Finding the right job
This articke was first published in the April 2017 edition of BDJ In Practice
The original checklist, by Helen Burgess, can be found here.
There’s a plethora of research that suggests job satisfaction and morale among dentists is at an all-time low1. Targets and UDAs have taken their toll on a signifi cant portion of the profession, with many unwilling to move.
Taking the plunge and committing to searching for another job isn’t always the easiest to make. It’s a leap into the unknown for starters, and there’s always that nagging feeling that the grass isn’t always greener. However, once you’ve taken that leap, you often wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.
To make that process easier, BDJ Portfolio Classified Advertising Manager James Richards spoke to BDJ In Practice about the benefits of BDJ Jobs.
What would you consider the most significant addition to BDJ Jobs?
All of the old functionality is still there, but for jobseekers you can now set up and create personalised job alerts. You can decide whether these come through on a daily or weekly basis. Th at’s the first thing I would recommend any jobseeker do. You don’t need to sign up to the website in order to apply for a job either. However by doing so you can set up a candidate profi le and upload your CV, which makes applying for jobs a far easier process than ever before. You don’t need to worry about your application looking unprofessional as it’s coming from a mobile phone. It will look exactly the same as if you applied through a
desktop.
How else has the mobile-optimisation of BDJ Jobs made life easier?
You can quite literally apply from wherever you want. If you’re unwinding in bed at the end of the day you’re only a few clicks away from applying for a new job. If you’ve decided you want a change of direction on the commute home from work you can do it. Th at’s why uploading your CV and creating a profile is a good idea. If you are on the move and don’t have time to apply for a job, you can save it and come back to it later. It’s worth noting however that we’ve had some great successes. One practice posted a vacancy and aft er in excess of 20 applicants 24 hours later filled the position, so don’t wait too long.
So the site is popular?!
We’re averaging more than 500,000 page views a month. We have a huge number of people looking for jobs. Vacancies in major cities and towns tend to attract the most applications, however you may find there is less competition for jobs in rural locations, as well as more UDAs and often a better quality of life. It’s important you approach a job search with an open mind. It may result in you securing a better-paid position.
How can applicants do that?
We have a range of new filters designed to get you the job you’re looking for. It sounds pretty simple, but being able to choose the location, the employer type, the salary, the hours and the organisation type means the results you get back are 100% tailored to what you’re looking for.
The new geographical targeting feature gives you the opportunity to view jobs that are potentially within walking distance of where you live. You can choose a radius of 5, 10 or 15 miles away, and you can even put your postcode in and see which jobs are available around you. Numerous studies have shown that commuting is one of the most stressful parts of the working day, with the average worker in the UK is spending 54 minutes commuting each day. According to a 2014 study carried out by the Office for National Statistics, people’s feelings of life satisfaction and happiness decrease with every successive minute of travel to work and those with journeys between 60 and 90 minutes suffer the most negative effects on personal well-being. Interestingly, after three hours of commuting, the negative effects mentioned in the ONS study dropped off.
The BBC reported in February 2014 that, “Commuting journeys increase because people move out of towns and cities to find better housing, more green space and a higher standard of living.” With every minute of commuting time affecting well-being, this seems to be an increasingly difficult situation for workers.
Unlike some professionals, however, dentists and dental care team members are fortunate that their working spaces are often located in residential areas shortening the usual commute already if you are lucky enough to find a workplace near your home. If you are stuck with a lengthy commute, BDJ Jobs is now able to make it quicker and easier for you to find a new job with the new postcode search facility.
1. British Dental Association. Is there a well-being gap among UK dentists? 2015. Available online at www.bda.org/dentists/policy-campaigns/research/workforce-finance/gp/wellbeing (accessed February 2017).