I don’t know of anyone that enjoys being interviewed. It is a hard and stressful process, but there are things you can do to help you prepare.

Courses on interview techniques can be very helpful, and it may be that your current employer offers these. However, you may not want to show them that you’re thinking of leaving, so it can be hard to know where to turn for help.

Thankfully, jobs.ac.uk is running a free 30 minute webinar to help you ace that interview. The expert presenter is Sean Russell, an ex-Director of Careers Services from University of Warwick and University of Birmingham with over 10 years experience of interviewing people.

The webinar also contains an interactive Q&A sessions where you can ask your own questions directly to the expert!

So for all the tips and tricks register for free:

http://jobsacukinterviewtipswebinar.eventbrite.com/

For anyone who has an interview, is job hunting or is just wanting to brush up on their skills this is an invaluable opportunity to help your interview technique. I hope to see you there!

The restructure is almost always a cost-cutting measure but rarely if ever is portrayed as such. It is usually a “more effective”, “efficient” or “customer friendly” way of doing things.

This instantly creates an air of anger and resentment in those affected by the dreaded restructuring, with people wanting their employers to simply be honest with them. The extent to which this would help is debateable as I don’t know of any companies that have done this.

When a restructure leads to jobs being ‘at risk’ and in many cases having to re-apply for your own or a similar position leaves people feeling angry, insulted and de-motivated. It also leads to colleagues looking at each other with an air of suspicion, thinking that others are rivals for their job.

However hard it may be, it is important amid all the turmoil to try and stay positive. Being bitter and complaining is highly unlikely to change anything and if your boss and others see you getting on with your job you put yourself in a much better position when applying for a new role.

The restructure may even give you a chance to change your career for the better. This won’t be the case for everyone, but it is very easy to get stuck in a rut and stay in a job that is very comfortable, if that is the case use this as an opportunity to gain more skills and experience and take the next step in your career.

So if a restructure is affecting you try to stay positive, and make sure you brush up on your interview skills and CV writing in plenty of time.

In my fairly short career so far I’ve been in departments that have closed, ones that have been restructured and in places where voluntary and compulsory redundancies occur so here are my tips for dealing with these sort of issue:

1 – Get your head out of the sand

Anyone who has been watching Brian Cox’s Wonders of the Universe recently will realise that change is inevitable, and as the ‘arrow of time’ moves on, all things will eventually change. Recognising this helps massively in being prepared to deal with these situations.

2 – Communicate!

A lack of communications from others can have a negative impact, while effective communications can have a positive one. From a purely pragmatic standpoint, you need details about the change, so that you can determine how it affects you. Don’t just sit back and wait for things to happen.

3 – Keep doing your job

Although times of change can be very uncertain try to avoid the temptation of ‘if I might not have a job why should I bother’ attitude. If you keep on with your work you never know who you might impress, particularly if others are not putting in 100%.

4 – Be Positive

Keeping a positive attitude can help you deal with the uncertainties of change. For example, instead of worrying about changes you will have to make, focus instead on how you can leverage your existing skills and experience. Looking for opportunities in the new organisation, and becoming involved, will hasten your adjustment.

However, there will soon be proposed radical changes to the way students apply to universities. Currently students are given offers based on their predicted exam grades, but some would like to see a post-qualification application (PQA) system in place which would mean students would only apply to universities when they have their final exam results.

The reasons behind the proposal are understandable. Currently more than 50% of the predictions that are made are incorrect. A PQA system would be fairer and more efficient; it does not require the check that predicted grades were met. It also empowers students to make more informed choice of which universities they can apply for.

The problems occur when the practicalities of introducing the new system are looked at. Time issues appear the most obvious difficulty to overcome, with neither schools nor universities wanting to yield even a few weeks of teaching time. To fit in viewing universities, applying, the application being considered, being invited for interview, a final offer being made and the student making a final choice, into just a few weeks seems unlikely to even the most optimistic PQA supporter.

Despite the difficulties, the Universities Minister David Willetts is set to raise the issue in the spring, and the Head of UCAS Mary Curnock Cook also wants to revive the PQA debate. However, in the current climate of turmoil that surrounds universities over tuition fees, is now really the time to raise a controversial debate over applications?

Over time these games developed and are now we have a regular booking on an outdoor pitch where we have our weekly “Staff versus Student” football matches, with both academic and non-academic staff playing. Everyone is welcome to play and it’s quite a casual (if at times quite competitive) affair which everyone enjoys. We often have up to 20 people per week coming along to play and demand continues to grow.

Aside from it being an enjoyable distraction for both staff and students it has greatly helped the working relationship between all that take part. Students no longer see the staff as a bureaucratic obstacle they need to overcome; they see them as real people who need to have certain procedures in place to do their job. Staff also have a deeper understanding of the students’ issues and as such can do more to help.

Walking around the university now, you will often see students chatting to staff about the previous week’s game or looking forward to the next one. Some of the staff who play are also non student facing so these events are the only chance they get to see the students.

When it started I had no idea that a simple social game of football would have these added benefits. I think it stresses the importance of seeing students as individuals and not just as problems as one can easily do when under pressure. Seeing students in a less formal setting lends itself to this very easily.

Although the football games that I organise have grown very organically it is very much something I would encourage others to create. I think any form of social activities where staff and students can come together away from their university would have beneficial effects on any institution, even if only in a small way.

Apart from the obvious impact this uncertainty has on prospective students it also leaves staff in HE facing many questions.

With the increased fees how will students expectations change?

As students could be paying £27,000 or more for a degree, they will surely want more for their money than those who have paid £9,000. The problem universities face is how to meet this increased demand with no more money? How do you improve service whilst making budget cuts?

Will poorer students be put off from applying?

Universities want the best students, not just the richest. With the new fees universities charging over £6,000 will have to take measures to ensure they are widening participation for the poor. Unfortunately, HE institutions and their staff have no idea what these measures will be or how effective they will be. How do you ensure that the best students aren’t put off from applying due to fees?

Will different courses cost different amounts?

In simple, practical terms a course such as chemistry costs more to run than History. Although I’m no chemist, the labs, chemicals and safety equipment must be expensive. Therefore should a Chemistry degree cost more than a History degree? If so does that undermine the History course and make students feel undervalued?

I could continue but each question leads only to further questions that cannot currently be answered.

The point is that an effect of the government’s decision on fees is to create an uncertain atmosphere in Universities for both staff and students. The quicker it is resolved the better it will be for all concerned.

However, there are many positives to be gained by going to external training courses:

1) They are a great addition to your CV. Over the course of a year you can build up a portfolio of courses attended which show can show your enthusiasm updating your skills.

2) There is a lot of valuable knowledge and tools that can be taken back to your institution. Whether its handouts, new knowledge, or a different take on an issue, training courses can be a melting pot of ideas; Why not take some of these back to your own institution and propose some changes that could be made? In the worst case scenario they won’t be used, but even so you’re showing your line manager that you have ideas and are eager to improve your workplace, this might just stick in their heads when the next promotion comes along.

3) It’s a great networking opportunity. At the bigger training courses people from all over the country from institutions large and small attend. A handout of attendees names and emails are often handed out too, so no need to exchange business cards. And who knows when these contacts could come in useful.

4) If nothing else, it’s a day out of the office and a free lunch!

So ask your manager about potential training courses and see if you can make the most of the opportunity.

Why not try looking at a career in Higher Education? It may seem strange at a time when University funding cuts are being widely talked about but for me the pros far outwiegh the cons.

I worked in a corporate environment before I took a job in Higher Education and the contrast is startling. To work in an atmosphere that was not entirely focused on making money was a refreshing change. Most of the staff in HE both academic and non-academic are focused on improving the students’ experience. This is becoming increasingly so as the students are expecting more for their increased fees.

There are a wide variety of jobs (As the blog title says it’s Not Just Teaching) that are required in order to keep a university functioning. From marketing and PR jobs, careers advisers, administrators and even graphic designers, so any job in a university brings you into contact with a wide range of people with differing skills.

The pay and benefits are also good at most UK universities – they haven’t suffered the pay freezes that the public sector have and wages are still competitive with similar roles in the private sector. Many universities offer cut-price childcare and gym membership as additional benefits.

Holidays too are generous with most universities giving around 5 closure days/concessionary days over the year including a long break at Christmas without any extra holidays taken.

Opportunities for progression are often very good with opportunities across various departments allowing you to develop a wide range of skills.

Of course there are downsides too and not everyone will have found their experiences as good as mine; Funding cuts are a cause for concern and some smaller universities may merge which would cause some job losses. However, I think for those of us who are lucky enough to work in Higher Education should take the time now and again to appreciate how much worse our working lives could be and how fortunate we are.