If you’ve ever fancied being a flight attendant, now might be your chance as one of Europe’s biggest airlines, easyJet is adding 1200 jobs.
CREDIT: easyJet
EasyJet is looking to add 1,200 cabin crew jobs across its network of 820 routes. The news comes after it announced that it was also adding 350 pilots and providing career opportunities for more than 150 of its current First Officers to be promoted into Captain positions.
The airline which was started by businessman Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou in 1995 has over 5,500 cabin crew members.
Tina Milton, easyJet’s Head of Cabin Service, said:
“We’re delighted to be opening recruitment for more than 1,200 cabin crew positions today.
“Being cabin crew is a very rewarding role – our teams are extremely professional and energetic with a real sense of fun. easyJet is a fantastic company to work for with everyone across the airline working together as one team to ensure we provide the highest standard of service for our passengers.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming more people into our growing team.”
Now the hard work is over, here’s five things to remember to do once you’ve finished your A-Levels.
1. Don’t be pressured into anything.
When I was doing my A-Levels my tutors pressured me to go to university. I had no encouragement to find a job or an apprenticeship. I was not ready for university so I decided not to go, I was even called a fool by a teacher. If you don’t think university is right for you then don’t go. Remember, the same course will be available at a university for decades, however the right apprenticeship or dream job might be a one off.
2. Find alternatives.
It is unlikely to be rejected by a university and end up without an option. But if that eventuality does come around then be prepared. Apply for part-time and full-time jobs, apprenticeships, traineeships and anything else you can get your hands on that interests you. Perhaps even doing a year at a college will be good for you, make the most of free education. You can never have to many qualifications and experience.
3. Never take something for the sake of it.
Never go to university because you can. Go because you want to. It is the same with jobs, I made that mistake and it affected my mental and physical health. There is no feeling worse than going to work anxious and stressed and coming home exhausted and drained. The right people, places, and professions will all come around to you. Everyone has a purpose.
4. Do what you enjoy.
So what if you don’t want to go to university with your friends, you can stay in contact. I was one of a handful of people from my year who didn’t go to university and I am in a much better position than some. I have a strong friendship circle and have a good lifestyle. If your passion is photography then pursue it. Go to university and study it and get that degree. If that is not for you, get a job to fund your adventure (photography can be very expensive!) and make the most of your free time.
5. Everything will fall into place.
Take it from me. I left after my a-levels not wanting to go to university, I was called a fool by teachers and left a few people confused. I took a job I hated hoping I could make something of it. My biggest mistake was taking a job I didn’t love. Pair that with some stressful life experiences and you get some mental and physical health issues! It worked out in the end. I was offered an apprenticeship with a photographers studio in London. I had never been happier than the day I handed in my notice knowing in a weeks time I would be on the path to my personal happiness. And to this day, I have never loved doing something so much. I’ve always wanted to make my career something I loved. And now I can.
Here’s to your future. Whatever path you choose, make it the right one for you. Do what you love and you will love what you do.
I work in the trade and it usually means working along side may other trade guys on different sites. The last site I was on there was a site manager, older mature butch muscly bloke (late 40s), ex army/marine, I know he’s married and has kids.
During a meeting between 4 other work mates, I kept catching him looking at me. Then about half way through the meeting while other guys were discussing things, he looks at me, WINKS(!), and then smiles! It took me by surprise.
The big question is: WTF do I do? I don’t want to confront him and give away I’m gay, and find out he’s not. Maybe the wink meant something else? If so, then what!? Or is a wink some secret “gay trade code” that I’m completely unaware of?
Yea I fancy him. Even though he’s married I would not say no. I’d love to have a go with him but just not sure how to test the water without giving too much away?
This is an interesting dilemma. First things first though: why do you think being an ex army/marine type would prohibit someone from being gay? There are many ways to be gay and you’d be surprised how many super masculine power jocks are part of the rainbow nation.
What I am wondering is: do you really want to take on the responsibility of loving a married gay man? There will be many problems and dramas you will have to deal with and it could become painful in the future. Make sure you think about the pros and cons before doing anything.
If you are certain about wanting this man, let’s look at the evidence you’ve given us.
That wink definitely meant something, no-one winks at another person without a deeper intention behind it. Of course it could also mean he recognised you were bored of the meeting too, or sharing joke. But that too could mean he was reaching out for something deeper. But if it’s friendship or love you will have to find out for yourself.
From what I gather you are not out at work and want to keep it that way. This means you have to get him alone outside of work. As he is married and very outwardly macho he might have build a few fences around his sexuality so don’t immediately bombard him with the “do you fancy me” question. Try becoming friends first, see how he acts around you. Make some small talk, see what you have in common. Go to the gym together, go for a few drinks and then, after a few dates, drop some small hints.
If he picks up on them: bingo! If he ignores them, at-least you have a new friend.
A warning: if you don’t like taking it slow and want to get there fast, always ask the question in a public place maybe with a friend present in the vicinity just to be on the safe side.
Always with love,
Dannii
The advice above has been given by our community of writers who have drawn from experiences in their own lives and is should not be considered as professional advice.
The UK’s biggest HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust has relaunched a service that aims to help people living with HIV in London, Essex, Brighton, Shrewsbury and Cambridge to get back to work.
According to the charity, 25 per cent of people with HIV are out of work, and the Positive programme aims to provide work experience, mentoring, peer support, employment coaching and training for people with HIV who have been unemployed for two years.
With funding from the Big Lottery Fund the service will relaunch for the sixth year. It is accepting application until 7th August
Micael, who completed Work Positive last year, said,
“I’d tried other back to work schemes before but I wasn’t getting anywhere and when I left for the day the support stopped, but with Work Positive I was made to feel like a real person, who could contribute to society.
“Ruth gave me the opportunity to get out and get work, but the programme also gave me the wider support I needed to live a happy and healthy life, like helping me eat well – and on the morning of my graduation I was offered a paid job!”
Ruth Burns, Work Positive co-ordinator at Terrence Higgins Trust, says,
“The Work Positive Programme has gone from strength to strength over the last six years. Every year we see our participants transform into confident professionals who are a real asset to the workplace.
“We want this year’s scheme to be just as successful, and we encourage anyone with HIV who feels they need a boost onto the career ladder to apply.”
A study of 2,000 found a large percentage purposely keep their phones on during their sunshine break while one in five says they have to check their work emails while on holiday ‘just to be able to relax’.
Research revealed millions of us find it hard to switch off even after we have landed at our chosen destination, with worrying about targets or work performance, job security and office politics the main issues.
In fact, Brits lose the best part of two days of the typical holiday to worry or stress from their home life, before they can properly switch off, results showed.
The research, which was commissioned by Travelbag.co.uk, the tailor-made long-haul holiday specialist, found the average person spends at least 15 minutes per day contemplating work while supposedly on holiday.
And over a fifth can’t help but day dream about work while on the beach or relaxing by the pool.
While fears over mounting workloads and what they’ll be returning to plagues a third of Brits.
Other stresses which tend to follow us on holiday include nagging thoughts over finances, followed by general work worry and the worry about family other members’ health.
“It’s no secret that the expectations and pressures surrounding modern working lives have changed.
“Increasingly, workers are asked to be more contactable and as a result it can be much harder to separate work and leisure time.
“Making sure people get the time to properly unwind and disconnect from their routines and regular stresses is important in keeping people happy, relaxed and returning to work all the better for it after a break.”
Results also showed we can be our own worst enemy even when there’s nothing to worry about– a fifth of tortured holiday goers say they imagine problems going on at work in their absence and that it puts them on edge.
A frazzled one in six workers say their work expects them to be contactable even while on holiday.
That’s why one in seven has checked emails while poolside or at the beach and says that they would be worried on returning to work if they hadn’t made any contact before stepping back into the office.
Worryingly more than a quarter of people said they found going away for a holiday more stressful than relaxing at times.
And 14 per cent of those polled said they’d wished they hadn’t gone on holiday in the first place after returning to massive workloads.
Hopkinson adds:
“The research shows people not only struggling to switch off but actually needing to check work emails in order to gain peace of mind, even while on holiday.
“If you do need to be available on your holiday, set a particular time with your work colleagues, to highlight when you’ll be checking your emails, and make sure you stick to it.”
Male students at one of the UK’s top universities are being offered £75 worth of Amazon voucher for their sperm.
Fliers are being handed out around a campus asking for cash strapped male volunteers to make their self-made donations as part of a trial run by the University of Sheffield – and are being rewarded with vouchers for the popular online retailer.
The study needs male volunteers aged between 18-30 who are available for 12 weeks between April and July to consume lycopene, the red pigment found in tomatoes and other red fruits, whilst donating semen samples.
Trial researchers hope to discover whether lycopene has a positive effect on participants’ sperm.
CREDIT: SWNS
Scientists say a nutrient found in the “tomato pill” could supercharge sperm by up to 70 per cent and offer new hope to childless couples.
In other studies, lycopene has been suggested as a possible treatment for male infertility.
This is because the antioxidant properties of lycopene counteract the damage inflicted on sperm caused by oxidative stress.
Professor Allan Pacey of the University of Sheffield, one of Britain’s leading experts on male factor infertility, is recruiting 60 healthy male students and university staff to take part in the three-month study.
He said,
“There is enough evidence out there to indicate this study is worth doing and I am cautiously optimistic. If it works in the volunteers we would then consider testing it in infertile patients.
“Production of sperm takes three months. This study will tell us if lycopene improves the quality of sperm already in development by reducing DNA damage, and whether it produces an overall increase in the number of mature sperm produced overall.”
A study of 2,000 graduates found 64 per cent felt their degree was not relevant to their current role.
While results showed the average graduate polled to have left university with £13,292 in debt overall.
With approximately 12 million graduates in the UK* – the astronomical sum can be estimated at 65 billion squandered on degrees not used.
Results also showed a quarter are in job roles that are completely different to the degree they completed.
But while many of those who chose to continue their studies didn’t end up using their final degree to get a job, 85 per cent claim the experience itself has set them up for life.
Barinder Hothi, Co-founder of The Knowledge Academy – one of the biggest training companies in the world – which commissioned the study, said:
“It’s shocking to see such statistics – the high cost of university is often considered necessary in order to progress in a particular career.
“But with most valuing the experience of university (such as making friends, managing a budget, etc) over the knowledge gained from their degree, one has to ask, is it really worth it?”
Results showed just 36 per cent found their degree relevant to their current career choice.
And 67 per cent feel they could have got their current job without having their degree.
In fact six in ten never had to provide any proof they even had a degree in order to get their job and over a fifth feels their employer has no clue what qualifications they actually have.
A third said the content of their degree and the subjects studied are entirely irrelevant to the work they do now.
While a quarter feel there aren’t even small elements of their degree that are helpful to them now.
Reactions were split when deciding the value of a degree overall – 49 per cent felt having their degree made it easier to get a job, but 51 per cent were unsure or felt it made no difference.
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49 per cent feel they would have been better off getting in a job earlier and working their way up.
Which is perhaps why 62 per cent feel they chose the wrong career when they left school.
41 per cent of Brits who didn’t feel they used their degree went on to do further training for their current job.
In fact, tellingly, four in ten graduates polled (38%) wished they had done an apprenticeship instead.
While a similar number are seemingly discontent- over a third are currently considering re-training to do something more worthwhile than their current role allows.
However the life lessons of university still seem prominent – 85 per cent of those polled still felt university had made their life better, even if they aren’t using their degree.
The biggest reason for feeling university was beneficial was for the confidence it gave people, followed by lessons on generally setting up for life, how to budget and how to make friends.
Mrs Hothi added:
“University has become the expected path for many 17-18 year olds in the UK in recent years with alternatives such as apprenticeships or trainee roles being rarely discussed as an option. Without providing students with a good understanding of all the options available to them, some may find themselves graduating in a subject which is of no use to the career they want. With some finding that perhaps a trainee role would have provided them with the relevant work experience needed to give them an edge many expect a degree to have.”
The Knowledge Academy offers more than 50,000 job and skills training courses in 200 countries to customers including: the self-employed and SMEs, to blue-chips and multi-nationals like Rolls Royce, HSBC, British Airways, and Disney.
It offers a mixture of classroom-based education and digital learning, mostly IT, legal, finance, HR and business-related courses, but as diverse as Wildlife Training and Animation, to Psychology and Aviation.
Stonewall has spoken out against the NUS LGBT+’s decision to rid gay male representation from its societies across the UK University system. A statement from the charity said that the best way to achieve diversity was to proactively engage with all parts of the LGBT community rather than “excluding specific parts of the community.”
Stonewall joined the growing concern about the NUS LGBT+ societies remit saying,
“We believe that LGBT societies should represent the full diversity of the LGBT community, including the multiple minority identities that exist within it. Gay men experience homophobia and oppression daily, both inside and outside the LGBT community. This could be because they are of faith, or have a disability, or are part of an ethnic minority. They also continue to face discrimination in the workplace, at school, in church, in institutions, or on the sports field. The fight against homophobia isn’t over yet.
“We think the best way to reflect diversity is to proactively engage with and encourage others to apply for positions on the board rather than excluding specific parts of the community.”
TheGayUK reached out to NHS LGBT+ specifically for comment on its decisions but were directed to the NUS press office, who said,
“All delegate who attend NUS LGBT+ conference are free to submit motions for discussion but they do not necessarily represent the views of NUS if at all.
In the statement the charity said the dropping of gay male representation was “concerning” and “shocking”,
This type of message of great concern to us as a charity, as we actively support a number of LGBT+ students. We see the discrimination, prejudice, violence and abuse that many of those LGBT+ people endure. This of course includes gay men, and indeed white cis gay men.
Acting to remove gay men’s reps from LGBT+ student societies is a shocking turn of events. Gay men, along with lesbian, bisexual and trans people, continue to experience discrimination, violence and abuse in society, at work, school, college, university, and also within the LGBT+ community. Homophobia still exists, even within the LGBT+ community. That is why it is imperative that gay men’s reps remain within LGBT+ student societies.
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Speaking to THEGAYUK a spokesperson for the NUS said,
“All delegate who attend NUS LGBT+ conference are free to submit motions for discussion but they do not necessarily represent the views of NUS if at all.
“NUS itself does not have any committee places solely reserved for men, this is because we recognise that the LGBT+ community is far wider than just men, at a national level we have an open place where anyone can put themselves forward for nomination.
“The conference resolved that local LGBT+ societies to do the same, although ultimate we have no jurisdiction over them. This has nothing to do with the views of an individual about the validity of issues anyone faces but is simply because we believe its fairer practice.”
Gay male students will no longer have a “reserved” space for a representative at their University after NUS LGBT+ calls for gay men representatives to drop their positions claiming cis white gay men do not face discrimination.
Gay male students in the UK’s University system are facing the prospect of not having a representative at their LGBT+ society after the NUS LGBT+ voted to abolish a reserved space for gay male reps.
It also called for current gay male representatives to relinquish their role if it already exists within a LGBT+ society.
A reserved space for a representatives will remain for lesbian, bisexual, trans and asexual reps, however gay male representatives will no-longer be mandatory after claiming that misogyny, transphobia, racism and biphobia were more likely to happen if societies were “dominated” by white cis gay men.”
During the conference students did however vote on Motion 407, “LGBT+ Officers For All” in which it called upon NUS LGBT+ to encourage and empower students to demand LGBT+ representation.
