- Sam Wilson
Sam Wilson looks at why housing has proved to be the most popular profession among jobseekers looking to work in the public sector.
As all recruiters will know, recruitment has entered a new era where the balance has very much tipped in favour of the jobseeker.
2014 saw the first point since the recession in which there were more advertised job vacancies than active jobseekers. This creates competition, not between candidates for positions but between employers and recruiters for the top candidates.
This makes it more important for recruiters to understand the wants and needs of the jobseekers. They need to know what candidates are looking for and how they are going about it.
According to Jobsgopublic’s second annual study into the most searched terms on its site, ‘housing’ received a massive 18% more searches than its nearest competitor, ‘finance’.
The top ten occupational searches over the last year were: housing, finance, social worker, legal, admin, teaching assistant, teacher, probation, surveyor and planning.
Housing is undoubtedly a sector experiencing significant growth. Searches were up 12% from 2013 and look to continue growing this year.
Events such as #HousingDay have had a huge impact in raising the profile of the sector and the variety of roles that exist within it. The opportunity to play a significant role in the communities they serve has proven to be a massive draw, as well as housing associations and other similar organisations continuing to innovate and modernise the way in which they deliver their services.
There has also been an emergence of graduate targeted schemes that aim to bring a younger generation into the sector and help them develop skills and experience to pursue successful careers.
Whether it will maintain its crown in 2015 is yet to be seen. As an industry housing currently sets an example that many others could learn from.
The ability to raise awareness of both existing issues and opportunities combined with an open approach to modernisation and continued positive influence on local communities will inevitably lead to its increased desirability for jobseekers. Does any other profession stand a chance?
Sam Wilson is Marketing Executive at Jobsgopublic