3 ways to boost your employability

In today's fast-paced job market, being employable requires more than just having the right qualifications. To stand out to employers and increase your chances of landing your dream job, consider these three quick tips to boost your employability:

1. Upskilling for Success: In an ever-evolving job landscape, continuous learning is non-negotiable. Upskilling not only keeps you competitive but also showcases your commitment to growth. Attend courses, certifications, or workshops to acquire new skills or strengthen existing ones. Employers someone who is dedicated to their development and can bring something new to their business.

There are plenty of free online resources you can use for upskilling. Our partners The Women's Organisation run a wide range of courses. You can find them here.

2. Building a Strong Online Presence: Your digital footprint matters. An impressive online presence on platforms like LinkedIn and professional websites can significantly enhance your employability. Ensure your profiles are up-to-date, professional, and highlight your achievements and skills. Engage with relevant content and connect with industry professionals to expand your network.

If you're feeling stuck and not sure how to approach LinkedIn, why not attend this online webinar? It is fully-funded and will teach you all the basics you need to know.

3. Soft Skills Matter: While technical skills are essential, don't underestimate the power of soft skills. Communication, teamwork, adaptability, and problem-solving abilities are highly sought after by employers. Showcase these skills in your resume and during interviews by providing real-life examples of how you've utilized them to achieve positive outcomes.

By focusing on upskilling, maintaining a strong online presence, and emphasizing your soft skills, you'll position yourself as a standout candidate in the competitive job market.

If you need further support with your job search and employment journey, sign up to support from our partners New Horizons. Their employability package focuses on all part of the job application journey and has a wide range of 1-2-1 and group support. Find their upcoming courses here.

Get creative: Write To Work One-Day bootcamp is now open to applicants!

 

Exciting news! Our partners, Liverpool-based charity Writing On The Wall, have announced their 'Write To Work one-day bootcamp'. Starting in September, local communities in the Liverpool city region will be given the chance to explore the world of creative writing in a handy, straight forward one-day workshop.

Writing On The Wall are pioneers for creativity and support people to get into the writing industry. In this one-day bootcamp, not only will participants build practical skills and confidence, but will also be given advice on how to start building a writing career. Topics will include;

• How to get published - including self publishing and traditional methods
• Script writing for TV - getting started and accessing opportunities
• Becoming a copy and content writer
• Pitching your creative ideas 

The first session will take place between 9:30am - 5:00pm at 54 St James Street, in the heart of the Baltic Triangle in Liverpool. Lunch, snacks, and drinks will be provided. To apply and to ask any questions, email write2work@writingonthewall.org.uk.

For more information, click here.

From Marketing to Protest Poetry with Writing On The Wall

 

Our colleague Vicky, marketer of the Directions programme, recently completed Writing On The Wall’s 6 week ‘Write To Work’ course. As well as improving her writing capabilities, she wanted to gain a better understanding of the programme and what Directions' clients experience. It is designed to help unemployed people in the Liverpool city region gain the knowledge, skillset, and resources to pursue a career in the writing industry.

She shared her experience, what she learned, and what she took away from the course...

 

The past 6 weeks of Writing On The Wall’s ‘Write To Work’ course have been eye opening, engaging, and refreshing. It was great to be in an environment where creativity was championed and encouraged alongside a room full of like-minded people.

 

Many different writing styles and genres were taught across the programme, including protest poetry, screenwriting, playwrighting, and novels. This made me realise how much scope there is within the writing industry. It also gave me the opportunity to recognise what genres I identified with most strongly and what I felt passionate about.

 

I had the pleasure of meeting six different writing professionals during the course. Each writer bought their own passions, technique, and teaching style, making each week a new experience. Being exposed to such a diverse range of creatives from different cultural backgrounds was also very refreshing.

 

The importance of a healthy mindset was encouraged. Authors Natalie Denny and Ginni Manning separately spoke about creating a physical safe space where you can relax and let your creativity take hold. Mindfully setting out blocks of time dedicated to your writing is also a technique I learnt to get into the right headspace.

 

The group was also given practical advice on how to get your work published, including who to contact and what to avoid. Topics included self publishing, working with Amazon Books, and submitting your work to external publishers. This was helpful as the world of publishing can be very overwhelming and confusing.

 

Since the course, I’ve realised that I’m drawn to protest poetry, especially around inequalities in women’s health and feminism. I recently submitted a poem to be published in Writing On The Wall’s next anthology, which is an opportunity all participants have when attending the programme. I am excited to work with a professional editor in the near future to get the full experience of writing, editing and publishing a body of writing.

 

I recommend anyone who is interested by the writing industry to attend the Write To Work programme. It is carefully put together to equip you with the confidence and skills to pursue your writing goals. The strong sense of community within Writing On The Wall as a charity is also incredibly welcoming and the team there are always there to answer questions and provide support.

To find out more about Writing On The Wall and their future programmes, click here.

Your Monthly Job Round Up

 

We've put together a list of vacancies around the Liverpool city region.

From customer services, to council graduate jobs, there is something for everyone to match your experience and skillset!

Graduate Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer - Knowsley Council

Knowsley Council Jobs (jgp.co.uk)

Administration Assistant - Knowsley and St Helens NHS Trust

Job Advert (jobs.nhs.uk)

Customer Services Team Leader, Liverpool John Moore's University

Customer Services Team Leader (4263) (ljmu.ac.uk)

Youth Engagement Officer, The Regenda Group, Birkenhead

Youth Engagement Officer (current-vacancies.com)

Retail Assistant, Primark, Southport

Retail Assistant in Southport at Primark | Primark Careers

What's On - May 2023

 

May is a busy month for us, our partners, and the city of Liverpool as a whole. From employability workshops to Eurovision, there really is something for everyone.

 

We’ve put together a handy list of events in and around Liverpool over the next month. Check them out below!

• WOWfest 2023

Our partners Writing On The Wall have officially kicked off their annual writing and literature festival, WOWfest. They celebrate and amplify the voices of working class creatives through panel events, talks, and poetry recitals. Check out the full schedule here.

 

 

•         Eurovision

Liverpool is hosting this year’s Eurovision final on behalf of Ukraine. There are various events taking place around the city held by National Museums Liverpool which can be found here.

There has also been a grant available for local organisations, charities, and community centres to help deliver Eurovision themed sessions for their community. To find the nearest one to you, take a look here.

 

 

•        Employability events

There are a series of employability events taking place this month to help you gain the skills, confidence, and network to boost your employability!

 

Build Your CV | The Women’s Organisation | Tuesday 23^rd May | 10am – 12pm

Liverpool Jobs Fair | Anfield Stadium | Wednesday 24^th May | 10am – 1pm

Jobs & Apprenticeship Fair | Wednesday 17^th May | 11am – 1:30pm

THE DIRECTIONS ROUND-UP - 21st JANUARY

 

We are back with a round-up of some great jobs and opportunities from this week! 

JOBS:

Admin Officer/Receptionist - Wirral Community Health and Care

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an admin officer/receptionist to join the Sexual health team, which is a large dynamic frontline service within Wirral Community NHS Foundation Trust.

The Division includes a range of public health focused services and initiatives and is mainly commissioned by Wirral Council.

Sexual Health Wirral offers a fully integrated and accessible service to patients throughout Wirral. The service is delivered across 3 sites in partnership with Brook, WUTH and the Royal Liverpool Hospital and is open 6 days per week (due to current covid restrictions, the service is only running 5 days a week, mon-fri 8-6pm)

https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/xi/vacancy/916982128

Customer Service Operator - Amey Liverpool

Working as part of our award winning customer service centre which provides 24/7 support to our Defence contracts across the UK, you will be responsible for maintaining a fantastic standard of customer service by being the first point of call for queries, complaints, property and building management via telephone. 

Full time, permanent positions available based out of the Matchworks, Speke. (Remote working may be required) 

Shift pattern working Monday – Friday 08:00am-16:30pm 
40 hour working week. 

We are offering £19760 per annum for this role plus a range of Amey benefits including 24 days holiday and 8 bank holidays.

Security Clearance will be undertaken for the successful applicants. 

https://www.amey.co.uk/talent-link/external/job/431744

Kitchen Assistant - Toby Carvery Speke

With your support as a Kitchen Assistant at Toby Carvery - Speke Boulevard, everything will run like clockwork! You’ll make sure everything is stocked up, clean, tidy and ready for the shift ahead.

Join us at Toby Carvery, the home of the roast, where every day is a Sunday! Think perfectly ruffled potatoes, giant homemade Yorkies and pigs in blankets all year round. If you love Yorkies as much as we do, we want to hear from you.

https://www.mbcareersandjobs.com/job/kitchen-assistant-in-toby-carvery-speke-boulevard-speke-l24-1xz-jid-107253

Caretaker - Wirral Council

36.00 hours per week – All year contract

School is looking to appoint an enthusiastic, hardworking, experienced and reliable person to join our happy, successful school. The Caretaker will work as part of a team across our two sites in Pensby and Wallasey, along with the Site Manager and cleaning teams. Along with the Site Manager, this role will include gaining knowledge about the Plant Operation for the pool at the Wallasey site and assisting in monitoring this when required. This role will primarily assist in the maintenance and security of our Pensby site. The successful candidate must be a team player with a can-do attitude who can communicate well with others. Skills in DIY and general maintenance are essential and the successful candidate will be flexible and able to work using their own initiative.

https://ats-wirralschools.jgp.co.uk/vacancies/179802?ga_client_id=0c8cb102-d13b-4124-8366-5229935871d7&type=list

Trainee Digital Merchandiser - Liverpool

If you are looking at starting your career in marketing or sales, then this the perfect role for you!

Our online presence is one of the most important elements when it comes to selling vehicles, we have aspirations to have one of the best online shops in the industry, and we are looking for a talented individual who can help us achieve this!

As a Digital Merchandiser for Swansway, you will be responsible for marketing all of our vehicles at the dealership. You will work closely with the Sales Manager to promote vehicles digitally and to help the dealership achieve its sales targets.

To succeed in an increasingly digital world, as a company we have to make use of all our online platforms, this means use our Instagram and Facebook pages to promote Swansway and our brands by creating innovative content that will capture our target audience.

The role is hands on and you'll be active around the dealership, this is a busy fast paced role.
£19,000 basic moving to £21,000 basic + bonus

https://careers.swanswaygarages.com/search/1139

Customer Services Assistant - Stena Line Birkenhead

The Port Operations Team is made up of customer focused individuals working with all aspects of customer service and we are currently looking for someone to join us in 12 Quays Terminal, Birkenhead.

Your main task will be to assist with the smooth and effective transportation of passengers and vehicles to and from the vessels, whilst ensuring their experience is as pleasurable as possible by providing the highest standards of customer service to all our guests.

At Stena Line, we believe everything is connected. By bringing people and goods together, we enable businesses and societies to grow. As a company, we are on an exciting journey driven by technology and new digital habits, developing our business to create outcomes that matter to our customers.

https://www.stenaline.com/career/job-openings/1104/customer-services-assistant/

Data Quality Analyst - Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust

Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust is looking to recruit an enthusiastic and motivated individual to join the Information Department.

We are looking to recruit a Data Quality Analyst to effectively use and interpret information, supporting the improvement in the quality and completeness of data across the organisation.

The post holder will have good knowledge of acute health services, a range of appropriate technical skills and the ability to analyse, explain and present complex data. This role is key to ensuring monitoring of our Data Quality is as effective as possible.

https://beta.jobs.nhs.uk/candidate/jobadvert/C9347-22-0693

EVENTS:

1-2-1 consultations with a business adviser to discuss an idea and how to get started:

• Have a long-term business idea you want to pursue?
• Noticed a gap in the market during this time and think you can fill it?
• Have a hobby you want to turn into a business?

Our team of advisors are available for 1 hour slots to talk through your idea and help you get started.

Book yours instantly via Eventbrite, or email us on hello@thewo.org.uk for another date.

Available for women living in the Liverpool City Region.

About Directions:

Directions is a specifically designed and fully integrated programme of support that will improve the employability of over 2,000 local residents from the Liverpool City Region who are currently not in work.

For More Information on Directions

Telephone: 0151 706 8111

Email: hello@thewo.org.uk

Keep in touch with Directions on Twitter.

About European Social Fund:

Directions are receiving funding from the European Social Fund as part of the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme in England. The Department for Work and Pensions (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) is the Managing Authority for the England European Social Fund programme. Established by the European Union, the European Social Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support skills development, employment and job creation, social inclusion, and local community regenerations. For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding

THE DIRECTIONS ROUND-UP - 14th JANUARY

  

We are back with a round-up of some great jobs and opportunities from this week! 

JOBS:

Gardener - HC One St. Helens

In your role as a Gardener at HC-One you will undertake gardening duties at your Care Home and maintain and present the Homes’ gardens and grounds to a highest standard in order to help HC-One to become the First Choice Care Home in the community. You will be responsive and flexible as the needs of the Homes change.

As a Gardener you will be responsible for general gardening duties and tending to all gardens, including (but not exclusively) the planting of seasonal foliage, grass-cutting, shrubs and pruning, watering of hanging baskets, eradication of weeds, tidying of all pathways, walk ways and drive ways surrounding areas within the care home grounds. 

https://apply.hc-one.co.uk/vacancies/30884/gardener.html

Business Support Assistant - NHS England

NHS England and NHS Improvement came together on 1 April 2019 as a new single organisation. The NHS Long Term Plan focuses on delivering integrated care to patients at the local level and we can best support the NHS to deliver this as a single integrated organisation.

At the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s job share, part time or another flexible pattern. In addition, although the role advertised may have an ‘home’ office base indicated, we remain committed to supporting flexibility around workplace locations. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/xi/vacancy/916973564

Student Experience Adminstrator - University of Liverpool

Working within the Student Experience Team in the Institute of Population Health, you will play an important role in supporting students and academic staff as part of the Institute¿s Professional Services Team with a primary focus on undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught student support, assessments, examinations and student progression.   You should have excellent customer service and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively under pressure in a challenging environment.  You should also have the ability to quickly interpret, absorb and advice on new information and procedures. 

https://my.corehr.com/pls/ulivrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.display_form

Sales Assistant - WHSmith New Mersey Retail Park

In our stores, you won’t just work the tills and stock the shelves. Here at WHSmith, it’s all about the customer. That means being helpful, listening and talking to them, no matter how busy you are. In fact, you’ll be an all-round customer service superstar, who can understand exactly what each customer wants. That means product knowledge is very important too. Naturally, you’ll have a great team there to help you. You’ll need to work together to keep the store well stocked and tidy, even when it’s busy.
 

https://krb-sjobs.brassring.com/TGnewUI/Search/home/HomeWithPreLoad?PageType=JobDetails&partnerid=30012&siteid=5104&jobid=270946#jobDetails=270946_5104

Customer Service Advisor - Liverpool City Council

Liverpool City Council is recruiting Customer Service Advisors to provide advice and information in relation to all city council and partner agency services.

Based in the historic Cunard Building, with the flexibility to work from home, this is a fantastic opportunity for the right people with a real desire to make a difference, to how we support the people of Liverpool.

With Liverpool City Council covering everything from the planning of roads and managing leisure services, to ensuring the most vulnerable in our society have a social care service to protect them. The Customer Service Advisor role can be varied, with lots to learn.

Our Customer Service Advisors provide first contact resolutions to our city’s residents and customers through the Contact Centre and e-Contact always maintaining the highest standard of customer service.

http://lccjobs.liverpool.gov.uk/details.aspx?id=P1LFK026203F3VBQBV77VF6FT&nPostingID=6693&nPostingTargetID=76784&mask=lccext&lg=UK

IT Analyst (Support) - Plus Dane Housing Merseyside

The purpose of the IT Analyst (Support) role is to support, improve and enhance IT systems used throughout the organisation. The post holder will assist in ensuring that systems are kept up to date, managed and administered.

The post holder will assist with application support for business systems within the IT team using using service desk tools to manage and report performance on fault and service request resolution, using SQL server, associated systems and development environments, and Web based mobile technologies, working closely with stakeholders to ensure that the systems are fit for purpose, up to date, secure and available.

https://ce0450li.webitrent.com/ce0450li_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?VACANCY_ID%3d3102543DaH&WVID=1758440UiU

EVENTS:

1-2-1 consultations with a business adviser to discuss an idea and how to get started:

• Have a long-term business idea you want to pursue?
• Noticed a gap in the market during this time and think you can fill it?
• Have a hobby you want to turn into a business?

Our team of advisors are available for 1 hour slots to talk through your idea and help you get started.

Book yours instantly via Eventbrite, or email us on hello@thewo.org.uk for another date.

Available for women living in the Liverpool City Region.

About Directions:

Directions is a specifically designed and fully integrated programme of support that will improve the employability of over 2,000 local residents from the Liverpool City Region who are currently not in work.

For More Information on Directions

Telephone: 0151 706 8111

Email: hello@thewo.org.uk

Keep in touch with Directions on Twitter.

About European Social Fund:

Directions are receiving funding from the European Social Fund as part of the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme in England. The Department for Work and Pensions (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) is the Managing Authority for the England European Social Fund programme. Established by the European Union, the European Social Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support skills development, employment and job creation, social inclusion, and local community regenerations. For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding