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EU Referendum – Affect on the Construction Industry

EU Referendum

With one of the biggest votes in British history taking place this week, we take a look at the affect it will have on the construction industry.

In 2014, the UK construction industry directly employed 2.1 million people and contributed £103 billion to the UK economy. This equated to 6.3% of all UK jobs, and 6.5% of total economic output.

Infrastructure

As a member of the EU, the UK has access to European Investment Bank (EIB) and European Investment Fund (EIF), who have invested €7.8 billion for major infrastructure projects, and lended €665.8 million to SMEs, respectively, in 2015.

These are significant sums of money that have driven infrastructure forward in the UK, and as an EU member state, the UK is eligible for bank financing operations.

A loss of both funding streams could have a significant impact on project delivery and start-ups across the UK, so they would need to be replaced in some capacity.

Imports and exports

China is the only non-EU state in the top five UK import markets, and EU imports accounted for 59% of total construction material imports.

The loss of free movement of goods, coupled with the potential introduction of tariffs, could either push construction sector firms to look inward and purchase domestic materials, or increase the cost of production through imported materials.

The free movement of goods benefits UK exporters selling their product(s) to EU member states when compared to non-EU states (without a pre-existing trade agreement in place).

In the event of Brexit, strict EU regulations, whilst not applying to the UK, would still have to be adhered to when exporting to an EU state.

On the flip side the UK would be able to develop and negotiate its own trade agreements with the EU and other large importing countries, such as China and the USA.

Labour

RICS’ Construction Market Survey indicated UK-wide increases in workloads, but decreasing number of skilled workers.

Construction firms have been looking to other EU member states to fill the gap.

If immigration is limited, particularly for skilled workers, the UK will witness higher project expenditures where labour demand outstrips supply.

Alternatively, a UK-set migration system could allow the UK to pinpoint the skilled workers it requires.

However, with the quantity of programmes and projects, the UK may not have an adequate level of investment and development that would necessitate a high(er) number of construction staff.

Procurement

EU procurement is now a stringent and obligatory framework of directives and regulations which inhibits bribery and corruption, and increases competition through the provision of best value for money.

All EU firms can bid for EU member state public procurement contracts free from discrimination.

A Brexit could allow UK public procurement to stipulate the use of “UK firms and materials only”, thus being a tool to support UK-based and enterprises.

VAT

EU statute imposes a VAT on the consumption of goods and services, with UK reduced rates relating to the built environment include 5% VAT on residential energy, insulation and renovations, and 0% VAT for new building construction.

VAT acts as a disincentive for works to be considered, with a cut aiding local SMEs and the wider UK economy: evidenced by additional jobs and economic stimulus it could provide between 2015 and 2020.

A post-Brexit Government could alter VAT arrangements to encourage purchase and investment – from a small to large scale – in specific goods and services.

 

*All stats and figures for this article come from a post by RICS.

 

EU Referendum

 

Edge Careers are Construction and Engineering Recruitment Experts who pride ourselves on offering the highest level of service in the industry to all of our candidates and clients.

To become an Edge Careers candidate, please click here to register your details. If you are a client looking to fill a vacancy, please click here, or alternatively contact one of our consultants to discuss your requirements in more detail via our Contact Us page.

Follow Edge Careers on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+  to stay up to date with all our latest news, exclusive competitions and events.

www.edgecareers.co.uk

Tricky Interview Questions and How To Answer Them

Being prepared for an interview makes it easier for you to show what you are truly capable of. Edge Careers have taken a look at some of the trickiest questions asked at interview and how you should answer them.

What is your biggest weakness?

This question can be a difficult one as you are being asked about your shortcomings, when your instinct, in an interview situation, is to keep your weaknesses as well hidden as possible. What you can do is frame your answer to give it a positive spin.

Strengths and weaknesses can be switched into the same thing, so another way to approach this question is to think about how you overcome the potential downside of your greatest strength. For example, if you’re a natural teamworker, is it difficult for you to cope with conflict or assume leadership abilities? How do you cope with this?

Why do you think you will be successful in this job?

You should not use this as an invitation to boast – you are being asked to match your strengths to the qualities needed to do the job. Don’t forget, it’s a very specific question. Why are you suited to this job, as opposed to any other? Thorough employer research will help you answer this question, as it will enable you to match your skills, interests and experience to the job role and the company.

Have you ever had a bad experience with an employer?

This question is a test of your ability to think on your feet and come up with a diplomatic response. Whether you sidestep the question by saying you’ve always got on well with your employers, or describe a tricky situation you’ve experienced that highlights your potential, you need to avoid attacking your previous employers. Also, be aware not to incriminate yourself.

Give an example of a time when you handled a major crisis.

This is similar to asking ‘Can you give an example of a time when you had to cope with a difficult situation?’ or ‘Give an example of a time when you had to cope under pressure’. However, ‘crisis’ is a much stronger word. You may find it easier to give an example if you think back and come up with a time when you had to cope with an unexpected problem.

Where do you expect to be in five years’ time?

This is another question that allows you to show off your employer research and understanding of your chosen career path. You’ll want to come across as enthusiastic, but not arrogant. Tailor your response to reflect the nature of the organisation, the sector, and your own experiences and skills.

What motivates you?

You are particularly likely to be asked about your motivation in a strengths-based interview, which focuses on what you enjoy doing and what you do well. Your answer should draw on an example from your extracurricular activities, work experience or studies that suggests you would be strongly motivated by the job you are applying for.

How do you manage your time and prioritise tasks?

When an interviewer asks how you manage your time, don’t just give an example of a time when you did this successfully. Your interviewer wants to know your tactics and strategies for getting yourself organised, so whatever approach you use to prioritising and listing your tasks, you should be ready to describe it.

Give an example of a time when you showed initiative.

If an interviewer asks you to describe a situation in which you showed initiative, avoid giving an example of an idea you had but never put into action. It’s much better to talk about a time when you not only came up with a solution to a problem but also acted on it. Then you can explain the effect your decision had when you put it into practice.

 

If you are looking for a new job in construction or engineering, register your details with Edge Careers here.

 

Tricky interview questions and how to answer them

 

Edge Careers are Construction and Engineering Recruitment Experts who pride ourselves on offering the highest level of service in the industry to all of our candidates and clients.

To become an Edge Careers candidate, please click here to register your details. If you are a client looking to fill a vacancy, please click here, or alternatively contact one of our consultants to discuss your requirements in more detail via our Contact Us page.

Follow Edge Careers on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+  to stay up to date with all our latest news, exclusive competitions and events.

www.edgecareers.co.uk

Stuart Smith has made the move from our Permanent team to head up our Civil Engineering team.

Stuart Smith BEng (Hons) – Resourcing Divisional Manager

Stuart who has been with Edge Careers for over 2 years, comes from a Civil Engineering background gaining a degree in the subject before working in the industry for 6 years.

Stuart is excited to be making this change in his career and looks forward to successfully leading our Civil Engineering team.

Our Civil Engineering team will be based out of our Head Office in the Midlands to provide a recruitment solution on a national basis, to all our civil engineering clients.

If you are a candidate in the civil engineering sector register your CV with us here.

To register a civil engineering vacancy with us click here or call Stuart on 01905 827207.

 

Stu Civil Engineering

 

Edge Careers are Construction and Engineering Recruitment Experts who pride ourselves on offering the highest level of service in the industry to all of our candidates and clients.

To become an Edge Careers candidate, please click here to register your details. If you are a client looking to fill a vacancy, please click here, or alternatively contact one of our consultants to discuss your requirements in more detail via our Contact Us page.

Follow Edge Careers on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+  to stay up to date with all our latest news, exclusive competitions and events.

www.edgecareers.co.uk

Preparing for an interview

An interview can be a stressful and scary experience, so Edge Careers has taken a look at how to prepare for your interview.

Research the company

At the very least, have a look at the company’s website to familiarise yourself with their history and what they do. Googling the company should quickly bring up any recent news articles about them.

Conducting your research can give you questions to ask during your interview and this will show the interviewer that you have an interest in the company as a whole and not just the position you have applied for.

Plan your journey

It sounds like one of the simplest things to do, but it is crucial. Being late will not give the interviewer a good impression of you.

Make sure you know where you’re going, how to get there and then leave plenty of time for your journey. Aim to get there at least five minutes before your interview is due to start, so you have time to compose yourself.

Practice your interview questions

Preparing for all types of questions is the best way to prevent being caught off-guard on the day. You don’t want to start panicking while trying to think of answers that present your skills in the best light.

Confidence is key, so try practicing either by yourself or get a friend to quiz you.

Compare your skills and qualifications to the job requirements.

If you have been given a job specification you can compare how the skills and qualifications you have put on your CV match , it also allows you to anticipate some of the questions that you may be asked i.e. “How can you incorporate your skills into this role?”

 

Making sure you are prepared for your interview allows you to sell yourself in the best light and ultimately land you a new job.

 

Preparing For An Interview

 

Edge Careers are Construction and Engineering Recruitment Experts who pride ourselves on offering the highest level of service in the industry to all of our candidates and clients.

To become an Edge Careers candidate, please click here to register your details. If you are a client looking to fill a vacancy, please click here, or alternatively contact one of our consultants to discuss your requirements in more detail via our Contact Us page.

Follow Edge Careers on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+  to stay up to date with all our latest news, exclusive competitions and events.

www.edgecareers.co.uk

 

Questions To Ask At An Interview

Questions To Ask At AN Interview

An interview should be used not only for an employer to see if you are suitable for their position, but also for you as the candidate to see if the company is a right fit for you.

Asking questions during an interview is one of the best ways for you to judge whether or not a company is suited to you.

Edge Careers has taken a look at some of the best questions you can ask during an interview.

Can you tell me more about the company?

Although research on the company should be done before the interview, it is good to get an insight into the company from someone who works there. By asking this question not only do you get further information on the company but you also get a perspective of what it is like to work there.

What are the future prospects for the role?

Asking this question not only allows you to get an idea of how you can progress within the company, but it also allows you to show that you have the drive and ambition to progress within the business.

What are the company’s plans for the future?

This questions shows that you are interested in the company as a whole and not just the position you are interviewing for and enables you to see how ambitious the company is.

How many people are in the team?

If you are going to be working within a large team, it is good to get an idea of what the others do and how that will be linked to the role that you are interviewing for. It will also allow you to get an idea of how the team is structured.

Is this post a new or existing one?

This can help give you an idea of what’s expected of you, and can lead to a wider discussion. If it is a new post, then ask why it’s been created or how your performance will be measured. If it’s an existing position, ask who you’ll be replacing.

What are the day to day responsibilities of the role?

It may be that the interviewer has only discussed the responsibilities of the job as a whole, so you will need to get an idea of what will be expected of you on a day to day basis.

 

It may not be necessary to ask all of these questions during an interview as it may be that they have already been covered, but you should always have them written down so an interviewer can see that you have thought about what you want to gain from the interview.

 

Questions To Ask At An Interview

 

Edge Careers are Construction and Engineering Recruitment Experts who pride ourselves on offering the highest level of service in the industry to all of our candidates and clients.

To become an Edge Careers candidate, please click here to register your details. If you are a client looking to fill a vacancy, please click here, or alternatively contact one of our consultants to discuss your requirements in more detail via our Contact Us page.

Follow Edge Careers on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+  to stay up to date with all our latest news, exclusive competitions and events.

www.edgecareers.co.uk

 

THE WINNER IS RICHARD MILLWARD

 

Richard Millward - With Certificate

The final whistle has gone on Edge Careers’ Fantasy Football League and we are delighted to say. Richard Millward has finished top of the pile, meaning he has won the amazing prize of a four day trip to New York.

In a season where there has been huge surprises, namely Leicester being crowned Premier League champions, Richard managed to be the ‘Claudio Ranieri’ of the league and pick the team that has led him to victory.

It has been no easy ride though, as even with just one game to go, the gap between Richard Millward in 1st and Andy Weir in 2nd was only 2 points, creating a nervous Tuesday night for Richard. With only 3 minutes of added time to play, Andy Weir looked certain to be our winner, but then in the 92nd minute, with the last kick of the game, Chris Smalling scored an own goal allowing Richard to be crowned our winner.

Richard Millward’s team, Just Obita Fun, scored a brilliant 2,318 points to win the Edge Careers Fantasy Football League by just 2 points, ranking 1,559 out of 3,734,001 in the world.

Here is how the top 10 ended up:

Richard Millward

 

Everyone at Edge Careers would like to thank all who have taken part in this season’s Fantasy Football league and made it such an enjoyable competition.

All of us would like to congratulate Richard and we all hope that you enjoy your trip.

We are thoroughly looking forward to next season’s Fantasy Football league and hope to see you all again next season, in a bigger and better league. So stay tuned for updates on when we will be kicking off registrations.

Richard has been asked to take pictures on his trip, along with an Edge Careers mascot. We hope to share these photos with you upon Richards return.

Until next season, Richard Millward, New York is waiting for you!

NYC - Statue of Liberty

new-york-central park

March New York

 

Edge Careers are Construction and Engineering Recruitment Experts who pride ourselves on offering the highest level of service in the industry to all of our candidates and clients.

To become an Edge Careers candidate, please click here to register your details. If you are a client looking to fill a vacancy, please click here, or alternatively contact one of our consultants to discuss your requirements in more detail via our Contact Us page.

Follow Edge Careers on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+  to stay up to date with all our latest news, exclusive competitions and events.

www.edgecareers.co.uk

Skilled Construction Jobs

Edge Careers are a specialist construction recruitment agency, working across all sectors in the construction industry, providing construction professionals with skilled construction jobs.

We work to the highest standard of recruitment across all of our teams, so that we can become the go agency for our candidates and clients alike. with recruitment teams set up out of our 4 UK based offices we provide a recruitment solution for all roles, from freelance to permanent and site labourers to chief executives, across the UK and Internationally.

If you are looking to work in skilled construction jobs then get in touch with Edge Careers’ Head Office on 01905 827207 and you will be put in contact with the recruitment team best suited to your requirements, or alternatively you can register your details with us and one of our experienced consultants will be in touch to discuss your job search.

Similarly if you are looking for staff to fill skilled construction jobs then get in contact with Edge Careers or register your vacancy with us and one of our consultants will give you a call to discuss the opportunity in more detail.

To view the latest vacancies Edge Careers has to offer head to our job search page.

 

Skilled Construction Jobs

 

Edge Careers are Construction and Engineering Recruitment Experts who pride ourselves on offering the highest level of service in the industry to all of our candidates and clients.

To become an Edge Careers candidate, please click here to register your details. If you are a client looking to fill a vacancy, please click here, or alternatively contact one of our consultants to discuss your requirements in more detail via our Contact Us page.

Follow Edge Careers on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+  to stay up to date with all our latest news, exclusive competitions and events.

www.edgecareers.co.uk

 

Why Meeting With Candidates Is Important

At Edge Careers we understand the importance in meeting with every candidate during the recruitment process, we believe it to be beneficial to all of our consultants for many reasons.

Firstly, because meeting a candidate means a consultant is able to make a more personal connection, enabling them to build trust and understand a person’s wants and needs, also validating the candidates interest in looking for a new role as they have taken time out of their busy schedule to meet with you.

A further benefit of meeting a candidate is that it makes it easier to ascertain where their strengths, and weaknesses, lie. Allowing you to build a profile on a candidate, which can then be submitted to a client putting yourself in a stronger position, as it is easier to explain why a candidate can fit into an organisation and a role when you have met them and understand what they can bring to the table, and, how they can do so.

Finally, meeting a candidate allows recruitment consultants to view an important quality, time keeping. If a candidate cannot arrive on time to meet with you, will they arrive on time to meet a client? Whilst scheduling meetings with candidates can be time consuming, they help recruiters to understand which candidates possess better interview skills and other qualities, which cannot be learned from a CV.

 

Why Meeting A Candidate Is Important

 

Edge Careers are Construction and Engineering Recruitment Experts who pride ourselves on offering the highest level of service in the industry to all of our candidates and clients.

To become an Edge Careers candidate, please click here to register your details. If you are a client looking to fill a vacancy, please click here, or alternatively contact one of our consultants to discuss your requirements in more detail via our Contact Us page.

Follow Edge Careers on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+  to stay up to date with all our latest news, exclusive competitions and events.

www.edgecareers.co.uk

Jobs In Construction Industry

Edge Careers are a specialist recruitment agency working on jobs in construction industry, across the UK and Internationally. We provide staffing solutions for all roles across the construction industry from permanent to freelance and site labourers to chief executives, we have a recruitment team who will be able to help.

Operating out of 4 UK based offices, Edge Careers provide a worldwide recruitment service for the construction industry. Our consultants always aim to provide the highest possible standard of recruitment so that we can become the go to recruitment agency for all of our candidates and clients recruitment needs.

If you are a candidate looking for jobs in construction industry, then get in touch with Edge Careers’ Head Office on 01905 827207 and you will be put in contact with the recruitment team that is best suited to your recruitment needs, or alternatively you can register your details with us and one of our consultant will give you a call to discuss your job search.

Similarly if you are a client looking to recruit construction professionals for your company then give Edge Careers a call, or register a vacancy with us and one of our consultants will be in touch to discuss the opportunity in more detail.

 

Jobs In Construction Industry

 

Edge Careers are Construction and Engineering Recruitment Experts who pride ourselves on offering the highest level of service in the industry to all of our candidates and clients.

To become an Edge Careers candidate, please click here to register your details. If you are a client looking to fill a vacancy, please click here, or alternatively contact one of our consultants to discuss your requirements in more detail via our Contact Us page.

Follow Edge Careers on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+  to stay up to date with all our latest news, exclusive competitions and events.

www.edgecareers.co.uk

Executive Recruitment UK

Edge Careers are construction and engineering recruitment specialists, working across all sectors within the industry, including executive recruitment UK.

Here at Edge Careers we always work to the highest possible standard of recruitment so that we can become the go to agency for our clients and candidates. Our executive recruitment team believe every organisation has its own individual culture and brand values, taking the time to understand your business and will work with all their candidates and clients in a professional, passionate and confidential manner.

The Executive Construction Recruitment team believe in treating all candidates with the same level of respect and work hard to ensure that everyone involved in the recruitment process leaves with a positive impression both of ourselves and the client.

If you are looking for executive construction recruiters to assist you in finding a new role, then get in contact with Edge Careers’ Executive Team on 01905 827207 and one of the team will be happy to assist you, or alternatively you can register your details with us and one of our executive team will be in touch to help you with your job search.

Similarly if you are a client looking to employ construction executives into your business then get in touch with Edge Careers, or register your vacancy with us and one of our executive consultants will give you a call to discuss the opportunity in more detail.

 

Executive Recruitment UK

 

Edge Careers are Construction and Engineering Recruitment Experts who pride ourselves on offering the highest level of service in the industry to all of our candidates and clients.

To become an Edge Careers candidate, please click here to register your details. If you are a client looking to fill a vacancy, please click here, or alternatively contact one of our consultants to discuss your requirements in more detail via our Contact Us page.

Follow Edge Careers on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+  to stay up to date with all our latest news, exclusive competitions and events.

www.edgecareers.co.uk