TUESDAYLecture - Dave MacKay - Job Hunting in the United Kingdom

30% of jobs in Edinburgh are part time which is good for students but the bad part is that they only pay minimum wage which is about 5 pounds ($10.00) an hour.

32% are in Finance, Information Technology and Business.28% are in Public Administration, Education and Health which are government funded.

10% are in Manufacturing.

25% of vacancies appear in the newspaper.There are different days for different jobs and classifieds usually appear only on Mondays and Fridays.There are between 80 - 85 recruitment agencies in Edinburgh that operate similar to the ones in the US with employers paying about 15%.

Use either a CV (resume) or application for applying for a job - not both.CV should not be more than two pages and changed slightly for each job showing relative information.

Every applicant is asked the same question because of equal opportunity legislation.

Some companies offer child care vouchers and gym membership.

Criminal background checks are completed for government and social work.

Lecture - Job Centre(www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk)

The Job Centre is government run and helps obtain jobs.

Some tips to follow:

Always keep your CV (resume) up to date.

Always follow up after an interview - if you don't get the job, ask for feedback.

CV should contain:Qualifications, Skills, Career/Education and Personal Life

Good knowledge of job description - make sure you can do the "key tasks".

If asked about your weaknesses,do not say you are a perfectionist - turn the question around to make whatever you say seem like a strength

Take an interest in the person interviewing you and ask them about themselves and the company.

Always use bullets instead of sentences

Carry a portfolio for certain kinds of jobs (photography, etc.)

Always send a thank you letter or e-mail after interview.

Make sure your ability/skills fit in with the company

Royal Mail/Post Office/Parcel Force

Royal Mail delivers 80 million items daily to 27 million addresses with quality of service their main priority.It is a 24 hour/7 day a week operation.

We took a field trip to the nearby Royal Mail center.This particular center covers approximately 156 miles east of Scotland which contain six postcodes.This center collects, sorts and distributes the mail.They process an average 2.6 million items within a 24 hour period.There are different schedules for different areas.First class mail always gets priority. (www.royalmail.co.uk)The Royal Mail was founded in 1635 and has more than 160,000 employees.It takes 56 pence to send a postcard.The Royal Mail was once a monopoly but is not any longer.Only Royal Mail delivers even though you can leave mail at other locations. Parcels may be delivered by other companies.Return addresses on mail sent in Scotland contain the return addresses on the back of the envelope.

Observations of Scotland

After purchasing a phone card, I have finally found a phone that it will work in.It only works in certain phones - the red box ones.I have not been able to use it at the hotel or some of the other phones on the street.Since there is a five hour difference in time, I have to be careful as to when I call or I will be calling at 4:00 in the morning which I did one time and woke up my husband.

Fish and chips are very popular and cost about 5 pounds.

There are buses and taxis everywhere but people walk a lot.Streets are cobblestone and very rough.There are a lot of hills and lots of construction.The hills are difficult to climb but there are numerous taxis available.

VAT - Value Added Tax is 17.5% on almost everything except in supermarkets, takeout food, books and children's clothes.It is included in the price and you can get it back if the store gives you a form, you fill it out and deposit it at the airport.

The Scots don't tip as much we do.In restaurants, sometimes it is included, if not it is recommended to leave it in cash so the person receives the money.

Legal age for alcohol is 18 but some pubs will ask that you be 21.

Mail boxes in Scotland are round and red.

There are a lot of roundabouts and of course, they drive on the left hand side of the road.So, when crossing streets, you have to look the opposite way than you would in the U.S.

The people that I observed were very friendly and cooperative.

Smoking is illegal inside any building in the United Kingdome including public transport.There is a 50 pound fine for throwing a cigarette butt on the street.

Seat belts are required on buses.

Your Local Hospice Shop is a thrift store, similar to our Goodwill.

Buses have priority seats for disabled and some have seats that can be lifted so wheelchairs can be placed there.

At Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Jewels display had some Braille plagues to describe them for the blind.Pavements contain a bumpy surface at intersections for the blind and there are crossing signals that are ticking.

Handicapped bathrooms are separate from regular restrooms.Lights are motion detected in the hallways.

It's not unusual to see business people walking to work or taking the bus.

The buses contain free magazines called "Metro" where people can pick one up on their ride to work and of course there are a lot of double-decker buses.

At Stevenson College, there is a separate department for disabled/developmentally challenged students.

New Town in Edinburgh began in 1776.

Scotland and Ireland operate on the 24 hour clock.

The Gaelic in Scotland is different than the Gaelic in Ireland

Terminology

The terminology is quite different.Some of the follow are illustrations.

Solicitors - lawyers

Lifts - elevators

Way Out - Exit

Glen - valley

Loch - lake

Wee - tiny/small

Megan - very nice

Aye - yes

Chips - French fries

Crisps - potato chips

Bits - parts

Hi Ya - How are you?

CV (Curriculum Vitae) - Resume

Organising -Organizing(The z does not seem to be used)

Referees - References

Numpty - an unqualified person

Postcode - Zip Code