Tips and advice on finding a job in the equine industry
Traditionally, New Year is THE key time to commit to making positive changes in your life. One New Years Resolution might be to get a better-paid job, achieve a better work-life balance, acquire new skills, or generally get more job satisfaction. Looking at the New Year ahead, a blank canvas ready for you to make those changes, what can you do to achieve those career goals?
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Sometimes, making and accepting a job offer can be somewhat rushed and not treated with the formality it really does require. Whilst it’s a huge relief to have reached this stage, it is by no means the end of the process! There is still time for things to unravel and go wrong, and sometimes badly wrong, which it’s why it’s so important for both employers and job seekers to approach this stage with care and to put aside a little quality time to get it spot-on! Read our guidance on making and accepting a formal job offer…
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Offering and accepting a job offer can be a time of mixed emotions – happiness, relief, anxiety, and even confusion in some circumstances. But occasionally things go wrong when they’ve barely begun and the job offer is withdrawn. Where do employers and job seekers stand when a job offer/acceptance is withdrawn?
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As we fast approach 29th March 2019 when the UK leaves the European Union, “Brexit” dominates our news headlines daily but it can be extremely hard to keep up with, let alone understand what is happening and what to expect. As an international recruitment agency, we place many British Grooms in jobs within the EU, and many EU citizens into jobs within the UK, so… what about information for Employers and Grooms in the equine industry?
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Most young people entering the equine industry as a career pathway dream of grooming at the Olympia Horse Show or exercise riding international sport horses or something similar, but due to lack of any real structured planning and implementation of said plan, many give up on their dreams or leave on the reality sooner or later. Equine career planning is the key to achieving dreams, trust us! What gets written down, reviewed and even measured, gets done! Here’s how it couldn’t be simpler in 4 simple steps…
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When applying for a new job it’s easy to assume that reference checks are the responsibility of the prospective employer, or the recruitment agency if applicable. But you want that job, right? Then help to secure it for yourself by being savvy when it comes to employment references and associated checks! Reference checks are not incidental to an employer selecting YOU as their new recruit, they are critical! Read on to find out how neglecting employment references can kill any chance of you getting a new job.
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Truly, the matter of job location can be a difficult subject to broach as a recruitment consultant. A huge part of me screams to write an extremely persuasive article urging you to broaden your horizons and keep an open mind to jobs anywhere in the UK, or even abroad. The opportunities this opens up to you are tenfold to those restricted by job location. So, how important is it that your next job is in the ‘right’ location? Is it worth being flexible for that DREAM job? We take a look at when you should be flexible and when you should hold out for your ideal.
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As specialist equine recruitment consultants, we see the good and bad outcomes of unstructured career pathways and the results of the “rooky errors” young people make without correct guidance. We’re passionate about the part we can play in improving the role of an equine groom as a credible career pathway and we’ll always do our utmost to encourage your child to make safe career decisions.
Many young people wishing to work in the equine industry will make a blind leap into it by accepting the first job available to them. Needless to say, this isn’t always a constructive foundation for a fruitful career in the equine industry. Many grooms resort to “job-hopping” in search of the training and opportunities they crave, without realising the damaging effect this has on their CV and future career prospects.
By contrast, an Equine Apprenticeship makes the job seeker focus on what they would like to achieve within their career and how they can achieve it. The job seeker can then source meaningful employment as an Apprentice Groom, enabling them to earn while they learn, laying the foundation of a promising career – and ultimately become one of the best professional grooms in the equine industry.
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Everyone likes to keep things simple, and sometimes gathering all the information needed before making decisions and acting on them can be time-consuming. With this in mind, The Grooms List team have put together a simple step-by-step guide to becoming an Apprentice Groom, from finding your Apprentice Groom vacancy to your options once you’ve gained your qualification.
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It is surprising how often we come across bewildered job seekers wondering why they are struggling to secure their ideal job. Sometimes the reason is obvious, other times less so. No matter how incredibly experienced/qualified and talented a groom you are there can be many reasons things don’t happen as quickly as you might like. Clearly, 3 horses, 4 dogs and a magpie (yes really) won’t help, but the more subtle reasons usually take the eyes or ears of a genuine and interested recruitment expert! We often can quite quickly help you to identify what the blocks are. Our team compilation ’employers wishlist’ is not designed to be an exhaustive tick list by any means, but it does pretty much cover most of what we have heard over the years.
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Looking to build a successful career in a particular discipline or sector of the equine industry? Find out about the course options available to learners via and equine apprenticeship.
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Writing an equine CV doesn’t have to be daunting, long-winded or time-consuming, and it will make a HUGE difference to your job hunt. Find out more about the benefits of making a CV and documenting your work history as you go. The Grooms List even offers you FREE OF CHARGE a template to drop all this information into!
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The Grooms List by Caroline Carter Recruitment has grown like crazy over the last year or so. We are told we have the best, the easiest to use website & the best service to grooms etc and of course, we are delighted by that…, but we want to do more for you.
It looks like many of you are choosing to register solely with us and not everywhere else so now you don’t have to maintain multiple profiles all over the place, to get the very best from this choice, you need to put the time in if you haven’t already, to get the very best results. Let’s face it, it’s fundamentally what we are all here for, (that and our blogs and the fun on our social media pages of course too we are told).
If you really are a serious job hunter and not just dawdling for your own reasons (?!) don’t get disenchanted about the industry when the wrong things happen or things don’t happen at all – help us to help you and let’s make a start by looking at your Jobseekers Profile…
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So you think you have found the job you have been looking for? That’s great, but WHOA just hold your horses a second… In my experience, interviewing alone can be a very inexact science. Before you shake hands on the deal, I strongly recommend all job seekers and all employers road test each other first with a job trial, at a pre-agreed paid rate of course. This might be the one thing that for you, secures your decision or it may be that you will look back and consider how you really dodged a bullet. Of course sometimes, for some people, a job trial is not always practical, but if it is, move heaven and earth, do yourself a favour and have one. There is nothing like a road test for really seeing first hand if something might be a fit; and you know we are all about job satisfaction and job longevity here at The Grooms List by Caroline Carter Reruitment! Becky has shared some of her thoughts about job trials and of course, I can’t resist chipping in here and there…
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Ever wondered who and what Freelance Grooms are, or are you considering setting yourself up as a Freelance Groom? The appeal of a working life flitting from yard to yard, meeting many, many new horses (and people of course!) is understandable but is this perception realistic? You know that according to British Grooms Association guidelines there is no such thing as Freelance Groom jobs? So how does that work? In this article Emily Taylor has put together a go-to guide of facts and info, including some of the real considerations that Freelance Grooms or anyone wanting to become a Freelance Groom should be aware of, not to mention some of the semantics associated with this title which can really matter when it comes to employment law and the taxman…
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Fresh from the clutches of 11 years enforced education, drunk on your own freedom (honestly guv I’m just really happy), the prospect of earning a proper wage dangled in front of you tantalisingly, it can be tough persuading yourself to think long-term about career planning. The prospect of returning to a classroom for college courses or perhaps a degree holds no appeal for those who struggle with formal education or are just fed up with the confinement of a classroom. Apprenticeships provide an alternative way to achieve formal, industry recognised City and Guilds qualifications with minimum or possibly even no classroom time. Learners are able to ‘earn while they learn’ as the tagline goes. The equine industry is famously fast-paced and physical, and there is unanimous thinking when it comes to the verdict that there is really no substitute for practical, on the job training. An equine Apprenticeship allows you to gain this in an unexploited, structured and planned way whilst also gaining the piece of paper to prove it. Becky Parker discusses the pros, cons and alternative routes into a successful career with horses.
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Job-hunting is not easy, believe us, we know this. Finding the perfect job that matches all your requirements in terms of preferred location, favourite discipline, nice accommodation, chances to ride, or not, welcoming your beloved menagerie of pets and/or significant other too. Sometimes it can truly feel like hunting for a needle in a haystack! So when your equine job hunt finally uncovers the ideal employment opportunity there are a few really silly mistakes you just don’t want to be making.
Here to help as always we bring you a simple guide on what NOT to do.
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There are of course many factors which influence the longevity and success of any working relationship. Between grooms and employers, none of these are more hotly debated these days than that of grooms’ salary and the general package. You don’t have to look too hard on social media to see the disgruntled outpourings from all sides and every day I have conversations which clearly demonstrate much is still left to be done for this situation to become resolved. I don’t pretend to have an answer as to how we raise the income levels of this particular sector, (which is in many ways is similar to many of the “caring professions”) but I believe how and when the topic of salary and terms is covered within the whole interviewing process, if addressed, could have a positive impact on the longer term security of those involved.
In this article, I give both grooms and employers my advice on laying the foundations of long-term, happy, healthy and successful employment.
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The legal requirements which underpin being self-employed vs employed are vast but not as complicated as you might originally have thought. Here at The Grooms List by Caroline Carter Recruitment Ltd, we don’t pretend to be legal, tax or HR experts on the nuances that surround this subject, but we know people who are and with their expert guidance, Becky Parker our brilliant blog writer has researched that for your information this week. We proudly support Grooms who are looking for full-time employment, those self-employed/freelancing and looking to add clients to their portfolio, or indeed just starting out on either road and wondering how best to proceed. We really can and regularly do help and have many success stories that attest to that. We wouldn’t direct anyone to go one way or another specifically as it is a very personal to each individual.
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Finding your way through the minefield that is job hunting is a tricky task. Some may liken it to the proverbial hunt for a needle in a haystack, but No! let’s not bring that kind of negativity here. Undeniably there are many shady employers around but equally, there are still quite a few good, generous, kind-hearted and appreciative ones too. Becky Parker outlines the role we play in the recruitment process of both employers and jobseekers in the equestrian industry.
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