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Starting a New Job? 5 Steps to Make a Great Impression in the First 90 Days of Your New Job

September 22, 2021

Square image split in half. The left hand side is a yellow background with a hand holding a brown magnifying glass. Inside the magnifying glass reads 'JOB' in large white font. The right hand side of the image has an off white background. In larger letters it reads 'New Job? 5 ways to make a great first impression during your first 90 days'. At the bottom in smaller text reads 'Written by Phoebe Blair'. There is a dark grey line that separates the two sides.

You nailed the interview and got the job, how do you continue to make a great impression once you start? We share 5 key steps to making a great impression during the first three months of your probation period.

Top 10 Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

August 25, 2021

an over the shoulder view of 2 people sat opposite each other at a black desk. The person facing away from us holds a silver pen in their right hand that hovers over a clipboard on the desk. On the clipboard is a white printed document that reads Resume at the top. On the opposite side of the table a man sits wearing a white shirt and black tie with his hands clasped on the table. Only his torso is in view. To the right of the interviewer sits a silver laptop that is open. In front of the image is a slightly opaques teal box to the left hand side of the frame. Inside the box in large white font reads 'Top 10 Interview Questions', underneath this in smaller text reads 'And How to best answer them, written by Phoebe Blair'.

As the saying goes, fail to plan then plan to fail. Give yourself the best chance in interviews by planning your answers to key interview questions. Read our top 10 ways to answer some of the most commonly asked interview questions.

Top 10 Questions to Ask in a Job Interview

July 13, 2021

4 people sat in a row on white chairs with wooden legs. All four dressed in shirts and suit trousers. First person is holding a piece of paper, second person is holding a clipboard and their person reading a book. Photograph is from their chest down to their feet. In from of the photograph is a yellow text box which includes 'Questions to Ask in a Job Interview' in large white text. After this in small black text reads 'Top 10 questions you should be asking in every interview, written by Phoebe Blair'.

Unsure of what questions you should be asking in a job interview? You no longer need to fear your mind going blank when asked 'so, do you have any questions for us?". Here's our list of the top 10 questions you should be asking in job interviews.

Pride in Testing

June 23, 2021

Join us as we discuss LGBTQIA+ Inclusion and Diversity in the Testing Community. We talk about how to create safe spaces, promoting diversity in teams and during the interview process, how to start Pride movements in your organisation and more! Guest speakers include Callum Akehurst-Ryan, Senior Tester at Improbable, Caz Henderson, Lead QA Tester at Improbable, and Jasper McGuire, Software Test Manager.

Interviews: How to Prep Like a Boss

May 21, 2021

On the left a persons hands are folded on top of the other on a clipboard that is on a table. They are wearing a dark shirt and a watch with a brown leather strap. on the right behind the text box are the hands of someone gesturing whilst they talk. On the right 2 thirds of the image is an opaque black box with the blog title 'Interviews: How to prep like a boss, written by Phoebe Blair' in large white text.

Be interview ready with our 8 Step Guide on How To Prepare For an Interview. Read our top tips to interview prep efficiently and effectively in a shorter period of time.

The Dreaded Call... What to do When a Recruiter Likes Your CV

April 22, 2021

A light blue back ground. On the left is a baby pink rotary phone with a speech bubble. Instead the speech bubble reads 'Hello!' in thin orange cursive font. on the right of the image is a vertical pink box, inside the box reads 'The Dreaded Call' in a dark brown/ block font. Below this in a smaller and teal font reads 'What to do When a Recruiter Likes your CV'. After this in small black text reads 'Written by Phoebe Blair'.

It’s not an entirely unexpected call. You’re searching for a new job and have taken the next step by uploading your CV to an online job board. It’s guaranteed that you’re going to get phone calls from recruiters and internal talent teams. But sometimes you don’t know WHEN they’re going to call you. Calls from internal talent teams are slightly different to your standard recruitment calls. Internal recruiters want to get to know you more formally than a quick screening call from a recruiter who is trying to ‘woo’ you with their AMAZING opportunity...

The Ultimate Guide to Getting a Job Without Using Job Boards

March 9, 2021

An image split in half horizontally. The top half is light blue with 5 black graphics. From left to right is a computer screen with a magnifying glass, next is a keyboard with two hands typing, in the centre is a piece of paper with black lines resembling a resume. The fourth image is 2 figures sitting at a table with speak bubbles, representing an interview. The last image is an outline of a desk with a computer screen, small pot with pens, and a stool and computer underneath the desk. In the teal section reads the title 'The ultimate guide to getting a job without using job boards' written in large bold text. Beneath this in a long black text box and in smaller white text reads 'Written by Phoebe Blair'.

The name is on the tin - we have put together our ultimate guide to getting jobs without using job boards! Online job boards aren’t the only way, nor necessarily the best way for you to find your next role. Thanks to the world of LinkedIn and online networking, you can make a career move without even opening a job board up on your browser. Say goodbye to endless hours of scrolling through uninteresting job adverts, and hello to a new, more efficient AND effective way of making a great first impression with your future employer.

How to Choose a Cause to Support Through your Business

February 18, 2021

Black background with thin vertical white lines on each side. On the left reads 'How to Choose a Cause to Support Through your Business'. in large white bold text. Underneath in smaller font reads 'Before you even start looking at who you want to support, you first need to consider the what, why, where, when and how. By Phoebe Blair' On the right hand side are 5 wooden steps to make a stair case, the third step is someones hand. Drawn stood on the hand is someone helping someone up onto the step as it is steep.

Deciding which cause to support through your business isn’t easy. There are so many wonderful charities out there doing brilliant work in the community. So if you can only support 1 or 2 of them, how do you choose? Having gone through the same process last year, we’d like to share how we came to our decision.

New Year, New Career?

January 15, 2021

A white background with 2 lime green jagged shapes in the top left and bottom right corners. In the bottom left corner is a bold pink jagged shape. Between the shapes on the left reads 'New Year, New Career?' in capitalised bold black text. Underneath in smaller font reads 'Want to change career but don't know where to start? Our top tips for career changers. On the right hand side in a large jagged frame is a black and white image of a woman wearing a black beanie, tank top and with tattoos on both arms. She is designing something on a piece of white paper on a wooden table, with a mug to her right hand side.

Are you thinking of changing career? If so, you're not alone. 50% of the UK workforce are planning to make a career change within the next 2 years. But knowing where to start when switching career can be difficult, especially if you're not sure exactly which career is right for you. We share some of our tips on how to switch careers to find the one that's right for you.

How to Prepare for a Video Interview

December 18, 2020

Left third of image is a light brown wooden desk. On top is a white ringed notepad with a tablet and white pen leaning on top, in the top right corner is a mug of black coffee. Image is taken from a birds eye view. The right of the image is a cream background with large bold orange text that reads 'How to prepare for video interviews'. Underneath in smaller black font reads 'Our top tips to prepare for video interviews, allowing you to focus on securing your next role'. Under neath this reads 'December 2020' followed by a line and the text 'Bt Phoebe Blair and Shey Crompton'.

Until recently, video interviews were a rare exception, now it’s an expected part of the interview process. Preparing for a video interview is different to preparing for a face-to-face interview. We speak to Shey Crompton, Associate Director and Test Lead, on his experience of video interview processes.

How to Write a CV

December 3, 2020

On the left third of the image is a man smiling whilst wearing a white shirt and black glasses, he is looking down at his hands whilst he writes in a white note book, just in front of this notebook is a laptop keyboard in the foreground of the image. To the right is a yellow background. In large black text reads 'How to Write a CV', followed underneath in smaller italic text 'Tips to Sell Yourself on Paper from a Recruitment Expert'. Underneath this in black text reads 'An interview with Jamie Doyle, experienced Tech Recruiter'.

How do you make your CV stand out from the crowd of 100’s to 1,000’s of other candidates? Jamie Doyle a recruitment expert and talent coach, tells us how to make your CV it's best. It's time to turn those job applications into interviews!

Baby Steps in Business - If not now, when?

October 29, 2020

Birds-eye view of a green desk with green stationary on top, starting at the top left and going clockwise is a green dish with gold paperclips, 4 green notebooks on top of each other and fanned out with 4 green pencils on top. A green sellotape holder, a green leaf plant and a green mug with black coffee. On top of the image in bold white text reads, 'Baby Steps in Business - If Not Now, When?' Below this in smaller italics reads 'Running a start-up during a global pandemic.' Below this in white font is 'Written by Phoebe Blair'.

If there was one thing we didn’t foresee back in January when we were assessing our business plans for year, it was a global pandemic. Everything we thought we could rely on was flipped on its head, whether it was business related or not. Life as we once knew it has changed indefinitely. This blog explores the challenges of starting or running a small business during a global pandemic.

Life of a TA Intern Part 5

October 6, 2020

A vlog series exploring working at Thompson Alexander from the point of view of our interns Chumani - Project Manager, Natasha – Marketing Insights and Analysis, and Holly – Sales Lead. Life of a TA Intern Part 5 - Chumani, Holly, and Natasha share their recent achievements during their internship. Chumani discusses her latest blog post for TA, Natasha shares her experience designing an infographic, and Holly begins calling prospective clients!

Life of a TA Inter Part 4

September 28, 2020

A vlog series exploring working at Thompson Alexander from the point of view of our interns Natasha King, Marketing and Insight Analyst, and Holly Morton, Sales Lead. Life of a TA Intern Part 4 - Natasha and Holly share their experience so far with sales, including conducting practice sales calls, and learning techniques to improve their pitches to prospective clients.

Life of a TA Intern Part 3

September 17, 2020

A vlog series exploring working at Thompson Alexander from the point of view of our interns Natasha King, and Holly Morton. Life of a TA Intern Part 3 – A week in the life of Natasha and Holly as they share their experience of finalising and ironing out the last few details before service launch!

Approaching Sustainability Post-Pandemic– “A crisis is a terrible thing to waste”

September 7, 2020

A white background with a large image of melting ice caps in the centre. In large bold black text in the top left to the centre of the image reads 'Approaching Sustainability Post-Pandemic' followed underneath in smaller text 'Written by Chumani Ward, edited by Phoebe Blair'. At the bottom of the image in bold black text orientated to the right reads "A crisis is a terrible thing to waste".

Economist and Nobel Laureate Paul Romer famously noted that “a crisis is a terrible thing to waste”. Though Romer focused on a very different emergency, COVID-19 has also introduced clear policy challenges, increasingly pliable regulations and leaders that are more engaged than ever. Together, these circumstances could make far reaching changes to the corporate sustainability agenda possible.

Life of a TA Intern Part 2

August 25, 2020

A vlog series exploring working at Thompson Alexander from the viewpoints of our Interns Chumani, Natasha, and Holly. Part 2: A Week in the Life -a continuation of their current experiences, including them explaining the different tasks they have undertaken regarding this new project, which will be launching soon!

Life of a TA Intern - Part 1

July 29, 2020

A vlog series exploring working at Thompson Alexander from the point of view of our interns Chumani, Natasha, and Holly. Part 1: Meeting the Interns - An inside view into the different roles they have undertaken and tasks they have accomplished within their first few weeks. First month ✅

Job hunting ‘Like a Girl’… Yes, that really is a thing.

July 28, 2020

White background with black text at the top that reads 'Job hunting 'like a girl', in the bottom right of the image continues 'Yes, That's a thing'. The central graphic of the image is 4 female figures in suits, the first and third in a skirt suit, and the remaining 3 in a trouser suit.

At Thompson Alexander we are proud that 71% of our workforce identify as female, which is significantly higher than the global average of 36% in 2019. Why are we still so far off equality in the workplace? Having recently graduated university and begun their prosperous careers with TA, our female strong project team tackle gender bias in recruitment and hiring.

So, What Do I Do Now?

June 23, 2020

On the left is an image of Phoebe Blair smiling and holding a bottle of Prosecco, she wears a denim pinafore with a grey long sleeved top. On the right side is a blue background with the title 'So, What do I do Now?' in bold white text. Below is a white bock with a blue tick next to Alevels, check. Then a mother white box with a blue tick next to University Degree, check. Under neath is a white box with a white question mark in the centre, followed by 'Now what?'

So, you have graduated University, what now? If you’re anything like me, you’ve gone through the education system, each step of the way gaining those qualifications to put on your C.V, but now have no idea what to do next...

Graduate Internship Opportunities 2020

May 29, 2020

A clip art style picture of 2 hands shaking. The person on the left has a black sleeve with a white shirt under. The person on the right has a blue sleeve with a white shirt under it. The picture goes just past their wrists. The background is a teal colour.

Due to the recent loss of 80% of Graduate Opportunities caused by the current climate, Thompson Alexander have partnered with Industry Leading Tech Professionals to help Graduates who have been affected. Together we have created a unique and innovative 12-week Graduate Internship, with the opportunity to go perm upon successful completion.

Baby Steps in Business

May 19, 2020

A graphic in clip art syle. Background is a light blue and the floor is teal, both solid colours. On the left are 3 different sized piles of large gold coins. In the centre is a yellow light bulb which takes up 4 fifths of the length of the image, it has a brown ladder leaning against it. To the right of this is a man in a black suit and red tie, carrying a black brief case. His head reaches half way up the ladder.

Baby Steps in Business is a series that explores the highs and lows of starting a business by sharing the experiences of those who have already begun their journey. For the first instalment in this series, JamieDoyle, the Founder and Director of Thompson Alexander, talks about the importance of persistence when facing adversity in business.

Is Remote Working the Way of the Future? – Two Industry Expert Test Lead’s Share Their Thoughts on Remote Working.

April 9, 2020

A clipart style graphic. A dark sea green solid background. In the centre is a brown desk with a black computer screen in the centre and a black mental lamp to the right with a yellow bulb that points in the direction of the computer. Behind the screen stands a woman in a black suit with a red top and dark hair tied in a bun. She holds blank pieces of paper in her right hand, and a coffee cup in her left hand. Above this image in white text reads 'Is remote working the way of the future?'

As remote working appears to be the new normal for the foreseeable future, we take a look at exactly how IT Consultants are being affected. We interviewed two exceptional Test Lead’s regarding their experiences with remote working, and their thoughts on the lasting impact it will have on business operations.

Your IR35 Handbook

February 21, 2019

A photograph of a white desk against an off white wall with a white panel in the middle going left to right. On the desk is a wooden frame with a grey background, in the frame it reads 'You will be okay, you have no choice'. To the right of this is a small white plant pot with a green plant that has long thin leaves.

A summary of everything you need to know right now about IR35, as a contractor and an employer. Make sure you're up to date with the changes before they come into place on the 6th April 2020, and how the changes are going to directly impact you.

Professionalism and Ethical Standards in the Recruitment Industry

February 21, 2019

A clip art style graphic. Top half is a blue sky with 3 white clouds. Bottom half is a teal race track with 4 white hurdles. Over each hurdle is a red arrow that leads up to the business man running over the fourth hurdle. He is a dark blue block style figure with white hair and a red tie flapping behind him. In his right hand he holds a briefcase, and in his left he is looking at a phone screen whilst running.

A look into the professionalism and ethical standards of the recruitment industry, and what can be done to change the industry as a whole.

Our Top Tips for Working from Home

February 21, 2019

A birds eye view of a brown desk, on the left just cut out of frame is a white note book. In the centre taking up most of the image is a grey and black laptop. There is a woman's hand resting on it. To the right hand side of the laptop she holds a smart phone with a red screen that has a white smiley face in the centre. Above this is a coffee in a light pink mug.

Some of us are working from home for the first time because of recent developments and Government advice regarding Covid-19, and it's a lot easier said than done. Here are our top tips for working from home to help you maintain a work/ life balance.

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