FINANCE RECRUITMENT BY PROFESSIONALS FOR PROFESSIONALS
​SINCE 1992

Vital information for Trainee Accountants!

I have been recruiting this week for three trainee accountant posts for a reputable firm in the local area. Both they and myself have been despairing of the calibre of CV's which we have been seeing from graduates trying to get into accountancy, which is what is prompting me to write this blog. The standard of spelling and grammar on the CV's, we have been receiving is to put it bluntly, poor. There are a two key issues where this is concerned and they are: 1) If you want to be an accountant, attention to detail is all. If you can't pay attention to detail on your CV, then there is not much hope for you being given a trainee role by any employer in accountancy. 2) If you are going to communicate in business, then you need to make sure you can write clear English and both spelling and grammar ensure that this is the case I would urge you then, before you send your CV anywhere to check it, check it again and then get someone else to check it. Do not rely on the spellcheck or your computer for grammar help. I look forward to receiving some better quality CV's in the future. Have a good week. Jeanette

May/June UK Report on Jobs

Cavill Robinson are one of 400 agencies nationwide contributing to the Report on Jobs. Produced by the REC and KPMG, which gives a monthly update of the state of the jobs market. James Stewart, Vice Chair of KPMG comments on this month's job market as follows: Brexit uncertainty continues to dampen the jobs market as companies kept their recruitment decisions on hold in May. Permanent staff appointments fell at a slightly faster pace than in April, while subdued confidence ensured that growth in temporary billings hit a six-year low. “Of increasing concern is that uncertainty is feeding through to weaker growth in job vacancies, while the supply of candidates fell sharply as people are becoming more risk averse with regards to switching roles. Relatively muted trends for permanent staff vacancies were seen across the board, with retail, construction and executive/professional hit particularly badly. “We expect the labour market to remain in stalemate over the summer as the contest for a new Prime Minister kicks off. Companies are unlikely to make any dramatic investment decisions until a new leader is in place and have more insight on the future direction of Brexit.” Neil Carberry, Chief Executive of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation, said: “The jobs market is still creating opportunities for those looking for work. With vacancies rising and starting salaries going up sharply, it is worth people talking to recruiters about that next step in their career. “Overall, though, the survey again shows what uncertainty does to hiring plans.." Jeanette Robinson, Cavill Robinson's Managing Director adds: "We must remember that this is a nationwide survey covering all aspects of recruitment. Our fee income this year has leapt by 61% so we are not seeing any Brexit slowdown in finance or in the local area. There are however severe shortages of quality candidates to fill vacancies. Often this is caused quite simply by companies paying below the market rate and not moving swiftly enough when they do see a good candidate. When we have vacancies paying a good salary and clients who move quickly, we usually fill the roles even in these difficult market conditions."

How jobs change through time

I spent last weekend in Shropshire on the border of Wales, where my great great great grandfather and his father came from. My mother has researched our family history and I was struck by the changing pattern of employment in our family reflecting the history of this country. My great great great great grandfather was an agricultural labourer working at a farm in Shropshire. His son was a miner. Presumably that meant more money but a shorter life. He moved firstly to Walsall and then to Hyde in Cheshire presumably for work and better prospects but we don't know how he moved that great distance. Did he walk or as it was the early years of the railways, did he have the money to travel by train? Either way, he was prepared to travel far further than a lot of people today to find work. My grandfather was a welder. This was the height of manufacturing in England and during the war he welded pieces for Spitfires. My mother remembers him working such long shifts during the war that he would fall asleep taking his socks off! My mother as the daughter of working class parents benefited from Balfour's Education Act, which for the first time gave free grammar school education to those who couldn't afford it, as did my father. My mother became a teacher, which was seen as a step up the social ladder for someone from her background. It was also one of the few opportunities open for bright girls like her at the time. The others were nursing, being a librarian or a secretary. Her daughter, me, now runs her own business, has foreign holidays and owns her own property and car. It made me wonder what my great great great great grandfather would say if he could compare his lifestyle with mine. It also made me wonder where we shall all be in four generations time. How jobs will have changed by then and whether we shall have continued our climb or be going backwards? It is certainly quite incredible to me that in a mere four generations, our family has prospered the way it has.. Part of it has been down to politicians with vision, who did the right thing to help the working class escape from their social situation and part of it has been down to individuals seizing those opportunites. I sincerely hope that today's politicians at some stage can offer a strong vision for the future so that ordinary people can continue to progress. Have a good week. Jeanette