts. During the pandemic, demand for talent was high, markets were competitive. Oh, and so were salaries! As companies looked to rebuild workforces, offers were probably 20% higher than the pre-pandemic norm. Counteroffers were up considerably too.
Now though, in line with trends we see across all industries, markets have levelled a little. Cost of living is up, and so is the cost of business too. So, recruiter-client relationships are a bit more &lsquo;normal&rsquo; again now, with a return to a more aggressive approach to finding and hiring talent.
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Q. Is there anything in Engineering that particularly excites you right now? Are there any trends to look out for? </h3>
A. The way technology is influencing engineering right now is very exciting. Tech has always had a bit part to play in the sector of course, but new technologies seem to be infiltrating the space at a pace.
Artificial Intelligence is an obvious one. In my experience, I&rsquo;ve always found manufacturing and engineering companies to take an old school approach to the way they do things. But A.I is driving them towards a more automated approach. Workforces are embracing the power of A.I and the benefits of working with it, rather than against it.
I think it aligns with the demographic of today&rsquo;s workforces; many of the people who fill skill gaps in engineering have recently graduated, and have hands-on experience with the latest tech. What&rsquo;s more, existing workforces are being encouraged to upskill, learn how to use and benefit from such technologies.
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Q. What would you say makes a great client-recruiter relationship? </h3>
A. I think all relationships are built on trust and understanding of what&rsquo;s required and how we&rsquo;re going to achieve what is required.
Before COVID, recruitment was very transactional. Now it is much more solution based. So, recruiters work closely with clients, identify their requirements, and adapt their solutions accordingly. It is for the recruiter to deliver on what they offer, and for the client to trust in them to deliver.
It really is about collaborating and working together. It benefits both parties, and makes for a more successful project.
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Q. What advice would you give to any clients and/or recruiters? Any &lsquo;must do&rsquo;s&rsquo;? </h3>
A. Be prepared and ready to work harder than anyone else. The market is hard. For everyone. There aren&rsquo;t as many roles out there, not as many clients are recruiting. And it would be easy to make excuses. But those who don&rsquo;t and focus on making the most of any opportunities out there will be successful.
The key is to continue to harvest and build on existing relationships. They are your foundation. You can take key learnings from those and put them into future relationships and projects, to make yourself stand out in such a competitive space. I firmly believe in the power of repetition and repeating good habits. And hard work, of course! &nbsp;
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Q. Do you have any tips for anyone starting in recruitment? </h3>
A. Above all, have realistic expectations. Many companies will sell you the world, talking up earnings of six-figure salaries within a year. The reality is that such things are highly unlikely, especially in the current economic climate.
Be ready to start from the bottom and put the hard yards in to get to the top. Failures will perhaps trip you up along the way, but that&rsquo;s the same for everyone. And there is no shame in that.
I&rsquo;d suggest breaking your career beginnings into a 3-to-5-year cycle. If you&rsquo;re settled into your career within 3 years, and progressing by 5, you&rsquo;ll likely be in it for a long and prosperous period.
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Q. What about for anyone looking to start a career in &ndash; or find a new role in &ndash; engineering? </h3>
A. Technology is such a big part of engineering, so I think one of the most important things to do is to keep a finger on the pulse when it comes to innovations and trends. We&rsquo;ve already seen how important A.I has become, but in a few years &ndash; or even months &ndash; the next big thing might have come along, changing the game again.
So, it pays to be really well researched, well versed, and willing to invest time in constantly learning.
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Q. Finally, do you have any funny stories/experiences from your career so far that you could share? </h3>
A. Ah, yes. So, I won&rsquo;t mention any names, but a few years ago myself and a colleague were booked to attend an all-day event in Ireland. Everything was all sorted. Well, so it seemed. When we arrived at the airport to fly-out, it turned out that said nameless colleague had printed out the wrong boarding pass and couldn&rsquo;t get through security.
So off to Ireland I went. Alone. And then attended the 7-hour-long event. Alone. I met loads of stakeholders, having quite intense conversations all day long, answering questions and promoting our business. Once again, all alone.
Finally, absolutely shattered, I got to the hotel we were booked to stay in, only to find my colleague sitting comfortably at the bar, relaxed, and enjoying their second pint having got a later flight over.
Alright for some!

Hear from Matt Roach, Client Relationship Manager at Carbon60, as he offers insight into his career in recruitment, the future of the industry and much more. 

Spotlight on: Matt Roach – Client Relationship Manager at Carbon60

For this edition of our Spotlight blog series, we enjoyed a few moments with James Spurling &ndash; Carbon60&rsquo;s Operations Director &ndash; to find out a bit more about him, his career so far and his insightful views on the future of recruitment and the engineering industries&hellip;
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Tell us a little bit about yourself / career journey so far?</h3>
I started in the industry when I was 19 and have been in it ever since, having worked my way through the ranks from a trainee to Operations Director. I have only ever worked within the engineering and manufacturing sector, a sector that for me is forever changing and critical to the UK&rsquo;s economy.
<h3 class="MsoNormal">What are your thoughts on evolution of the recruitment industry?</h3>
The industry has evolved massively from when I started. Back then I used to send a cv via a fax machine! However, some things remain very much the same &ndash; for example, building good relationships will always be at the heart of everything we do internally as business and externally with our customers.
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Where do you see the future of the Engineering industry going?</h3>
I foresee than many more technological advancements will lead to new sectors emerging, so I think there are exciting times ahead.
<h3 class="MsoNormal">How do you think Covid affected the industry overall?</h3>
Working from home is now much more common, and this has changed recruitment dramatically, because traditionally it was an officed based industry. The ease and convenience of being able to meet online, via teams for example, has meant that there are fewer face-to-face interactions now. I will say that there are pros and cons to both!
<h3 class="MsoNormal">What would you say makes a successful engineer?&nbsp;</h3>
Knowledge, skills, and a willingness to constantly learn and develop are key. However, it is also very important for engineers to have an employer or mentor who will nurture their talent with coaching, training, and advice, to help them fulfil their potential.
<h3 class="MsoNormal">If you were to start from scratch in the recruitment sector, what would you tell yourself?</h3>
Be the best you can be at whatever you do, stick at it and don&rsquo;t take anything too personally!
<h3 class="MsoNormal">What advice would you give to someone starting out in the Engineering industry?</h3>
Find your passion and pursue it with everything you can.
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Now into the fun part. Have you got a funny or interesting story that's happened in your career so far?</h3>
I recently had the privilege of being taken around a racetrack at speed by an advanced driver who works for one of our clients. We are supporting them on a project, and this is one of the reasons why I love engineering you get to do things you would never do.&nbsp; I&rsquo;m not too proud so say that when he took his hands off the wheel at 100 mph, I was a tad uncomfortable!
He explained that when you go around the concave of a race track the vehicle will automatically stay in lane hence the hands can come off the steering wheel. Two days are never the same in recruitment that&rsquo;s for sure.

Join us as we find out more about the life and career of James Spurling, Carbon60's Operations Director, in this edition of our Spotlight series. 

Spotlight on James Spurling: Our Operations Director gives us an industry insight into the Recruitment and Engineering space!

Here are six key points to help you get started with your job search.

Six steps to take before you start your job search

One of the most important parts of a business strategy is identifying gaps or weaknesses you may have, and delegating accordingly. There used to be a time when outsourcing elements of your business to external providers was frowned upon, but it&rsquo;s now regarded as a routine and common sense option.
One area that tends to get outsourced is recruitment. It makes sense &ndash; the growth of any business depends on having the right people in place, so the recruitment process is key.
But how do you know when the right time is to reach out to experts and outsource your recruitment? Here are six red flags that might tell you.
&nbsp;
<h2>Flag 1: You&rsquo;re wasting valuable time and money</h2>
In an ideal world, you&rsquo;d hire the best people as quickly as possible - especially in a competitive market &ndash; while also keeping recruitment costs down. It&rsquo;s not always easy to achieve in practice though.
Many businesses miss out on good people because of a lengthy time-to-hire process, which means they have spent time and money without the talent to show for it. On the other hand, some try to go for a quick and cheap solution, but this usually costs more in the long run due to inefficiencies or poor hires.
Outsourcing your recruitment allows you to save both time and money, which is often the number one reason this model is used. A good provider will have the market expertise you need, allowing you to concentrate on running your business, rather than screening CVs or managing various agencies.
They will also have a number of solutions to restructure the recruitment process and reduce your costs &ndash; whether it&rsquo;s streamlining supply chains and job boards, or increasing the number of direct hires through their talent pipelines.
The quality of their hires should also mean a decrease in staff turnover, saving you further time and money.
&nbsp;
<h2>Flag 2: Your internal team are struggling with peaks and troughs</h2>
Many organisations have busy and quiet periods for recruitment &ndash; perhaps because the business model is based on seasonal fluctuations, or its needs can change throughout the year. Often this can leave internal recruitment teams with very little to do, before all of a sudden they are hit with a large volume of vacancies.
This could mean that at peak times, when they&rsquo;re struggling with the load, candidate quality drops and time-to-hire increases. Alternatively, the quiet periods can leave them feeling demotivated and disengaged.
Outsourcing is the perfect solution for businesses in this situation. It offers scalability - the ability to flex delivery teams up or down, based on your hiring needs. It means you have the peace of mind that any spikes in hiring demand can be met, without inefficiencies on your own payroll.
&nbsp;
<h2>Flag 3: You&rsquo;re not making use of data</h2>
Every time you hire someone, there is a wealth of information that should be getting picked up along the way and analysed. This will help you with future decision making and highlight any areas to improve. If you&rsquo;re not doing this &ndash; either due to time constraints, or because you lack the expertise &ndash; your recruitment outsourcing partner can help.
This is a highly underrated benefit of outsourcing to an expert. They are able to offer real-time reporting and detailed insight on everything recruitment related. Ultimately, this will improve the quality of your recruitment process, and help you achieve business objectives faster.
In addition, your outsourcing partner will have access to external market data, which will give you a better idea of what candidates want in terms of salary, benefits and more.
We live in a data-driven age, and if you don&rsquo;t think you&rsquo;re making the most of what&rsquo;s available, outsourcing your recruitment should be a strong consideration.
&nbsp;
<h2>Flag 4: Your talent acquisition is reactive rather than proactive</h2>
Workforce planning is one of the main building blocks of a good recruitment strategy. If you&rsquo;re constantly reacting to requirements and trying to meet deadlines, you may struggle to get the right quality of candidate on a consistent basis.
It&rsquo;s understandable why this slips off the radar though. Planning for the future takes an incredible amount of resources and knowledge. How do you predict the type of talent you&rsquo;ll need a few years down the line? Will the skills you currently have be enough or will the market have changed rapidly?
This is where recruitment outsourcing comes into its own. Your outsourcing partner will have a specific remit which includes analysing your requirements and any skills gaps you could have. They can anticipate what will be needed, and will focus on building strong talent pipelines for you &ndash; covering the short, medium and long-term.
&nbsp;
<h2>Flag 5: The quality of candidates isn&rsquo;t up to your standards</h2>
&nbsp;
Are you constantly finding yourself having to make up for bad hires? Perhaps you&rsquo;re experiencing regular dropouts, leading to you choosing a candidate who wasn&rsquo;t your first choice?
The business impact of this can&rsquo;t be underestimated. Not only is it unsustainable from a cost perspective, but it also drains the time of your hiring managers and the morale of your employees.
When you outsource your recruitment, one of the first things your provider will do is audit your existing processes. This will cover everything from the way you source, screen and interview candidates, to the technology systems you&rsquo;re using. They will even interview existing employees.
Sometimes a bad hire can be down to the candidate not being a good personality fit, rather than lacking the skills. One of the benefits of outsourcing your recruitment is the presence of a dedicated business partner who will embed themselves within your organisation. This is not simply an Account Manager &ndash; they will be based onsite and see themselves as an extension of your HR department. This allows them to get an idea of your culture, and therefore make the right hires.
&nbsp;
<h2>Flag 6: Your processes no longer feel fresh</h2>
The recruitment market is ever-evolving and methods that worked well just a couple of years ago can quickly become stale and outdated.
Internal teams dealing with the usual daily challenges of their job may find it difficult to keep up with the newest trends and tools. Those that do, still find it hard to get budget for new innovations, which are sometimes seen as &lsquo;risky&rsquo;.
Outsourcing recruitment allows businesses to keep their finger on the pulse. Many outsourcing companies will give you access to market insight at no extra cost, while the best ones will also provide things like whitepapers, and seminars with key industry figures.
Crucially, they also constantly invest in new tools for sourcing candidates, and will provide this to you. This means your processes stay fresh, without you having to commit to the investment.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Outsourcing your recruitment is an established way to improve results, free up your resources, and reduce costs. While trying to keep everything in-house is a natural inclination, it can end up being quite damaging in the long run. If you feel like some of the warning signs above apply to you, then it may be time to reach out to specialists.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

How to know the right time to start outsourcing your recruitment.

Six signs that its time to outsource your recruitment

The Renewable Energy sector is one which is highly popular for jobseekers. It&rsquo;s rapidly growing, with vacancies increasing from 7.3 million in 2012, to 12 million in 2020.
One of the key drivers for this has been the increase in discussions and policies around the environment. This has led to a huge demand for clean energy &ndash; both the volume and scale of renewable energy projects has gone up. Naturally, this has had a positive knock-on effect in terms of jobs.
In this article, we&rsquo;ll look at one of the most popular roles within Renewables &ndash; a Site Engineer. We&rsquo;ll break down what it entails, what you need to succeed and where it could lead.
<h3>What does a Site Engineer in Renewables do?</h3>
A Site Engineer role can cover a combination of Civil, Electrical and Mechanical engineering, often for projects that involve Solar Energy or Battery Storage. Your role will be to manage the on-site operations for the duration of a particular Renewable Energy project. These projects are generally based around the production of energy from renewable sources, for example wind or solar power.
The scope of the role can be quite wide &ndash; your input will be technical, organisational and supervisory.
In terms of where you work, most jobs will require a mix of office and on-site working. It&rsquo;s also not going to be an isolated job &ndash; there is lots of interaction with others. You&rsquo;ll work alongside other engineers to provide support, guidance and strategic advice, while there&rsquo;s also plenty of liaising with clients and operational departments.
&nbsp;
Some of your daily duties can involve
Surveying and inspecting sites Setting up sites for projects Combining renewable energy production with existing power systems Supervising subcontractors, ensuring the civil, electrical and mechanical construction drawings are being properly implemented Providing technical support and guidance to solve on-site problems Managing welfare and waste facilities (normally in conjunction with Site Managers) Feasibility studies and cost estimates Preparing daily, weekly and monthly progress reports
Finally, the starting salary for a Site Engineer within Renewables is generally around &pound;25,000, but those with experience can earn between &pound;30,000 - &pound;40,000. Once you get to a senior level (which we&rsquo;ll touch on below), you could earn closer to &pound;65,000. Many businesses also offer extras such as private healthcare, bonus schemes and relocation packages
<h3>What do I need to become a Site Engineer in Renewables?</h3>
We&rsquo;ll split this into a few sections.
In terms of qualifications, a Bachelor&rsquo;s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering or Civil Engineering is a requirement for most jobs. Typically, any of these will be accepted, but be sure to check each job description as some require specific ones.
There are some soft skills which will stand you in good stead. We mentioned earlier that you&rsquo;ll be required to interact with many different people, so strong communication skills (written and verbal), along with the ability to negotiate and influence stakeholders are important. You also need to be detail oriented &ndash; the projects you&rsquo;ll be working on will be highly complex, where the smallest of things can have a big impact. Other important soft skills include:
Problem solving Organisation Flexibility An analytical mindset The ability to absorb complex information and simplify if needed
In terms of technical skills, science and maths are obvious ones, but it&rsquo;s essential to be good with computer-aided design software. AUTOCAD is one where experience can be a real advantage. You should also have the ability to interpret electrical, mechanical and civil drawings to a high standard.
It&rsquo;s important to have knowledge of key environmental legislation, as well as those specifically within Renewables, especially when it comes to battery storage and solar parks. It&rsquo;s a fast-moving industry, so you need to constantly read and keep up to date with new developments.
A driving licence is also quite useful, due to the amount of travel involved &ndash; particularly as the sites can be in remote areas, away from good public transport links.
Finally, you should keep in mind that a decent level of physical fitness will be required. When you&rsquo;re on site, you&rsquo;ll be expected to do a fair amount of walking, as well as things like climb ladders. To this end, make sure you also keep on top of Health &amp; Safety regulations.
<h3>What progression opportunities are there for me?</h3>
Once you're in your first role, you should aim to work towards a professional qualification. With some good practical experience, you can then register with the Engineering Council. This adds a bit of extra weight to your CV and helps you when looking to move upwards.
The next step up is jobs such as Lead Site Engineer and Senior Site Engineer. In these roles, you&rsquo;ll often find yourself as the main technical authority on projects from initial concept all the way through to completion. You will also have the responsibility of managing one or more Site Engineers. Many projects may be starting from scratch, so part of your role will include developing a larger team of Site Engineers.
If you&rsquo;ve shown flexibility, then your chances of a promotion will be quite good, including work abroad. In fact, even if you choose to stay in the UK, there are many roles which require the Lead or Senior Engineers to travel to overseas sites on an occasional basis.
Another option is to become a self-employed consultant, where you would provide specialist advice to organisations.
<h3>What more can you tell me about Renewables?</h3>
There&rsquo;s a couple of exciting things about working in Renewables.
One is the variety of technologies. As mentioned earlier, it&rsquo;s a growing industry, so you could be working with technology that is well established or new and cutting edge.
Secondly, you will be helping to build the future energy system, powered by clean energy. Over the coming decades, coal and gas power generation will continue to be weaned off and renewable energy sources will need to step up to the plate. With the UK having set a Net Zero carbon emissions target by 2050, the work you&rsquo;ll do within Renewables will be critical to achieving this.

Everything you need to know about a career as a Site Engineer

Site Engineer Job Description - Renewable Energy

As countless organisations have now proved, it is possible to adapt and undergo digital transformation to enable many roles, and even certain roles previously considered possible only in a face-to-face environment, to be successfully fulfilled from any location.
As remote working has become the norm for millions of workers in light of the pandemic, questions surrounding the relevance of geographical pay differences have unsurprisingly surfaced.
Where jobs can be realised from anywhere in the country, or even anywhere in the world, are differences in pay because of where you&rsquo;re based becoming as unethical as, for instance, gender pay differences?
It&rsquo;s these kinds of questions that led me to think about our own industry. As Operations Director for our Engineering business, I recognise that the majority of our workers have in fact been in the minority throughout the crisis &ndash; the nature of their roles means they haven&rsquo;t been able to work remotely at all. For many, it&rsquo;s been business as usual.
So, I wanted to explore, in an industry where remote working isn&rsquo;t ever likely to be an option for most - even amid a pandemic - should location ever have a bearing on engineering salaries?
&nbsp;
<h2>What are engineers earning?</h2>
Within our business, we regularly carry out salary surveys to identify any similarities and variances in pay rates across different categories. These include, but are not limited to location, years of experience, sectors, and disciplines.
We recently collated information to provide insight on four main disciplines: electrical maintenance engineers, mechanical design engineers, project engineers and quality engineers.
As may be expected, there were some slight variations in rates of pay between the different disciplines, with project engineers earning an average of &pound;2k-&pound;5k more than the other engineering specialisms. Electrical engineers appeared to receive salaries that were generally at the lower end of the four. But the most obvious and greatest inconsistencies in salary were due to the region in which the engineers were based.
Perhaps expectedly, and as is common across most sectors and industries, those based in London, regardless of their specialism, were enjoying the best rates of pay. In our business currently, we see higher salaries not just in London, but also on the South Coast. But however, there&rsquo;s an argument to suggest that these southern locations are generally where a lot of the required skillsets are based, and costs of living are higher in both.
Electrical maintenance engineers based in the Northwest further stood out as receiving some of the top salaries, as did quality engineers in the East of England.
Consistently displaying some of the lowest rates across all disciplines were those engineers in regions including the West Midlands, East Midlands, Wales, and the Southwest.
&nbsp;
<h2>What&rsquo;s the average cost of living in the UK?</h2>
Data released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) for the financial year ending 2019, showed that the average cost of living in the UK was &pound;592 per week1 for a single person. (Stats do not include mortgage interest payments or council tax.) Whilst another source, Numbeo, calculates the average cost of living for a family of four as &pound;2,270.48 per month, again this is exclusive of rent.
Further research also carried out by the ONS on regional variances confirms that the highest costs of living relate to London. Prices in the capital are on average 7% higher3 than the rest of the UK for certain goods and services. This figure however does not relate to food and non-alcoholic beverages, where, according to the ONS, there is little difference in price between each of the country&rsquo;s regions.
Costs do vary significantly though when considering expenditure relating to recreation &amp; culture or restaurants &amp; hotels. The same piece of research highlights that those costs are on average 14.8% and 13% higher respectively when comparing the same goods and services against the remainder of the UK.
In contrast, Wales&rsquo; costs for recreation &amp; culture and restaurants &amp; hotels are revealed as being around 1.5% lower than the UK average3.
&nbsp;
<h2>Which regions have the most disposable income?</h2>
When looking at disposable income, the ONS illustrates in an additional report that regions such as the Northeast, Yorkshire and Wales have some of the lowest percentages of disposable income4.
Both East and West Midlands, along with the Northwest follow closely as having considerably less disposable income available to them than areas featuring highly on the list such as the Southwest and Scotland. And, even London, which despite offering relatively high rates of pay, and topping the list when it comes to the cost of living, manages to take first place for the most disposable income too.
&nbsp;
<h2>In conclusion</h2>
When considering data from the ONS and our own engineering salary survey, it appears that engineers in some locations could be losing out. Areas costing the most to live in, do normally offer the higher salaries, but the amounts of available disposable income do not always align.
In an era where remote working is at an all-time high for many industries, could we see the gap between salaries in differing regions closing? And should this aligning of pay rates also be applicable to the engineering industry, despite remote working not always being a viable option for many?
It&rsquo;s important to remember though, that the term &lsquo;engineering&rsquo; is broad. Working remotely is more commonly seen amongst engineers working in research, development, or sales, whereas service and repair professionals will always need to work &lsquo;on site&rsquo; and in person, regardless of their seniority.
What I&rsquo;m seeing in our business at the moment is three types of roles we&rsquo;re recruiting for &ndash; those relocating or looking for a career move, those who are office based and those who want to work in a hybrid role.
We recruit for each quite differently and asking if there&rsquo;s a need for a role to be office/site based has become a key part of the information gathering process for building an accurate job specification.
With this in mind, I&rsquo;d argue it&rsquo;s personal skills that are more pertinent to someone&rsquo;s salary, rather than the location in which they&rsquo;re based.
Should engineering salaries be the same regardless of geographical location? Or should an individual&rsquo;s skill set be the predominant factor in any salary differences? It&rsquo;s a hot topic in our industry currently, so let me know your thoughts.
&nbsp;
Sources&nbsp;
<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/expenditure/bulletins/familyspendingintheuk/april2018tomarch2019">https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/expenditure/bulletins/familyspendingintheuk/april2018tomarch2019</a>
&nbsp;
</li>
<li><a href="https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=United+Kingdom">https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=United+Kingdom</a>
&nbsp;
</li>
<li><a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/articles/relativeregionalconsumerpricelevelsuk/2016">https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/articles/relativeregionalconsumerpricelevelsuk/2016</a>
&nbsp;
</li>
<li><a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/regionalaccounts/grossdisposablehouseholdincome/bulletins/regionalgrossdisposablehouseholdincomegdhi/1997to2018">https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/regionalaccounts/grossdisposablehouseholdincome/bulletins/regionalgrossdisposablehouseholdincomegdhi/1997to2018</a></li>
</ol>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

In an industry where remote working isn’t ever likely to be an option for most - even amid a pandemic - should location ever have a bearing on engineering salaries?

Should location affect engineering salaries?

We all spend most of our weeks at work, so a good relationship with colleagues is pretty important. However, it&rsquo;s likely that at some point in your career, you&rsquo;ll be working with someone who you just don&rsquo;t get on with. After all, workplaces are full of people from different backgrounds, viewpoints and ways of working. Every now and then, a conflict may arise with a colleague. 
But rather than letting the problem fester, it&rsquo;s important to deal with it. Unresolved conflict can be a big problem, both for the individuals and the people around them. It can affect both the wellbeing and performance levels of the individuals involved, and their wider teams may see reduced cooperation and collaboration. At a business level, this leads to a loss of productivity.
These are just some of the reasons you need to deal with any workplace conflicts you might have. If you&rsquo;re wondering how to do this, we&rsquo;ll talk you through some of the key steps and actions below. Read on!
<h2>Establish the source of the conflict</h2>
Working out how the conflict has arisen in the first place will help you understand the issue. If you know what the causes are, this could make things easier to tolerate or at least help you be more accommodating.
This means understanding the other person&rsquo;s motivations and looking at things from their perspective. Do they work in a different department, or have different business objectives? This could be a reason for differences in opinion.
Alternatively, is it a clash of working styles? For example, there could be a potential for conflict between someone that likes to work really methodically and somebody else who&rsquo;s more of a risk taker. Similarly, different teams have their own ways of managing workload &ndash; sometimes when people from these teams are working together, there could be a clash around this.
It&rsquo;s equally important to look at yourself. Do others see you as you see yourself? Look at your own behaviour and whether there are things you can do differently.
If the conflict is particularly serious &ndash; for example, discrimination &ndash; then you should get your manager and HR involved. But if it&rsquo;s the type of thing we referenced earlier, it&rsquo;s good to sort this out between yourselves, to begin with.
&nbsp;
<h2>Have an honest discussion &ndash; focused on actions</h2>
Arrange to speak to the other person in private. Be open about how you feel while keeping your manner polite and professional. Focus on actions &ndash; not personalities. This means saying things like &ldquo;when this happens&rdquo;, rather than &ldquo;when you do&rdquo;. This keeps the focus on the specific situations and stops it from looking like you&rsquo;re generalising about the person.
When talking about how a situation makes you feel, again emphasise the situation rather than the individual. It&rsquo;s easy to say something like &ldquo;I&rsquo;m angry at you because..&rdquo; &ndash; but a better and more accurate phrase would be &ldquo;When this happens, I feel angry&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
<h3>Practice&nbsp;active listening</h3>
There are two sides to every conflict, so make sure you listen to the other person as well. Pay full attention rather than getting ready to react or mentally preparing your answer. Active listening is a very useful technique here. This is when you wait for a person to finish speaking and then repeat or rephrase what was said to make sure you understand it. Not only does this show them that you&rsquo;re fully listening, but it also allows you to detect any signs of emotion from them which might be important.
&nbsp;
<h3>Phrase questions as enquiries, not accusations</h3>
Don&rsquo;t assume that someone&rsquo;s deliberately gone out to annoy or harm you. Sometimes they may not have realised what has gone on. If they have done something that&rsquo;s caused an issue for you, ask them why &ndash; but do so in a curious way, rather than as an accusation. This stops the situation from escalating.
In a similar vein, if your colleague says something that you find hurtful &ndash; take a breath and think before responding. While saying something hurtful back can be a natural impulse, this won&rsquo;t improve the situation.
&nbsp;
<h4>Show empathy</h4>
It&rsquo;s crucial that you don&rsquo;t make the conversation all about you. Give the other person plenty of time to tell you their thoughts, feelings and perspective. We mentioned earlier how you should think about their point of view when establishing the source of the conflict. Well, at this stage of the process they&rsquo;re literally telling you their point of view, so treat it with empathy. You wouldn&rsquo;t like it if they dismissed what you were telling them, so show them respect. Put yourself in their shoes, and if there&rsquo;s anything you can understand &ndash; for example why they did something &ndash; tell them. They&rsquo;ll appreciate your honesty and compassion.
&nbsp;
Agree on common ground
Once you&rsquo;ve listened to the other person, work out which of their points you agree and disagree with. Then see which of your points they agree and disagree with. Keep talking until you eventually come to an agreement on the areas of conflict. If there&rsquo;s something you believe you need to apologise for, then go ahead and do it then rather than waiting until later.
This will help you put together a plan of action, prioritising the most important parts of the conflict. Just as key is setting up future meetings, to see how both of you are feeling about the progress you&rsquo;re both making.
&nbsp;
<h4>Keep things confidential and positive</h4>
It&rsquo;s easy to moan about people behind their backs, but this won&rsquo;t have any benefit. And if they find out about it, it&rsquo;ll make your relationship even worse. Unless things deteriorate and you need to get your manager or HR involved, it&rsquo;s best to work through the conflict between you.
Don&rsquo;t let the situation affect your own attitude either, as this could impact your performance. Focus on the positive things that you like about your job and work on maintaining good relationships with your co-workers.

A good relationship with colleagues is pretty important so what can you do when conflict arises?

Seven steps for dealing with conflict

Kelly Morton shares her career journey to Impellam STEM Portfolio CEO
If you&rsquo;d asked me what I wanted to be when I was younger, I would have said a Vet. The youngest child, and only girl, from a working-class family in Liverpool, my ambitions were simply to succeed. While I&rsquo;m still on my journey, I wanted to share my career story in light of our recent partnership launch with social mobility charity In2scienceUK, and to show that no-one&rsquo;s journey to success is single-handed.&nbsp;
The Impellam STEM portfolio (Lorien, SRG and Carbon60) and In2scienceUK will be supporting young people from low socio-economic backgrounds to pursue a career in STEM through industry and research-based placements and skills workshops. Learn more about our partnership here. As you&rsquo;ll see from my story, that&rsquo;s an initiative that is very close to my heart.&nbsp; 
<h2>My career journey</h2>
I loved STEM subjects from an early age, I particularly had a passion for maths and chemistry. I never particularly enjoyed the academic side of leaning, and after leaving school I took a job as a laboratory assistant. The company sponsored me to complete my HNC at a local college one day a week, and I worked around the clock &ndash; one day at college, in the labs four days a week and working at B&amp;Q at the weekend. All to save up to buy a &pound;600 Mini so I could get around and be independent! Two years later I joined Solvay &ndash; a multinational chemical company &ndash; and worked my way up from Laboratory Technician to Research Chemist. Solvay sponsored me to attend university one day a week to do a degree in chemistry, something I&rsquo;m not sure I ever would have had the confidence to pursue for myself. I became the first generation in my family to go to university. After the business relocated to Belgium, I decided it was time for a change. I wanted to do something that involved people but was still close to science. And that&rsquo;s how I entered the recruitment industry!&nbsp; I started with a small independent recruitment company as a resourcer and left two years later after setting up a successful scientific recruitment division to join SRG.
From the beginning, I really believed in SRG&rsquo;s vision. SRG hires ex-scientists &ndash; people that know the industry and the market inside out &ndash; and trains them up into consultative recruitment roles. Because the people know and love the industry, it is really easy for them to identify the right opportunities for the right people.
I started as a Regional Manager, which petrified me as I didn&rsquo;t have much experience of managing large teams&hellip; but I kept saying to myself &lsquo;what doesn&rsquo;t break you will make you stronger&rsquo;.&nbsp; The team and I worked incredibly hard to put SRG Manchester on the map, I met some great people who helped me on my way, and I still have contact with these people today, although many have retired.&nbsp; A couple of years later I was promoted to Regional Director in the North, and then UK Director of Science and Engineering. I also had my son Joseph in that period which provided a fresh new challenge!&nbsp;
I was promoted to Managing Director of SRG in 2009. I remember thinking that I had my work cut out for me, we were muddling through a global recession and very few people were hiring. I made some structural changes and thankfully the market soon bounced back, enabling us to triple our revenue over three years.&nbsp; Then, 18 months or so ago, I was given the amazing opportunity to take on two additional STEM brands in Impellam &ndash; Lorien (technology and digital) and Carbon60 (engineering). I became the STEM Portfolio CEO and I&rsquo;ve loved every minute of it; I&rsquo;ve had the opportunity to work with some incredible people and I&rsquo;m really excited about our future.&nbsp; But I couldn&rsquo;t have done this alone.&nbsp; 
<h2>Thank you</h2>
I&rsquo;m very fortunate to have met people who believed in me throughout my career &ndash; sometimes more than I believed in myself. In particular, I&rsquo;m indebted to Peninsula Laboratories and Solvay for sponsoring me to complete my education. Without Solvay, I wouldn&rsquo;t have been able to afford to go to university. I&rsquo;ve also had the privilege of working with some incredible people. Dr Craig Jones, who I worked with at Solvay, deserves special mention because he was a fantastic mentor. He came from a similar working-class background to me, and he really took me under his wing.&nbsp;
Impellam Group has also been a great place for me to develop. Impellam Group has a strong leadership team that is full of powerful, inspiring women. In fact, just last year four of us made the notable SIA Power 150 &ndash; Women in Staffing list. This month we celebrated International Women&rsquo;s Day across the business, with guest speakers, panels, and networking.&nbsp;
My experience has underlined the value of role models. Recognition, representation, and sponsorship of people from underrepresented backgrounds helps us to see our possibilities &ndash; and I hope to be that for someone else one day too. 
<h2>Imposter syndrome</h2>
I&rsquo;m very open about the fact that I&rsquo;ve struggled with imposter syndrome throughout my career. Every role I&rsquo;ve ever taken, including this one, I&rsquo;ve felt sick with the idea that no-one would take me seriously. Self-belief can be quite difficult to achieve, especially if you&rsquo;re from a minority background where you can&rsquo;t see yourself in those upper echelons of business. My first role in the laboratory was male dominated and I was the only female project manager without a PhD. I used to feel like I couldn&rsquo;t do things because I wasn&rsquo;t rich, I didn&rsquo;t have a posh accent or an academic background. Imposter syndrome, if you let it get to you, can be crippling.
I&rsquo;ve learnt over the years that the best way to beat imposter syndrome is by being true to yourself. I know that sounds cheesy, but there honestly isn&rsquo;t any point being a fake version of yourself; it&rsquo;s exhausting. Imposter syndrome can also be valuable &ndash; it can give you grit and determination, but it can also ground you. Humility is a much-underestimated quality.
My advice to anyone reading this is that if I can do it, so can you.&nbsp; 
<h2>The STEM sector</h2>
I might have moved away from working directly in the STEM industry, but my heart never left the sector. STEM is such an exciting place to work &ndash; you can impact real-world problems like fighting cancer, tackling climate change, or connecting people across the world.&nbsp;
Crucially, it&rsquo;s a sector that is growing quickly and is hungry for talent. The IET is predicting a <a href="https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2021/11/engineering-and-tech-giants-join-forces-to-stem-15bn-annual-skills-gap/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">STEM skill shortage of 173,000 roles in the UK</a>, and that means more opportunities, better pay, and more flexibility for people that want to join the industry. In fact, a recent study from the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that some of the university courses with the highest mobility rates were in STEM.&nbsp;
So why not try it out? It might be your first step to a long, successful, and happy career.&nbsp; 
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
My career journey might not be the most conventional, but I have been very fortunate with the opportunities I have been given. I want to return that favour, and I hope we can do that with our new partnership with In2scienceUK. I am really looking forward to reading the stories that come from the next generation of STEM specialists.&nbsp;
Find out what it&rsquo;s like to work for Impellam STEM here.&nbsp;
<div>&nbsp;</div>

Kelly Morton’s career journey to Impellam STEM Portfolio CEO

Scientist Recruiter CEO

To help shape the future of STEM, it is imperative to develop, engage and empower the next generation of STEM talent; individuals with the knowledge, skills and drive to make an impact now, and in years to come.
STEM organisations and education institutions have a responsibility to not only provide emerging talent with opportunities to learn, grow their skills and gain experience, but also open gateways to exciting, prosperous STEM careers. In turn, this has a vital role in narrowing the skills gaps across STEM too.
At Carbon60, we are proud to play our part through the development and delivery of alternative and non-traditional routes for talent that tap into the power of training and apprenticeships to drive talent development, career growth, inclusion and social mobility.
<h2>Introducing Recruit, Train, Deploy&hellip;</h2>
Working closely with Early Talent and industry-leading organisations in the technical and engineering sectors for decades, Carbon60 have helped develop experts and leaders who drive innovation and growth in their field of expertise.
As the skill and workforce requirements of industries and companies evolve, the way we find and nurture talent to meet those requirements must too. That&rsquo;s why we have now developed a new solution to continue empowering the next generation, providing them with career opportunities, and bridge skills gaps in STEM too.
Our Recruit, Train, Deploy model is a strategic approach designed to enhance the workforce with a pipeline of diverse, skilled professionals who are trained and ready to innovate. Put simply, we recruit promising individuals, provide them with comprehensive training through apprenticeship courses and deploy them into roles where they can immediately impact. &nbsp;
<h2>How is Recruit, Train, Deploy Delivered?</h2>
The initial phase of Recruit, Train, Deploy involves creating a rigorous recruitment strategy; identifying your skills shortages and/or ED&amp;I goals enables to find out exactly what your requirements are before we leverage an extensive STEM talent community to source potential candidates.
Subsequently, suitable candidates are enrolled onto training programmes tailored to align with their individual goals and your business team needs. These training courses are financed by us, using our apprenticeship levy fund. This training is provided in combining with, hands-on, on-the-job learning experiences that are both practical and relevant to the needs of the company and the candidates. Learners are also supported by our dedicated in-house Apprenticeship Manager, who provides a crucial conduit between training providers, learners and businesses, ensuring every apprentice thrives personally and professionally.
Taking the journey beyond training, we finally deploy these trained and qualified professionals into your organisation, placing them in permanent positions in which their skills and values will fit your technical and cultural requirements.
What&rsquo;s more, we can adapt this framework to suit both the apprentices and the organisation. This solution can be employed to secure and mould young talent or enhance the skills of experienced candidates, with a choice of courses and qualifications, to create a custom, sustainable pipeline of empowered people with the exact skills you need.
The result is a growing workforce of passionate, skilled and dedicated people driven to excel and contribute to your business, whilst contributing to a bolder, brighter future for STEM.
<h2>Why our Recruit, Train, Deploy solution works</h2>
The power of the Recruit, Train, Deploy is in its agility, adaptability, and focus on making a direct, long-lasting impact on STEM industries and the talent that will carry them forward; driven by the passion, expertise and experience of Carbon60.
At the heart of the solution are:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: bold;">Industry expertise</li>
</ul>
With a deep understanding of the technical and engineering sectors, we tailor our solutions to meet the unique demands of your industry.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: bold;">A proven track record</li>
</ul>
Our successful engagements with leading firms across the UK speak to our ability to deliver impactful results.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: bold;">Comprehensive support</li>
</ul>
From recruitment to training and deployment, we offer an end-to-end solution that&nbsp;ensures your workforce is skilled, motivated, and ready to drive innovation.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: bold;">Custom-trained teams&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Our programs are tailored to individual learners and business teams, fostering STEM excellence and custom-built teams to resolve skills shortages.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: bold;">A drive towards ED&amp;I</li>
</ul>
We provide better access to fulfilling work for underrepresented demographics and opportunities for social mobility, actively contributing to a more dynamic, diverse workforce.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: bold;">Sustainable Growth</li>
</ul>
Going beyond the here and now, Recruit, Train, Deploy enables sustainable growth and the development of future talent, to not only meet the current demands of your business but anticipate future needs too.

Carbon60 have been helped to find and develop future talent for the technical and engineering sectors for years, through solutions driven by passion, experience and expertise. Recruit, Train, Deploy is the latest of these innovative solutions. 

Recruit, Train, Deploy by Carbon60 – empowering fresh talent; bridging skills gaps

People often say that looking for a new job feels like a job in itself. There&rsquo;s certainly a lot of work that goes into the process &ndash; preparing your CV, searching for the right roles, applying for them, and of course interviewing.
Once you get an offer at the end of it though, it can all feel worthwhile. There&rsquo;s also a great sense of pride and validation, knowing that an employer recognises your abilities.
However, the next step can sometimes feel as tricky as anything that&rsquo;s gone before it. It&rsquo;s not always a case of accepting an offer within minutes of receiving it. There&rsquo;s lots of things to think about, and in this blog we&rsquo;ll go through some of them.&nbsp;
<h3>Knowing if the job is right for you</h3>
This is usually the first question that will pop into your head. It&rsquo;s something that will probably have been bubbling away throughout the process, but comes to the forefront when you actually receive an offer.&nbsp;
Knowing the answer to this isn&rsquo;t always easy &ndash; every new job is a step into the unknown &ndash; but there are some things you can do to help you make the right decision.
Draw up a list of what you were looking for in your next job, and see how many boxes this role ticks. Key things to consider are:
<h3>Compensation</h3>
Analyse exactly what you&rsquo;ll be taking home after tax each month. There are some useful online tools that can help you with this, such as the ones offered by The Salary Calculator or MoneySavingExpert. It&rsquo;s important to not just look at the top line salary though. Pay attention to any benefits you&rsquo;re getting too, as these all contribute to your total reward package. Things like subsidised travel, shopping discounts or private medical insurance can have a massive impact on your life and finances.
<h3>Working hours</h3>
What hours or shift patterns does this job entail, and does that fit with your needs? Some jobs may have set hours, but require you to work outside of these on a regular basis. Check this and decide whether it works for you.
<h3>Location</h3>
Consider how far you would have to travel in order to get to your workplace, and whether this is reasonable for you.Is there a lot of additional travel involved, for things like client meetings or site visits? Also check what the company&rsquo;s level of flexibility is with regards to remote working. This is a hot topic right now, and many businesses are starting to offer hybrid or fully remote working models, where you can work from home for part of the week or even full-time. Of course, this depends on the nature of your work &ndash; if you&rsquo;re on a construction site for example, working from home won&rsquo;t be an option.
Either way, make sure you are happy with what is being offered and your work-life balance won&rsquo;t feel compromised.&nbsp;
<h3>Job duties</h3>
You should have gleaned this during the application process &ndash; both on the job advert and through the questions you asked in the interview. Note these down and ask yourself if you&rsquo;ll enjoy the tasks you&rsquo;ll do. Will the work stimulate you and will it add value to your CV?&nbsp;
Ideally you want to pick up some new skills and experience, as this will enhance your CV and help when looking for your next role &ndash; either within the same company or outside it. That leads us nicely onto the next thing to consider.
<h3>Career progression</h3>
This is something else you should have picked up during the interview, but don&rsquo;t be afraid to speak to the hiring manager again to clarify.&nbsp;
Are there opportunities for you to advance within the company? You don&rsquo;t want to be in a position where you feel like you&rsquo;ve outgrown your role in under a year. Look at how many people within the business &ndash; especially in your department &ndash; have moved up. This is a good way to gauge how committed the company is to the development of its employees.
<h3>Cultural fit</h3>
A key part of deciding whether a job is right for you is seeing how well their culture aligns with what you want. Do you prefer a corporate environment or something a little more casual? Do you like working in a team or are you more autonomous? Is socialising at work also important to you?&nbsp;
These are all things which will help you determine how good the cultural fit is. Look at reviews on sites such as Glassdoor for assistance. Remember, a job is a major part of anyone&rsquo;s life, so it&rsquo;s important you&rsquo;ll feel comfortable and happy in any new company.
<h3>Company values</h3>
On a related note, ask yourself how well aligned you are with what the company does. You should have answered this question before you even applied, but it&rsquo;s worth jotting down again at this stage as well. Do you believe in their product or service? Can you see yourself being a passionate advocate for them? If the answer is yes, then this is a major plus.
<h3>Negotiating a salary&nbsp;</h3>
Maybe most of your boxes have been ticked, but the offered salary is lower than expected.&nbsp;
The first point to remember is that if there&rsquo;s a massive discrepancy between the salary which was advertised and the one you&rsquo;re being offered, then this is a red flag. It may be an administrative error - perhaps the job advert had the wrong figure &ndash; but make sure you raise this with them. If they don&rsquo;t seem to have a good reason, then you&rsquo;d be well within your rights to walk away (more on this later).
However, in most cases, being offered a lower salary than you expecteddoesn&rsquo;t have to mean it&rsquo;s a firm no. Salary negotiations are quite common, but it&rsquo;s important that you do this in a professional way and can back up what you&rsquo;re saying.
Don&rsquo;t just ask for a higher salary &ndash; build a case. Conduct some research and see what the market rates for roles like yours are. Feel free to send over links to job adverts, and even download a salary trends report for the industry (recruitment agencies often publish these every year).&nbsp;
Highlight your strengths, skills, and experience to show why you deserve more.&nbsp;

Receiving a job offer isn't always a straightforward process, so we've put together our advice to help you navigate this step of your job hunt.

Receiving a job offer: what next?

Carbon60 are proud to be partnering with GHD, an international professional services company, as they look to grow their water engineering team in the UK. GHD&rsquo;s mission is to make water sustainable for generations to come, driven by the vision of a future that genuinely benefits everyone.
Water may cover 70% of the surface of the world, but it remains complex to manage this essential resource to be safe for human consumption. The UK water collection, treatment, &amp; supply market was valued at &pound;6.8bn in 2021 and the UK is known for its strong network of engineering professionals with this experience.
Established in Australia in 1928, today GHD employs over 10,000 people across 200 offices in five continents. But their journey is far from over, in fact, their UK market is just getting started. While poised from the growth they also have immediate projects in Australia and New Zealand. Think of it as gaining international experience from your own backyard.
Gareth Williams, Account Manager is passionate about how our partnership with GHD aligns so well with Carbon60&rsquo;s values:
&ldquo;Water is the single biggest resource on earth, which touches every area of engineering to ensure it is safely managed for future generations to come. As a specialist technical recruitment business Carbon60 couldn&rsquo;t be closer aligned to support GHD find the talent they need to create a sustainable future.&rdquo;
Despite their global size, GHD retains a start-up mentality within the EMEA region . It is renowned for rapid response times and lightning-fast ability to take projects to market without being hampered by legacy businesses. Employee-owned, they don&rsquo;t have shareholders to report to, empowering every one of their people to collaborate, share knowledge and pursue new opportunities.
Richard Larkin, Talent Acquisition Lead at GHD adds:
&ldquo;One of the most interesting and challenging resources we work with, water, has huge societal and economic value. Working in the Water sector brings challenges and opportunities that require innovation, creativity, and compassion. But it&rsquo;s these contradictions and aspects that make the industry such a challenging and rewarding career.&rdquo;
Find out more about what it is like to work with GHD&rsquo;s water team and view all vacancies <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=C9B9DA802E3648CD9D77E5D00F522CAC&amp;_z=z">here</a>.

Carbon60 are proud to be partnering with GHD, an international professional services company, as they look to grow their water engineering team in the UK

Proud to be partnering with GHD

We&rsquo;ve written before about the rapidly growing Renewable Energy sector and the opportunities it has created from a jobseeker point of view. This is the case across the globe, especially in light of various &lsquo;Net Zero&rsquo; government strategies.
In this blog, we&rsquo;re going to focus on the role of Project Managers, covering a combination of Civil, Electrical and Mechanical engineering.
As global specialists with over a decade&rsquo;s experience in Renewables, we&rsquo;ve placed a lot of Project Managers. And right now, it&rsquo;s an area where we are seeing more vacancies than ever. After all, the huge increase in demand for clean energy has meant there are countless initiatives and projects in place across the sector. Often, skilled Project managers are required for utility scale projects. These are large scale projects &ndash; typically involving solar energy or battery storage &ndash; which directly affect the power being fed into the grid.
So what does the role of Project Manager actually entail, and what do you need to succeed? Read on for answers to these questions and more.
<h3>What does a Project Manager in Renewables do?</h3>
As Project Manager, you will be overseeing Renewable Energy initiatives in their entirety, from inception to completion. This means planning and managing operations to ensure each phase of the project is done on time and within budget. A key part of this is allocating the right resources, to the right areas, at the right times.
You will probably hear the term Programme of Works (PoW) a fair bit. This is essentially a reference point for key stakeholders, laying out how work will be carried out and by what dates. As Project Manager, you will need to create these at a very detailed level and supervise the people in each phase to check they are not going out of scope.
A Project Manager&rsquo;s role is very contact heavy. You will be liaising with internal and external stakeholders &ndash; including running your own project team - and have the main responsibility of supervising contractors. In addition, you will be the point of contact for suppliers, vendors and even authorities.
Some of your daily duties can involve:
<ul>
<li>Conducting site investigations and feasibility studies</li>
<li>Preparing and managing the project budget</li>
<li>Developing and managing the project scope and timelines</li>
<li>Producing progress reports on a daily, weekly and monthly basis</li>
<li>Requesting and selecting proposals from subcontractors, including contract negotiations</li>
<li>Identifying potential project risks and solutions</li>
<li>Managing relationships with internal and external stakeholders</li>
<li>Creating a handover document for the Operations and Maintenance (O&amp;M) team &nbsp;</li>
</ul>
The typical salary for this role can range from &pound;55,000 - &pound;65,000 (dependant on experience). However, it&rsquo;s also common for those at a very senior level to earn around &pound;75,000.
<h3>What do I need to become a Project manager within Renewables?</h3>
As touched upon earlier, these are contact heavy roles which require lots of stakeholder liaising. That&rsquo;s why some soft skills are absolutely key, such as strong communication and leadership ability. You&rsquo;ll need to have excellent self-discipline and organisation skills, as the entire project will be based on important timelines &ndash; you are the one responsible for keeping everyone else on track. Also, the ability to make problem-solving decisions under time pressures is very useful and can give you the edge ahead of your fellow job seekers.
Qualifications wise, almost all roles will expect a Bachelor&rsquo;s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering or Civil Engineering. Typically, any of these will be accepted, but be sure to check each job description as some require specific degrees. Companies may also look at your professional qualifications, which is something we&rsquo;ll touch on later.
You will also be expected to have 3-5 years&rsquo; experience, with a preference for those who have been involved in utility scale projects before. Don&rsquo;t be disheartened if you don&rsquo;t have this though &ndash; if you can demonstrate excellent knowledge of the Renewable Energy sector, particularly within solar energy and battery storage, then you&rsquo;ll still have a fighting chance.
As with many Project Manager jobs, you will be working with various online documents and presentations, so at least a working knowledge of Microsoft Office and Microsoft Project will help. Finally, an additional language (particularly a European one) can come in handy as many companies have overseas projects within their portfolio.
<h3>How can I progress?</h3>
While the obvious step up is a Senior Project Manager, it&rsquo;s important to look at the type of projects you are working towards. Sometimes you will find yourself working on larger and more complex ones, but your job title may not necessarily have the word &lsquo;Senior&rsquo; at the start!
Often, however, the next rung on the ladder is that of a Senior Project Manager. Other job titles to look at include Head of Projects and Director of Projects &ndash; these come with more experience.
Many people undertake professional Project Management qualifications while they are working. The two most popular options are Prince2 and Association for Project Management (APM). The former is more framework based and provides you with best practice methods, while the latter teaches you how to apply your skills in a strategic and commercial environment. Some people decide to do both, but either will add value to your CV. Together with practical, on-the-job experience, you will find it easier to gain those senior opportunities.
You may also wish to take specific qualifications related to procurement. As mentioned in an earlier section, you will be sourcing proposals from subcontractors and negotiating contracts. The knowledge you&rsquo;ll pick up from a procurement course alone could be invaluable, but an actual qualification adds another string to your bow.
As you progress, you could find yourself working either in a freelance capacity, or for an outsourcing firm where you are contracted out. These can see you working on short-term contracts at a substantial daily rate.
<h3>What&rsquo;s the future for Renewable Energy?</h3>
Whether it&rsquo;s government policies, climate activism, and even David Attenborough documentaries &ndash; the shift towards Renewable Energy has grown beyond expectations, and it will only get bigger. This means the projects and initiatives you could be working on will deliver a greater impact than ones in other industries.

Interested in a career as a Project Manager in Renewables? We've put together everything that you need to know.

Project Manager Job Description - Renewable Energy

With demand and job opportunities in the Renewable Energy sector rocketing, we thought it was time to shed some light on another one of the most popular vacancies we&rsquo;re recruiting for.
&nbsp;
In this blog, we&rsquo;re going to focus on the role of Project Development Managers. These are individuals who will generally be involved in large scale projects (otherwise known as utility scale projects) covering Solar Energy, Wind Energy or Battery Storage.
&nbsp;
But what exactly do they do, and what skills do they need? Here&rsquo;s everything you need to know!
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h3 style="background: white; margin: 0cm;">What does a Project Development Manager in Renewables do?</h3>
&nbsp;
The clue is ever so slightly in the job title!
&nbsp;
In a nutshell, you&rsquo;ll strategically manage the development of Renewable Energy projects and potential projects. It&rsquo;s a very important commercial role which involves a lot of planning, negotiating and due diligence.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
While the technical and engineering side of things is important, this is a broad role which will see you touch on things like sales, marketing, and finance.
&nbsp;
As a Project Development Manager, you must liaise with a raft of stakeholders &ndash; developers, service operators, suppliers, and local councils &mdash; Also work fairly closely with your own finance and legal teams.
&nbsp;
Some of your regular duties can involve:
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 18pt;">Financial and commercial modelling</li>
<li style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 18pt;">Contract analysis and due diligence</li>
<li style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 18pt;">Coordinating planning applications and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs)</li>
<li style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 18pt;">Procuring and negotiating lease agreements, development agreements and purchase agreements</li>
<li style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 18pt;">Ensuring the project delivery is following the correct internal protocol</li>
<li style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 18pt;">Overseeing relationships with internal and external stakeholders</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
The typical salary for this role can range from &pound;55,000-&pound;70,000, however, this is dependent on experience and also the size of the organisation you&rsquo;re joining. A lot of roles can be global in nature, depending on where the business is looking to operate, so international travel may be also part of your remit.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h3 style="background: white; margin: 0cm;">What do I need to become a Project Development Manager within Renewables?</h3>
<h3 style="background: white; margin: 0cm;">&nbsp;</h3>
As mentioned earlier, this is a highly commercial role. Therefore you&rsquo;ll need strong commercial acumen and analytical skills. A big part of your job will be to think strategically &mdash; understanding the energy landscape, analysing where the opportunities are, and what factors could impact the success of a project.
&nbsp;
There will be lots of legal due diligence, and you&rsquo;re likely to be dealing with high value contracts. If you enjoy absorbing information and have strong attention to detail, this could be a great fit for you.
&nbsp;
In terms of technical skills, you&rsquo;ll need to be quite computer literate, while there&rsquo;ll also be a lot of financial modelling and budget management to do &mdash; so a good grasp of maths is key.
&nbsp;
Just as relevant are your soft skills, as the job requires you to liaise with many different stakeholders. The ability to negotiate and influence key decision makers are two of the most important things, while you also need to be flexible and a strong team player.
&nbsp;
Qualifications wise, almost all roles will expect a Bachelor&rsquo;s degree in a related field &mdash; for example, Engineering, Legal, Business, Planning, or Environmental. You may also find it handy to take a procurement course, as it will be an important part of your job. This could give your CV an extra element that sets you apart from the competition.
&nbsp;
Most companies will expect you to have around 5 years experience in Project Development Management, and any experience in land securing and permitting would be highly desirable.&nbsp;If the company you&rsquo;re applying for is a global one, prior experience working with a multinational company would be very helpful.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Finally, we mentioned flexibility being an important soft skill, and this also applies in terms of travel. Many roles require occasional visits to overseas sites, so a willingness to travel would be another tick.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h3 style="background: white; margin: 0cm;">How can I progress?</h3>
&nbsp;
As you&rsquo;ll need around 5 years&rsquo; experience, your initial entry point is likely to be as a Project Developer, where you will be focused more on the day-to-day operations. As you climb up the ladder to Project Development Manager (and then Senior Project Development Manager), your responsibilities will become more strategic, while also managing others.
&nbsp;
Ultimately you could end up as a Head of Project Development. At this stage, you&rsquo;ll still be identifying opportunities and conceptualising deals, but there will be a real focus on developing the company&rsquo;s market presence through C-suite networking and attending conferences.
&nbsp;
Another route could be to cross over into a Business Development Manager role. This is another highly commercial position and will see you oversee all aspects of a sales and project pipeline, while also managing a team of Business Development Representatives. If you enjoy the relationship building and selling side of things, then you may find this to your liking.
<h3 style="background: white; margin: 0cm;">&nbsp;</h3>
&nbsp;
<h3 style="background: white; margin: 0cm;">What else do I need to know?</h3>
&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s important to not confuse Project Development Managers with Project Managers.&nbsp;
The latter focus on the technical and day-to-day aspects of a project. On the other hand, Project Development Managers focus on the initial delivery of sites for development. It&rsquo;s a broader and more strategic role, so there will be less of an emphasis on day-to-day operations.
&nbsp;
Sometimes there are instances of the same person doing both roles; however, this is quite rare. It can be achieved when the person has exceptional skills and experience and even then it only works on smaller projects. For large-scale projects, which are more common in Renewables, the two functions are normally split.
&nbsp;
Finally, it&rsquo;s important to remember that a big part of your role as Project Development Manager will be to know about various rules and regulations. Examples include environmental laws and planning permissions, as well as legislation specific to the Renewable Energy industry. The latter can be quite fast-moving, so somebody who relishes the opportunity to learn and keep up with the latest developments will flourish.
&nbsp;
If you would like to see more of our Renewables career guidance you can view our career advice page<a href="https://www.carbon60global.com/find-a-job/career-advice"> here</a>.
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Interested in a career as a Project Development Manager in Renewables? We've put together everything that you need to know.

Project Development Manager Job Description - Renewable Energy

Bruno Wood is an Associate Director, and Head of Government Projects at Carbon60. Since leaving regular service in 2014, Bruno has been a Reserve for the 600 (City of London) Squadron in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. As part of Carbon60&rsquo;s support of the Armed Forces, we take pride in employing current and ex-service members, and giving them the support that they need.
<h3>What does your role at Carbon60 involve?</h3>
&ldquo;In my role, I manage many projects that involve Defence activity. The business is a strong advocate of Defence and the benefits it can bring to our business more widely, whether it is engaging veterans or their families, helping service leavers to find careers or promoting Reserve opportunities for our workers. The benefits that Defence experience can bring to our business and the rich skills that Defence breeds in its people are always at the forefront of what we do.&rdquo;
<h3>What does Carbon60 do to support you and other members of the Armed Forces that they employ?</h3>
&ldquo;I have great support from my line manager to be given the flexibility in my role to fulfil my reservist duties without impacting on my work. The 10 additional paid days leave are of particular benefit as it lets me save my annual leave for my family, which is very important to allow me to balance my home life with work and reserve service.&rdquo;
Carbon60 are also part of the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme. In 2016, we were awarded the Bronze Award, and we are now proud to be Silver Award holders. We have just submitted our application to gain Gold certification, and will find out the results later this year.
The Armed Forces Covenant requires employers to provide ongoing support and employment opportunities to Reservists, Cadet Force Adult Volunteers, Veterans, wounded, injured and sick personnel, as well as military families. In order to qualify for the Armed Forces Covenant, employers must be nominated by a current employee who has a military background or ongoing military commitments, so Bruno kindly volunteered:
&ldquo;As a reservist, the company provides me with a lot of flexibility to allow me to fulfil my military commitments when required. Carbon60 has been working with military bodies for over 30 years and as such they are very accommodating in their support of reservists and veterans who work for them but also still have commitments to the Armed Forces.&rdquo;
<h3>Navy Football Sponsorship</h3>
Carbon60 are proud to sponsor the Royal Navy Football Team 1st XI, who wear our logo on their shirts. Navy Football said this about our partnership:
&ldquo;To have Carbon60 commit themselves again to Navy Football is another indication of how our partnership has gone from strength to strength. The challenge from the President of the RNFA (Royal Navy Football Association) to take Navy Football from &lsquo;Good&rsquo; to &lsquo;Great&rsquo; can only be delivered with the help of our sponsors, and with Carbon60 once again on board, and more committed than ever, our footballers will get the support that they absolutely deserve.&rdquo;

Bruno Wood is an Associate Director, and Head of Government Projects at Carbon60. Since leaving regular service in 2014, Bruno has been a Reserve for the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. As part of Carbon60’s support of the Armed Forces, we take pride in employing current and ex-service members, and giving them the support that they need.

Profile: Squadron Leader Bruno Wood

<h2>What job opportunities are available in Offshore?</h2>
The offshore energy sector is ever growing, with job opportunities predicted to increase by 50% by 2030.
Offshore wind plays a crucial role in promoting economic growth and reducing the reliance on fossil fuels to create energy, through its reliable method of using the high wind speeds at sea to transmit energy.
The Economy and People Report 2024 recognises the UK energy sector and its sustainable energy projects as the key to achieving net zero targets that will create a blueprint for the rest world.
The effective energy policy, implemented to support sustainable projects within the energy sector, has been shown to create more high-quality jobs and economic benefit to communities across the country. Over 150,000 skilled people are to be in jobs directly or indirectly supported by the energy sector, including offshore wind, growing the sector by 50%.
By working within the energy sector, you will be able to support the sustainable energy projects aiming to build a better future energy system, one that is fuelled by clean electricity. In the Offshore wind sector, there are a variety of high-quality jobs for skilled workers aiming towards promoting a sustainable future for the environment and benefits for billpayers and the industry.
<h2>What Skills and Qualifications are suited to the sector</h2>
There are various qualifications and skillsets needed to become a high-quality worker within the offshore wind sector, however all of them are achievable with the correct mindset.
At the core of every worker within offshore wind are skills including:
<ul>
<li>Communication skills with internal and external stakeholders</li>
<li>Organisational skills</li>
<li>Leadership and management skills</li>
<li>Problem-solving skills</li>
<li>Health and safety skills</li>
<li>Teamwork and collaboration skills</li>
<li>Offshore-relevant behavioural skills</li>
<li>Cultural awareness</li>
<li>High-level electrical technical and engineering skills, particularly in turbine components, high-voltage cables, and substations.</li>
</ul>
As for qualifications, what will be required will depend on what specific role or sector within offshore wind an individual is interested in and, as with any job, it pays to take time to research what is needed before deciding which path to take.
To become a wind turbine technician &ndash; one of the most popular career paths in offshore wind &ndash; for example, taking a mechanical, electronic or electrical engineering course would be an excellent source of education and experience. Many of these courses offer NC, NQ, HNC or HND accreditation in a related engineering field too.
<h2>What will the future look like</h2>
As additional projects enter the pipeline over the coming years the demand for skilled workers to seek careers within the energy sector will grow. Therefore, the demand for high quality skillsets and qualifications will remain, with a continued demand for degree level qualifications and a growth in demand for technician level skills.
<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/offshore-wind-net-zero-investment-roadmap/offshore-wind-net-zero-investment-roadmap">Government plans for a shift to offshore wind energy</a>, chasing the UK&rsquo;s 2050 Net Zero targets, suggest that up to 90,000 direct and indirect jobs could be created. What&rsquo;s more, several pledges have been made to drive and support the education required to create talent to fill such a significant number of roles, including a pledge to support Institutes of Technology&nbsp;across England with &pound;120 million for institutes specialising in delivering high technical education and developing green skills.

Offshore wind is a sustainable method of transmitting energy through the power of high-speed winds at sea and creating clean electricity and is at the heart of promoting sustainable economic growth and reducing the reliance of fossil fuels. With the ever-increasing demand for skilled workers and a plethora of high-quality jobs available in offshore wind, your skillset could land you a career within this growing energy sector. 

Offshore Wind: Powering Employment Opportunities

Carbon60 is proud to be supporting Mind UK as our chosen corporate charity via our &lsquo;Miles for Mind&rsquo; initiative.
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">What is Miles for Mind? </h3>
Exercise can be a great way to help improve your mental health, plus it&rsquo;s good for the rest of your body too. As Carbon60 is now a truly global business, wouldn&rsquo;t it be great if colleagues across the world could come together to raise some money for Mind UK and help to support the great work they do? With this in mind, we came up with Miles for Mind.
Did you know that the furthest distance between two Carbon60 office locations is 10,514 miles, from Glasgow to Sydney? We pledged to walk, run, cycle, swim &amp; cross-train our way there (without actually going down-under), while raising money for Mind UK in the process. Whoever wants to take part makes a promise that includes the number of miles they&rsquo;re going to travel, and how much money they think they can raise. A tracker captures your daily activity, miles promised, and miles completed, and a weekly total-tracker will show us how many miles we&rsquo;ve clocked up against our target. The initial challenge was to hit that target in 2018, and I&rsquo;m pleased to report that we smashed it! We travelled 14,313.56 miles, and raised over &pound;1500!
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">Who is Mind UK?</h3>
Mind UK is a charity that is working to break the stigma around mental health, increasing awareness, offering support to sufferers of mental illnesses and raising money to support initiatives all over the country. Their mission statement is as follows:
&ldquo;We won&rsquo;t give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets support and respect.&rdquo;
This is something we&rsquo;re passionate about, as poor mental health can affect anyone. 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year, and 1 in 6 people in England are experiencing the most common problems (anxiety and depression) in any given week. So in an office of 40 people, 10 of them will experience poor mental health at some point during the year. This makes it a problem that everyone needs to be aware of, as it can affect work performance, and lead to sick days that could otherwise be avoided. As an employer and a recruiter, it&rsquo;s our responsibility to make sure we&rsquo;re providing adequate support to our employees and candidates if they&rsquo;re suffering.
Employees need to feel like they can openly discuss any problems they might be having, and take time off if they need to recharge, just like they would if they were suffering from a physical illness.
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">But we&rsquo;re not finished yet&hellip;</h3>
In a bid to shift the evidence of Christmas over-indulgence, we&rsquo;ve decided to extend Miles for Mind for another 3 months, ending on the date of our company conference, 29th March 2019. With lots of new promises already this year, we&rsquo;re feeling very positive.
Keep your eyes peeled for an update after the deadline to see our final totals!
For more information on the services offered by Mind UK, click <a href="https://www.mind.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here.</a>

Carbon60 is proud to be supporting Mind UK as our chosen corporate charity via our ‘Miles for Mind’ initiative.

Miles for Mind

1 in 4 people will experience some form of mental health issue each year in the UK. It should therefore come as no surprise that 1 in 6.8 people will experience mental health problems while at their place of work and 12.7% of all absence days in the UK can be attributed to mental health conditions.
Although mental health problems are by no means uncommon, it is still a taboo subject. Many workers fear they will be stigmatised for needing time off or having particular requirements, but things are rapidly changing.
Today (10 October 2017) is World Mental Health Day, a day in which people all around the world speak out to encourage recognition, understanding and support for mental health conditions. As suffering in silence can often worsen one&rsquo;s mental state, it is important to feel able to open up at work about your personal situation, especially if there&rsquo;s something that can be done to benefit you.
Here are five tips about speaking to your boss about mental health:
1 &ndash; Honesty
Speaking out about mental health at work is likely to benefit your condition, but if you feel hesitant about divulging personal information you could always keep the conversation strictly medical. Explain your diagnosis or the conversation you&rsquo;ve had with your doctor and print out information sheets to clarify your symptoms and requirements.
2 &ndash; Setting
Ensure you set up the meeting in a quiet, private space so both you and your boss feel comfortable and can speak freely about this sensitive subject matter. It will make you feel more confident and will also give your boss an opportunity to ask questions if they need to. If you think you&rsquo;ll find it useful, take in some notes to remind you of what you want to say.
3 &ndash; Cooperation
The best way to improve the treatment of mental health issues in the workplace is to work collaboratively with your boss. Although it is important to be honest and speak out when you&rsquo;re in need of help, it is ultimately up to your boss to decide how that help is given. The more reasonable and logical you are about the situation, the more understanding your boss will be of your point of view.
4 &ndash; Benefits
By speaking up you could potentially be helping your colleagues. You may be working alongside many other people who have been suffering in silence, and this in turn will help your boss; better mental health support in the workplace could save UK businesses up to &pound;8 billion per year. It might be worthwhile mentioning this during your meeting and suggesting changes that would help everyone in the company.
5 &ndash; Rights
Under the Equality Act 2010, you have both the right to protection against discrimination as well as the right to request for reasonable adjustments at work to support you with your mental illness. Make sure to do some research beforehand so you know exactly what you can expect as a result of a meeting with your boss.
&nbsp;
If you need further guidance about mental health, we highly recommend visiting the <a href="https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/">Mental Health Foundation</a> website. They have lots of information about your rights, statistics and how to get the help you need. Alternatively, if you need more urgent assistance, <a href="https://www.mind.org.uk/need-urgent-help/?ctaId=/need-urgent-help/using-this-tool/slices/using-this-tool/">click here</a> to visit the Mind website.

To raise awareness of World Mental Health Day, read our five tips about speaking to your boss about mental health...

Mental health in the workplace

STEM brands within the Impellam Group portfolio have appointed Chris Blackburn as Head of <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=19AE09FD5A3740718AC90050ACC9F30C&amp;_z=z">Corporate Social Responsibility</a>&nbsp;to target STEM skills shortages.
Chris will support Lorien (technology and digital recruitment), SRG (life sciences recruitment), and <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=F570F2BB583742158D124800DF30981B&amp;_z=z">Carbon60</a>&nbsp;(engineering recruitment) with addressing known skills shortages in STEM, as well as to drive local and regional charity initiatives.
In 2021, the <a href="https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2021/11/engineering-and-tech-giants-join-forces-to-stem-15bn-annual-skills-gap/">IET reported that the UK had a shortfall of over 173,000 workers &ndash; costing the UK economy an estimated &pound;1.5bn a year</a>. Chris&rsquo; role will lead the STEM brands to play their part in bridging this gap by generating new STEM talent, invigorating talent communities, and improving accessibility to STEM careers. Chris joins with over 20 years&rsquo; experience in training and skills development.
Commenting on the appointment, Kelly Morton, STEM CEO, said:
&ldquo;I am delighted to welcome Chris into this newly created role for Lorien, Carbon60 and SRG. In today&rsquo;s world, we need to consider the ethical, moral, and social impact of our decisions for both people and the planet. With Chris at the helm of Lorien, SRG and Carbon60&rsquo;s CSR and STEM talent strategy, I can be confident that we are always working towards the greater good and leaving behind a better world for future generations.&rdquo;
Chris said:
&ldquo;I am thrilled to join Lorien, SRG and Carbon60 at such an important time. I&rsquo;ve loved meeting the passionate people that are already driving CSR all over the business, working with our senior leaders to develop our CSR strategy for STEM, and building a roadmap for the future. I&rsquo;m excited to see the difference we can make.&rdquo;
Chris has already begun implementing change, including setting up a new CSR alliance, running workshops at schools as an official STEM ambassador, developing a structured work experience programme for school leavers interested in a career in STEM, and running a STEM-wide survey to select a new charity partner for 2022/2023 &ndash; Lucy Air Ambulance for Children (registered charity 1138457).
Lucy Air Ambulance for Children (Lucy AAC) is a national charity that flies babies and critically ill children to hospital by aeroplane to receive specialist treatment and care.
For Chris, the decision is a significant one:
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been wonderful to see how engaged everyone at Lorien, SRG and Carbon60 are and I feel really positive about our ability to drive change. Lucy AAC has links to our STEM background, but it&rsquo;s also such a deserving charity and one that needs our support &ndash; only two in four children that need help receive it due to current funding. &nbsp;I&rsquo;m hoping we can change that!&rdquo;
Charlotte Young, Chief Executive Officer at Lucy Air Ambulance for Children, said:
&ldquo;Lucy Air Ambulance for Children is so proud to have been chosen as&nbsp;Lorien, Carbon60 and SRG's charity partner. The enthusiasm, creativity, and energy that we have received from their talented employees has already given this small charity such a boost. The funds raised will make a huge difference to the lifesaving work that we do with children. We know that together we will achieve more".&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<a href="http://www.carbon60global,.om">carbon60global.com</a> | <a href="https://www.impellam.com/">impellam.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/carbon-60/">LinkedIn</a>

Chris Blackburn joins Impellam Group STEM brands to spearhead new initiatives, including a charity partnership with Lucy Air Ambulance for Children

Lorien, SRG and Carbon60 appoint Head of CSR to target STEM skill shortages

For International Women&rsquo;s Day, Impellam brought together employees from around the world in our London office. We shared our thoughts and reflected on inclusive workplaces in a session supported by Emily Esfahani Smith, the author behind the ground-breaking book &lsquo;The Power of Meaning&rsquo;.
Over the last few years, many of us have had our lives turned upside down by global events that according to Emily&rsquo;s research, have made sources of happiness an increasingly scarce resource. Emily&rsquo;s work suggests that happiness is a fleeting source for wellbeing, and that &lsquo;meaning&rsquo;, the connection we have to others, can inspire a more stable foundation for resilience and success.
At SRG, we want to reignite our people&rsquo;s sense of meaning, belonging and enthusiasm at work in an authentic, meaningful way.
Our panel delved into some of the pillars behind finding meaning in the workplace as women, and how the world of work can better facilitate equality and fairness.
Led by Jemma Pritchard Smith, Innovation Lead, the panel features:
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Kelly Morton, STEM Portfolio CEO</li>
<li>Hayley Klaff, STEM Director of Projects</li>
</ul>
This is what they had to say&hellip;
Emily spoke about the four pillars upon which meaning rests: Belonging, Purpose, Storytelling and Transcendence.&nbsp; Which pillar most resonates with you and why?
&nbsp;
Kelly: The pillar of storytelling stood out to me. I think it is incredibly important to value your own journey and what identifies you. For me personally as a female CEO, that means being open about my humble beginnings, practicing radical candour and being authentic.
&nbsp;
Taking ownership of my story in a conscious way doesn&rsquo;t mean erasing the challenges I&rsquo;ve overcome, rather, I proactively make the challenges the context, and my success the focus.
&nbsp;
Hayley: For me, it&rsquo;s probably the pillar of belonging. &nbsp;I think it&rsquo;s enormously important to find a workplace that strengthens a sense of belonging. 
&nbsp;
Personally, feeling part of something has always been a core value, from attending youth clubs as a child, to searching for a work environment where I feel like I truly fit in. In my earlier career I would move jobs every 2-3 years, before I found Impellam, where I feel I&rsquo;ve finally found the right environment for me.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
What drives equality in the workplace?
&nbsp;
Hayley: I believe that role modelling is really important. When I talk with my friends, it becomes clear that sometimes women do things that we think we should do, and that sometimes people take things on more than they think they do. 
&nbsp;
When role models and female leaders in the workplace can demonstrate and showcase a strong balance, it becomes easier to feel empowered and comfortable in your own successes.
&nbsp;
Kelly: I personally returned to work when my son was just 3 months old, and soon after my husband returned to his role where he largely worked abroad. 
&nbsp;
Working with a young child was challenging; there&rsquo;s a mental load associated with balancing wider responsibilities both inside, and outside of work. This mental load culminates in feeling emotionally exhausted, and as though there&rsquo;s no space for enjoyment. I believe this is a challenge that most women, and many working parents &ndash; mums and dads alike, often experience.
&nbsp;
I&rsquo;ve found that the women within the senior leadership team are empowering, and we often discuss the importance of caregivers &ndash; both male, and female, attaining a sense of balance in the workplace. Realizing this balance and enabling employees to achieve a strong work life balance can help drive equality and reinforce the success of women in the workplace. 
&nbsp;
Hayley: On the subject of mental load, women (and men) can often discount themselves in the workplace. It&rsquo;s up to colleagues, and team leaders alike to uplift each other, and identify and express the great things that we&rsquo;re all doing together. We need to talk through the highlights as well as the challenges and encourage each other through our successes.
&nbsp;
Kelly: As a leader, I&rsquo;ve always veered away from a hierarchal approach. I don&rsquo;t want to be inaccessible to people. I believe that a responsibility to manage people goes alongside a responsibility to be honest. I believe in a culture of radical candour, by actively communicating the truth, you can help people practice their role in a more thoughtful way and set them up for success.
Doing this across the organisation means carving out equal opportunities for growth, opportunities and progression for every employee &ndash; rather than solely for those individuals that feel confident enough to seek progression.
&nbsp;
If you could give one piece of advice to women in the workplace, what would it be?
Kelly: I would advise you to be the best version of yourself, not a second-rate version of someone else.
Hayley: Keep striving and pushing, it&rsquo;s important to know that when you try new things &ndash; you can fail and sometimes failing is when we learn the most. If you try and stay in your comfort zone, you&rsquo;ll never learn what could be, so never be afraid of failure.
Jemma: It&rsquo;s not important what anyone else thinks of you, you can only beat the person you were yesterday &ndash; that&rsquo;s who your competition is.

Find out how we celebrated International Women's Day this year.

London International Women's Day Panel

For anyone leaving the Armed Forces, making the transition back into civilian life can be tricky to navigate. Even regular, day-to-day life can present challenges for ex-forces personnel, as they try to settle back into a less formulaic, regimented way of living.
For many, one of the biggest concerns about leaving the Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy or other forces is how they will be able to make the <a href="https://www.carbon60global.com/blog/transitioning-from-army-to-civilian-job">transition from military service into a civilian job</a>.
Thankfully, with companies driving forward the power of inclusivity and diversity and realising the skills and potential of those who&rsquo;ve left the armed forces, forging a new career journey is now much less daunting &ndash; especially in industries such as Engineering, in which the knowledge and experience gained during service could prove invaluable.
In fact, many ex-forces personnel may be perfect for a career in engineering. Read on to find out why.
<h2>Transferrable Skills</h2>
There are a variety of military service-gained skills that are ready made to help fill any potential skills gaps across engineering; naturally this makes ex-forces personnel ideal candidates for a variety of engineering roles.
Careers in the military go way deeper than the front line. Operations require everything from logistics to telecommunications, infrastructure support and rebuilding to mechanical support for aircraft, vehicles, weapons and systems, all of which require dedication and a broad spectrum of skills that are applied, adapted and developed throughout an individual&rsquo;s time in service.
What&rsquo;s more, these skills are often honed in very complex, testing and stressful situations and environments. So, you can add &lsquo;excellent under pressure&rsquo; to the list of transferrable skills too!
<h2>A Forward-Thinking, Problem-Solving Attitude</h2>
A problem-solving mentality isn&rsquo;t just a &lsquo;nice to have&rsquo; in the armed forces; it is a vital trait for all personnel to have, in the face of the &ndash; known, and unknown &ndash; challenges that are presented to them every day during service.
Whilst we hope most people won&rsquo;t be faced with possible &lsquo;life or death&rsquo; situations in the civilian world, being forward-thinking and having experience of challenging and solving problems &ndash; particularly under pressure &ndash; gives ex-forces personnel an edge when being considered for a new role or career.
An ability to overcome technical obstacles, manage resources effectively and efficiently, and quickly adapt to new situations and settings &ndash; traits typical of those who&rsquo;ve served in the military &ndash; are ideally suited to engineering roles, and are exactly the type of experiences recruiters and employers will look for.
<h2>Teamwork and Leadership</h2>
By employing ex-forces personnel, companies across engineering can benefit from the teamwork and leadership skills they will have learned and developed during their time in service, helping to shape the way that their teams operate and are led &ndash; immediately and into the future.
Veterans have excellent leadership skills, and a natural ability to &lsquo;take the reigns&rsquo; in high pressure situations as part of a team working towards a common goal. And, if and when required, they are ready-made leaders &ndash; with an understanding of what great leadership is and how to make a team, project or situation a successful one.
<h2>Ready for the Future</h2>
In an increasingly digitally driven landscapes, many roles in the military expose their personnel to a variety of equipment, systems and techniques that are yet to have been applied to civilian, &lsquo;real world&rsquo; applications, putting them at the forefront of learning about &ndash; and being trained to work with &ndash; the latest technologies.
This means that, when such technologies are filtered down into engineering and used by companies across the industry, there are no better people to be able to work in environments that are increasingly influenced by new, potentially disruptive tech than those who may already have experience of it or similar &ndash; ex-forces personnel, for example!
<h3>Expert Insight from Ian Drysdale, Operations Manager at Carbon60</h3>
Carbon60 have been avid supporters, sponsors, and partners of the military for many years, and are proud to help talented, ex-forces personnel craft new career paths upon their transition back into civilian life.
Ian Drysdale, Operations Manager at Carbon60 and a veteran with over 13 years of serving in the Royal Navy, has valuable experience of what to expect and do when looking to forget a new, post-service career, so we sat down with him to gain some insights and advice for anyone looking to kickstart life after the military. Here&rsquo;s what he had to say:
&ldquo;A big thing for many leaving the forces is that they don&rsquo;t know what to do. So, it is a good idea to try and build a clear picture of what career and roles your skills may apply to and, most importantly, what you would feel happy doing and can enjoy and develop in. 
Thankfully, companies across industries such as engineering are much more receptive to ex-forces personnel these days and have an understanding and awareness of the skills they have. But even so, I think it pays to come to a company like Carbon60 to find a suitable career &ndash; as we have the expertise, experience and connections to help people transition from service to civilian life. 
We can help people tailor their CVs to better showcase their skills and experience and highlight how relevant it is to any potential companies and roles available across wider industries; and help point them in the right direction as they begin their journey &ndash; being honest with them about what roles and industries may or may not be a right fit. 
Above all, I&rsquo;d say it is vital for any ex-forces personnel to get as much advice as they can, from people in the know. An important part of my job, which is something I love, is being able to share my experiences and knowledge with people, and help them take the right next steps, at the right time &ndash; not just in their career, but during everyday civilian life too.&rdquo;

Transitioning back into civilian life after serving in the Armed Forces presents many challenges, not least starting a new career. However, with the skills and experiences gained during service, ex-forces personnel could be just who the engineering industry are looking for. 

Life after the Military: Why Ex-Forces Personnel are Perfect for Engineering Careers 

The recession of 2008 was, for a lot of people, the spark that ignited the need to make extra money to make ends meet. Due to redundancies coupled with the increased difficulty of finding employment, people turned to &lsquo;gig working&rsquo; over the internet on website or app-based work platforms where they could earn money by doing one-off, odd jobs.
The Gig Economy is the name given to the uprising of freelancers finding work via specialised websites or apps aka &lsquo;digital work platforms&rsquo; where they can get paid work (gigs) by selling their skills.
You could work in retail 9-5 but fancy doing some graphic design in the evenings. You could be a stay-at-home mum with a couple of hours spare to do some web design, or a retiree who wants to earn some extra money as a proof-reader. The number of these on-demand startups are growing quickly. Popular examples of these include: <a href="https://www.upwork.com/">UpWork</a>, <a href="http://www.freelancer.co.uk/">Freelancer</a> and <a href="http://www.peopleperhour.com/">PeoplePerHour</a>
The market for gig economy platforms and related services will be worth almost &pound;43billion globally by 2020 with &pound;2billion in the UK alone forecasts consultancy&nbsp;PricewaterhouseCoopers. However it&rsquo;s still early days as by their estimation it only makes up a mere 2% of the total recruitment market.
In the UK, the number of self-employed people has increased to 4.7million, closing in on the number of people who work in the public sector which has decreased to 6.9million. According to the International Business Times, &ldquo;87% of Brits see &lsquo;gig economy&rsquo; taking over from 9&ndash;5 working days in 10 years.&rdquo;
The Gig Economy is a trend that is gaining momentum at a significant rate with people who work for themselves becoming an economic force to be reckoned with. The rise of self-described &lsquo;Entrepreneurs&rsquo; and people classed as Self-Employed has grown more in the last 8 years since the recession than in the 30 years previous.
The question is - Is the Gig Economy a threat to the recruitment industry?
<a href="-/media/3d80de5000874e81a9f9eb4920253503.ashx">Download our FREE white paper to read a more in depth analysis</a>

The Gig Economy is a trend that is gaining momentum at a significant rate with people who work for themselves becoming an economic force to be reckoned with...

Is the Gig Economy a threat to the Recruitment Industry

Chris Blackburn, Director of Skills Growth at Impellam Group, was recently named a finalist and received high commendation in the Skills Champion category for the Yorkshire and Humber Region at the <a href="https://appawards.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apprenticeships and Skills Awards</a>.
Now in its 21st year, the awards were established to celebrate the achievements of apprentices and those who champion apprenticeship programs. <a href="https://appawards.co.uk/categories" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Judges look for</a> individuals who "actively promote apprenticeships and skills, going beyond their usual roles to advocate these pathways as outstanding career options."
On receiving the recognition, Chris expressed, "I&rsquo;m incredibly honored to have been highly commended in this category. The journey has been remarkable, and to be acknowledged alongside such inspiring people makes it even more special. Together, we are driving change, promoting early careers, and helping others carve their own paths."
This is Chris&rsquo;s second accolade in 2024, following his receipt of the &lsquo;Biggest Impact to the Network&rsquo; award from the <a href="https://www.yorkandhumberportal.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yorkshire and Humber Apprenticeship Ambassador Network</a>. He earned this recognition for his leadership in guiding apprentices through presentations, career events, workshops, and social media campaigns.
For additional insights, <a href="https://www.carbon60global.com/blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a> or follow our <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/carbon-60" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LinkedIn for more updates</a>.
<h3>About Impellam</h3>
Impellam is a connected group providing global workforce and STEM talent solutions. Our 1700 people and market leading brands work across a broad spectrum of industries and job categories throughout North America, the UK and Europe and Asia Pacific. Our award-winning Global Managed Services provide a diverse range of digitally enabled, multi-disciplinary workforce solutions to organisations. We are upper quadrant industry leaders in Managed Service Provision and Services Procurement, and IT. Our STEM businesses are specialists in recruiting and engaging talent in the key growth markets of technology, digital, data analytics, science, clinical and engineering and work with customers across all sectors and sizes. We believe in the power of work. Through the power of work, we build better businesses and help people lead more fulfilling lives.
&nbsp;Our brands include: Comensura, Guidant Global, SRG, Lorien, Carbon60 and Bartech.
&nbsp;For more information about Impellam Group:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.impellam.com./">www.impellam.com</a>.

Brands across the Impellam Group, including Carbon60, are celebrating Chris Blackburn - our Director of Skills Growth - receiving high commendation at the 2024 Apprenticeship and Skills Awards. 

Impellam Group’s Chris Blackburn earns high praise at the 2024 Apprenticeship and Skills Awards

Carbon60 are proud to be part of the Impellam Group.
Impellam Group, a leading Global Talent Acquisition and Managed Workforce Solutions provider that delivers bold promises to help build better businesses, has announced the appointment of Becky Upton as Director of Client Solutions and SOW (Statement of Work) across its STEM portfolio of brands.
Becky will join Impellam&rsquo;s STEM Senior Leadership Team, where she will play a key role in shaping and developing the Impellam Statement of Work strategy across the STEM staffing brands: Lorien (tech and digital), SRG (life sciences) and Carbon60 (engineering and defence).
Becky joins with over ten years&rsquo; industry experience in delivering services defined in statement of work or scope of work contracts in the life sciences and healthcare industry. A highly versatile director with a 20-year track record of strategic and operational development in global corporations and SMEs, including at her own consultancy, she brings a strong understanding of designing and delivering defined client solutions.
<h4>Commenting on her recent appointment, Becky said:</h4>
&lsquo;I&rsquo;m really looking forward to unifying the strength of our STEM brands to bring a complete service to our customers. Global STEM shortages and rapid changes in internal skill requirements are demanding organisations to rethink how to acquire the skills to deliver their strategy. In particular, I&rsquo;m looking forward to growing our Statement of Work solutions in the European market and supporting our clients to think outside the box when it comes to talent.&rsquo;
<h4>Kelly Morton, Group CEO of STEM at Impellam Group in the UK, said:</h4>
&lsquo;I&rsquo;m delighted to welcome Becky into her new role as Director of Client Solutions and SOW. Becky&rsquo;s appointment will align our client services strategy for Statement of Work contracts across sectors where STEM skills and talent make a difference to our customers and where our markets intersect, such as in pharma, biotech, and chemicals. This is a key strategic role for Impellam, and I&rsquo;m looking forward to seeing how our client delivery evolves under Becky&rsquo;s leadership.&rsquo;

Becky joins Impellam’s STEM Senior Leadership Team, playing a key role in shaping and developing the strategy across STEM.

Impellam Group appoints Dr Becky Upton as Director of Client Solutions and SOW

For several years, but more recently in particular, Artificial Intelligence and its prominence and application has been growing. AI such as the infamous ChatGPT has become part of many people&rsquo;s day-to-day, whilst AI applications are becoming bigger and more prevalent across most industries.&nbsp;
Across STEM industries Artificial Intelligence is really making an impact. In Life Sciences for example, AI is helping to develop and accelerate processes for research, discovery and creation of game-changing drugs and treatments. However, whilst AI is supporting people and their work, there are some concerns it could someday remove the need for people and their work altogether.&nbsp;
So, what about the impact of Artificial Intelligence in Engineering &ndash; one of the key STEM industries? Is AI an engineer&rsquo;s friend or foe? Will it help take engineers and engineering techniques and processes to the next level, or deem them redundant? Let&rsquo;s dive in&hellip;&nbsp;
<h2>Artificial Intelligence in Engineering: The Good</h2>
There can be no doubt that Artificial Intelligence has the power and potential to make positive impacts in engineering. In fact, it already is.
AI can, and is, helping to transform, improve and optimise a variety of processes, functions and performance metrics across engineering and its various applications. <a href="https://aiengineerhub.com/future-artificial-intelligence">A piece from Henri Hubert of the AI Engineer Hub</a>, which helps engineers navigate the AI revolution, highlights just a few of the benefits Artificial Intelligence brings to an engineering environment, including:
<ul>
<li>AI Driven Design and Optimisation &ndash; Leveraging the power of AI&rsquo;s machine learning and generative design capabilities, working in parallel with engineer&rsquo;s existing expertise and experience, allows complex engineering processes and tasks to be more efficient, sustainable and innovative.</li>
<li>Predictive Maintenance and Asset Management &ndash; Another way in which Artificial Intelligence is driving engineering efficiency and reliability; by studying data and predicting patterns, AI can help to discover problem areas before they even arise, which can reduce downtime, maintenance costs and free-up time.</li>
<li>Collaborative Robotics and Human-Machine Synergy &ndash; Artificial Intelligence robots learn from humans as much as they can teach them and can adapt to the parameters of certain situations and tasks to complete and perform them &ndash; alongside humans &ndash; to a remarkably high standard.</li>
<li>AI-Enhanced Safety and Risk Management &ndash; AI has the power to help take health and safety management to the next level, through identifying potential risks and suggesting potential outcomes and countermeasures, which can then be put into place in relevant processes and functions.</li>
<li>AI in Education and Skill Development &ndash; Engineering is evolving and developing all the time, requiring the development and learning of new skills, processes and knowledge. Utilising AI to identify potential new skills and processes that may be required in the future gives engineers a potential head start, allowing them to nurture such skills ahead of the time they may be needed.</li>
</ul>
AI, when used correctly, is widely perceived as a supportive technology within the engineering industry; one that &ndash; when used in support of humans, their work and goals, rather than against them &ndash; has the capability to not only change the way things are done for the better now, but also shape the future of the industry too.
But the key here, is always whether AI is being &lsquo;used correctly&rsquo;, as we&rsquo;ll now explore&hellip;
<h2>Artificial Intelligence in Engineering: The Bad</h2>
Considering the power of Artificial Intelligence and the potential breadth of its abilities, it is easy to fall into thinking that AI is the &lsquo;all seeing, all knowing&rsquo; answer to all problems, questions and tasks. This is risky.
For example, as <a href="https://eng.vt.edu/magazine/stories/fall-2023/ai.html">highlighted by Eugenia Rho, Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech&rsquo;s Department of Computer Science</a>, an increased dependence on AI can reduce critical thinking, which in turn could potentially lead to a diminishing of skills and knowledge, and &ndash; as a knock-on effect &ndash; deter future human development.
Meanwhile, Ali Shojaei Assistant Professor, Myers-Lawson School of Construction <a href="https://eng.vt.edu/magazine/stories/fall-2023/ai.html">warns against an accelerated, all-out integration and adoption of AI in real-world settings</a>, suggesting that seeing Artificial Intelligence as a &lsquo;silver bullet&rsquo; to all problems and challenges in industries such as engineering could lead to poor results.
What&rsquo;s more, with Artificial Intelligence built on, operated by and developed by data, it suffers from a few data-related drawbacks too. AI supplied with incorrect or incomplete data will produce incorrect or incomplete results; in turn resulting in products and processes could hinder engineers, rather than help. Don&rsquo;t forget, data is stored and powered by data centres that consume large amounts of electricity too, so by utilising AI you could in fact risk negatively impacting your company&rsquo;s carbon footprint &ndash; an important consideration in STEM industries.
<h2>Artificial Intelligence in Engineering: The (Potentially) Worrying</h2>
Adopting new technology, approaches, methods and techniques often brings with it a few worries; after all, change &ndash; no matter how positive it could potentially be &ndash; can be unsettling and difficult to understand.
The adoption of Artificial Intelligence in engineering is certainly presenting some potential worries and challenges for those within the industry, and arguably the most common and concerning for many is AI&rsquo;s impact on human-roles and job security, and whether Artificial Intelligence &ndash; with all its capabilities and seemingly-endless applications &ndash; could simply replace a human workforce.
However, there is believe that this isn&rsquo;t the case. In fact, even AI developers are keen to dispel these concerns. Dr Richard Ahlfeld, CEO and Founder of Monolith, an AI platform used by some of the world&rsquo;s leading automotive, aerospace and industrial engineering firms, for example <a href="https://www.theengineer.co.uk/content/in-depth/expert-qa-what-does-ai-mean-for-engineers">has offered some settling insight,</a> supporting the idea that AI is simply there to support and further develop the skilled workers within industries such as engineering.
These thoughts are also echoed by Ali Shojaei, who &ndash; despite recognising the potential for workers&rsquo; roles to become obsolete due to the adoption of AI &ndash; <a href="https://eng.vt.edu/magazine/stories/fall-2023/ai.html">sees new human-role opportunities arising from the introduction of Artificial Intelligence and what is required to support and benefit from it.</a>
<h2>The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Engineering</h2>
Artificial Intelligence is here. And here to stay. Like it or not, AI is &ndash; and will continue to &ndash; impacting all our lives; even if you&rsquo;re not aware of, or understand, the impact it is having or the way it is making said impacts.
AI is revolutionising processes, projects and the results they produce, with the aim of making life &ndash; in and outside of work &ndash; easier for us all.
It may or may not replace humans in existing engineering roles; it could, or could not, create new roles too. But one thing is for sure, Artificial Intelligence has the potential to help build a bolder, brighter future for engineering and engineers &ndash; but only if it is used correctly, carefully and considerately, and in support of the work that talented, expert engineers produce.

Artificial Intelligence isn’t just a buzzword. The impacts of AI are being felt across industries including engineering, and already changing processes and the way people work. But is it beneficial to engineers, another ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ technology, or something from them to worry about?

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