Tag: Technology

31/10/2018

Leeds selected for Channel 4 Headquarters

It has been formally announced today that Leeds will be the new home of Channel 4, housing its new regional HQ. The City Region has successfully been selected, beating off competition from Manchester and Birmingham; the final three in the shortlist.

Channel 4 is a publicly owned, commercially funded broadcaster. The company’s Chief Executive, Alex Mahon, and the Channel 4 Board, visited 13 cities and regions for presentations and discussions during the pitch process earlier this year, followed by comprehensive discussions with six subsequently shortlisted cities.

Roughly 300 jobs are expected to relocate to Leeds from London. Bristol and Glasgow have also been confirmed as locations for two smaller creative hubs.

15/08/2018

Top 12 techie desk gadgets

What do you have on your desk at work? Usual telephone, stapler, headphones, mug, family photo or two? If you’re a techie with a passion for gadgets, it’s likely that you may have a few additional devices to make your desk space more entertaining and potentially save you time. If you don’t, you’re definitely not fulfilling your tech geek status to its full potential.

We’ve done our research on the best tech desk gadgets to make your working life more entertaining. Be the envy of all your colleagues with these ‘must-haves’:

Foot hammock

A whole new meaning to ‘put your feet up’. Kick back and relax whilst your test script is running. Just make sure you don’t disgust your colleagues with your smelly feet…

Novelty mug

Investing in a novelty mug can bring a variety of benefits to your working life. How about a handy mug that hides your biscuits/cookies from your colleagues beneath your brew? Or bring some hilarity to your working life by showcasing your favourite side-splitting tech joke…

Washable keyboard

Did you know that your computer or laptop keyboard is 20,000 times dirtier than a toilet seat? Yum! Wash those germs away with this revolutionary washable keyboard.

If you’re a particularly messy eater or just plain clumsy, crumbs, this is for you!

iPhone charging stand

Did you know that UK adults spend an average of eight hours and 41 minutes a day on media devices? No wonder our smartphones are running out of battery before the day is up.

This 100% natural wood phone charging stand and sound amplifier for iPhone, stands your phone upwards or horizontally. It charges the iPhone and has a pen holder to neatly keep your things organised and at hand. Very professional!

Basketball rubbish bin

Test your ‘tekkers’ – here’s a fun alternative for the office and a chance to look away from your screen.

Cable tidy clips

How do you keep your desk tidy? These useful clips keep your desk tidy and organised by clipping your cables away from your workspace to give you more room to work and fulfil those health and safety requirements.

Cable clips

Hand pillow

Spent all night debugging some maddeningly elusive software defects? Look no further – the hand pillow; a very comfy pillow for a quick nap at lunch time or on the train in-between meetings. This genius product is a blessing for employees, (but one to watch for employers).

Rubik’s cube mini fridge

“Anyone for a Rubik’s Cube refreshment?!”

This is a great novelty item for people who love gadgets – it’s a mini-fridge disguised as a large Rubik’s cube! “But how do I get into it?” I hear you cry. Don’t fret – there’s no time-consuming twisting and turning; just open the door.

Desk matt

Personalise your desk with a colourful or patterned matt – just like you’d spruce up your living room with a jazzy rug, you can also do this with your desk. Simply place this under your keyboard and instantly ‘feel’ the benefits.

On a budget?

Some people have been known to have a carpet sample or off-cut under their keyboard, providing that soft comfy feeling when sitting at a desk. Shagpile or Berber?

Novelty Bluetooth speaker

Get ready to geek out! This wireless Darlek Bluetooth speaker has a range of 33 feet and includes sound clips such as ‘Exterminate’, ‘Gun’ and ‘Re-initializing’. What’s more, the antennae flashes with music and gets brighter as the volume increases.

Mug coaster warmer

“Fancy a cuppa?” A must-have item for any hot beverage fans out there. Keep your drinks hot by heating them up with this coaster, saving you time to make another.

The Wild Card

Need a new Office Manager? Meet Betty; a highly sophisticated robot, running artificial intelligence-driven software. She has been developed by an international research team led by the University of Birmingham.

Betty won’t sit on your desk, but she will supervise the office, assessing clutter, the temperature, noise and health and safety measures are being met. She’ll even welcome guests in Reception. Read more about Betty here.

Upgrade your desk space

These beauties, all available from Amazon, are guaranteed to bring some sparkle to your working life – not only will you be germ free, fully charged (phone and you personally) and totally relaxed, you’ll be the talk of the office.

Like what you read? Follow us on LinkedIn for more fun articles, industry news, job opportunities and more.

06/02/2018

Top Tips for Safer Internet Day

Technology should be loved, not feared. Despite this, we all know the internet can come with risks and worries, especially if you’re a parent.

As it’s Safer Internet Day, everyone should have a part to play in making the internet a more secure place for children. Be that starting from an open an honest dialogue or changing parental controls. To help you create a safer internet, we’ve produced an infographic with some top tips.

For more help and advice visit the UK Safer Internet Centre.

17/08/2017

Is your job amongst the top 25 in the UK?

How did you choose your career path? What were the deciding factors? What’s the best job you’ve ever had? Jobs website, Glassdoor, has produced a report ranking jobs based on a combination of three factors:

Number of job openings
Earning potential (salary)
Overall job satisfaction rating

So, which jobs are the best? Naturally management positions have grabbed the top spot, with large salaries, vast job openings and satisfaction. Here’s a breakdown of the top five:

1. Finance Manager – 4.5 out of 5

Job Satisfaction: 3.7 out of 5
Median Base Salary: £68,000
Job Openings: 1,600

2. Tax Manager – 4.4 out of 5

Job Satisfaction: 3.8 out of 5
Median Base Salary: £59,228
Job Openings: 611

3. Design Manager – 4.4 out of 5

Job Satisfaction: 4.1 out of 5
Median Base Salary: £55,000
Job Openings: 359

4. Audit Manager – 4.4 out of 5

Job Satisfaction: 4.2 out of 5

Median Base Salary: £59,500

Job Openings: 307

5. HR Manager – 4.4 out of 5

Job Satisfaction: 4.1 out of 5

Median Base Salary: £50,000

Job Openings: 429

Unsurprisingly a lot of tech-related jobs fall into the top 25 jobs in the UK. Here they are, rated out of five. Click the live links to view vacancies within these areas:

Data Scientist – 4.4
Supply Chain Manager – 4.3
Solutions Architect – 4.3
Scrum Master – 4.3
Communications Manager – 4.3
Commercial Manager – 4.3
Marketing Manager – 4.2
Operations Manager – 4.2
Risk Manager – 4.2
Site Manager – 4.2
PHP Developer – 4.2
Product Manager – 4.1
Project Engineer – 4.1
Technical Architect – 4.1
Maintenance Manager – 4.1
Payroll Manager – 4.1
Mobile Developer – 4.1
Business Analyst – 4.0
Project Manager – 4.0
Brand Manager – 4.0

Did you know?

Corecom Consulting hosts a series of award-winning events in Leeds and Manchester for IT and technology professionals in a number of the roles featured within this article. Take a look and register online:

EVENTS CALENDAR

Leeds is amongst the UK’s top 5 best cities to work in, so there has never been a better time to enter the world of tech in Leeds.

labour-market-report-news-visual-nov-2016

17/11/2016

Demand to Surge for Digital Skills Jobs in Leeds

The Leeds City Region has the largest digital sector outside of London, employing nearly 45,000 people. There are more than 1,300 technology companies employing specialist software developers, software testers, business analysts, data warehousing and business intelligence specialists, from apprentices to senior IT professionals.

Leeds-based companies such as Jet2, Sky, William Hill and the NHS are just some of the key examples of those focusing their efforts on tech and digital recruitment.

The IT sector in the City is forecasted to grow by 15% over the next decade, equating to around 4,000 additional jobs, according to the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP). The sector has one of the fastest forecast rates of growth.

The top digital job titles and specialist skills

Across the full labour market, digital skills have been highlighted as an area of particularly high demand. For example, amongst the top ten higher skilled job titles in Leeds include:

Business Analyst
.Net Developer
Java Software Developer

Click here for current vacancies with these job titles.

Amongst the top specialist skills for higher level jobs include:

SQL
Project Management
Javascript
Microsoft C#

Demand for digital skills is significant across a wide range of sectors, not just within IT.

Click here for current job vacancies with these specialist skills.

Skills shortages in tech

The City Region faces a significant and growing level of skills shortages, particularly in technology. Jonathan Sanderson, Managing Director at Leeds-based IT Recruiter Corecom Consulting, said:

“The IT job market is continuing to suffer due to a lack of candidates with the required skills, qualifications and experience.

“From 2013 to 2015, the number of skill shortages tripled. This is versus an increase of 50% in the number of employer vacancies within the City. As the economy continues to develop, employers are finding it increasingly challenging to recruit people with the required skills.”

Research undertaken within Yorkshire and the Humber indicates that the highest skills shortages are in:

Science, research, engineering and technology professionals
Science, engineering and technology associate professionals
Skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades.

Each of these groups displays a whopping shortage density of over 40% across the region. National data does demonstrate that this shortage is historical and that there is a need for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills.

Research suggests that digital skills are low and in decline:

“At national level, concerns have been expressed about the relevance of some computer science provision and its relevance to the needs of employers and this may be a contributing factor.”

Leeds City Region Labour Market Analysis 2016/2017

Employment in high-skilled management, professional and associate professional occupations are projected to grow three times as quickly as the average. This is encouraging for the regional economy, strengthening its strong digital, manufacturing, financial and professional services sectors.

Help is at hand

Corecom Consulting is an award winning Leeds based IT recruitment company. Tap into our specialist IT network to help you recruit and retain new staff. For advice or assistance with recruiting new employees within your organisation, please click here to Register with Corecom Consulting.

Leeds performs well on apprenticeship take-up

In brief, this is how the Leeds City Region has performed:

19% of employers in the region offer apprenticeships which is higher than the national average
advanced apprenticeships have seen extensive annual growth of 25%
Higher Apprenticeships starts have doubled

For the region to continue to develop as well as it has, the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership is working in partnership with schools and local businesses in order to raise the profile of apprenticeships and the career benefits they bring.

Skills challenges facing the Leeds City Region

The region’s labour force is becoming better qualified but research shows that a quarter of the adult population have no or very few qualifications. Businesses are being encouraged to address the skills shortages by upskilling their staff and investing in training.

Full Labour Market Analysis Report – click here

03/10/2016

National Techies Day

The day is finally here to celebrate our most beloved techies… It’s National Techies Day!

What is National Techies Day?

National Techies Day is a day that we dedicate to celebrating techies around the globe for making our world a better place. Techies not only fix printing problems, speed up networks and ultimately revive our PCs from the dreaded ‘blue screen of death’, they also make day-to-day life so much easier for us, and for that we are extremely grateful.

On the 3^rd October students are encouraged to choose a career in technology. Launched in 1999, the National Techies Day was initiated by Techies.com and CNET Networks to encourage kids to embrace computer science and choose a tech way of life. In America, it was expected that 60% of new jobs would require advanced technology skills that the population didn’t have, hence the appeal for more techies.

So what is a techie?

Techies are those wonderful people who know their way around the technologies that we use in everyday life like the backs of their hand. Most people know technology for its functionality, but not techies, they know technology inside out, back to front, you name it. Techies are passionate deeply engrossed in all things tech, they are the first to design new tech and the first to own it. Techies are the ones who keep the world as we know it moving forward.

How to celebrate Techies Day?

Celebrating Techies Day involves praising those who keep the world moving forward for us. We should not only celebrate successful techies like Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, we should be praising each and every techie that makes our life so much easier. So send an email, card or letter of thanks to all the techies you know and let them know that you appreciate them! And for all you techies reading this article, we thank you for pulling us through all the hard times, I think today is the perfect occasion for you all to treat yourselves to the latest bit of tech you’ve been eyeing up over the last few months, you deserve it.

Join a tech community

Corecom Consulting hosts a number of award-winning technology networking events. Click here to get involved.

11/07/2016

4 Must-Read Articles for This Week

Here is your weekly list of 4 must-read articles. This week will feature Li-Fi, Android Wear, Pokemon Go and VR.

What is Li-fi and how does it work?

“Light Fidelity or Li-Fi is a Visible Light Communications (VLC) system running wireless communications travelling at very high speeds.”

Read more here…

40 best Android Wear apps in 2016

“Last year, Google added over 4,000 new Android Wear apps to the Play Store to give your wrist even more functionality than ever before.”

Read more here…

How to download Pokemon Go in the UK – and when is it out?

“Pokémon Go has proved so popular that the UK release date for the augmented reality game has been postponed after unexpectedly high volumes of downloads in the US and Australia caused it to crash.”

Read more here…

Still a virtual reality skeptic? Here’s why you shouldn’t be

“As VR becomes a force in the gaming world (and other sectors), with Google and Facebook making enthusiastic pushes in its innovation, I can’t help but draw the evident parallels between the emergence of 3D-console gaming and quasi-nascent VR.”

Read more here…

Like what you see? Get in touch, email us at contact@corecomconsulting.co.uk

05/07/2016

4 Must-Read Articles for This Week

Are you ready for your weekly Corecom fix? We’ve compiled a list of 4 must-read articles for this week, featuring relaxation time, Brexit, iOS 10 and F1. Enjoy.

Beach reads for techies 2016

“Computerworld polled IT pros from around the country in various positions and industries to determine what books they’re reading right now — and which reads top their list of all-time best books for techies.”

Read more here…

Brexit: 8 cities that might replace London as FinTech capital of Europe

“Until now the startup and financial capital of Europe, a post-Brexit London that lacks access to the European Digital Single Market, EU-funded research, or free movement of tech staff from across the continent (one in three staff in UK tech startups are from the EU) isn’t necessarily the kind of place entrepreneurs will want to be.”

Read more here…

iOS 10 release date, news and features

“Everything you need to know in under 2 minutes.”

Read more here…

See an F1 race through the eyes of the driver and witness his near-superhuman reactions

“We now know exactly what an F1 driver is looking at as they hurtle around racetracks at speeds upwards of 200mph.”

Read more here…

Like what you see? Get in touch, email us at contact@corecomconsulting.co.uk

27/06/2016

4 Must-Read Articles for This Week

Staff at Corecom Consulting have put together a list of four topical articles that they found interesting this week, and here they are:

The future of 3D-printed prosthetics

“As 3D printers become more affordable, with some available for less than $200, the possibility of anyone being able to design and print a prosthetic limb in their home or local community is rapidly becoming a reality.”

Read more here…

Fear, uncertainty and doubt grips Britain’s tech sector

“There is a lot of uncertainty around but one thing for sure is that this is bad news for the tech industry.”

Read more here…

Google set to take on Apple with its own range of branded phones

“Google has dominated the software market with Android and now it is reportedly creating its own smartphone to compete with the likes of Apple and Samsung.”

Read more here…

Developers aren’t overpaid (despite what you might think)

“If you take a junior developer graduating from a top university, they would probably be looking for a starting salary somewhere between £30,000 and £35,000.”

Read more here…

Like what you see? Get in touch, email us at contact@corecomconsulting.co.uk

Jonathan Sanderson's 10 Rules for Success

23/06/2016

Jonathan Sanderson – Ten Rules for Success

Last but not least in Corecom Consulting’s ‘Leadership and Success Series’ is Jonathan Sanderson, Managing Director of Corecom Consulting, an award-winning IT recruitment specialist. Here are Jonathan’s top ten rules for success:

Tell a good story

“All my favourite leaders are exceptional at telling stories and inspiring people with the tales of their success or the lessons they teach. You should have built up a pool of analogies for every occasion.”

Lead by example

“Leaders need respect and you won’t gain respect if you’re not prepared to demonstrate you are willing to do what needs to be done.”

Share your vision & values

“People achieve much more when they are working towards a cause rather than just an objective.”

Know what your team wants

“You can’t motivate your team without knowing what they want. Understanding how to meet their personal needs will reward you greatly.”

Have fun

“People want to follow those who are having a good time. If you enjoy what you do it makes it a lot easier to inspire others. True leaders are passionate about what they do.”

Ask for feedback

“The only way you can improve is to ask for feedback. People who are following won’t naturally give you feedback and if you’re not receiving feedback regularly you are doing something wrong.”

Take accountability

“Leaders need to show that they are human and that it is OK to make mistakes. Demonstrate that you are prepared to live to your values and use feedback to improve.”

Take an interest in your team’s success

“You need to help coach your team to be the best that they can be. Helping others grow is the best way to help yourself grow and if you want people to succeed you need to have a real passion for it.”

Delegate effectively

“The art of leadership is being a good delegator. The team needs responsibility to help you achieve yours and your company’s goals. I have failed in the past by trying to show that I can do it all. You are helping people develop individually and professionally if you let them learn by completing new tasks.”

Take time to think

“At least once a week, I sit down for 20 -30 minutes with a piece of paper, a question at the top and my first bullet point. I make sure that there is always a new empty bullet point to prompt a new idea. I often find that my best ideas come towards the end of my thinking.”

Jonathan Sanderson has recently been featured in Leeds Beckett University’s ‘Leading 360 Series’ for the Centre of Governance, Leadership and Global Responsibility which can be viewed here. Corecom has also written blogs for Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Elon Musk’s ten rules for success which you can read through the links provided.

If you like what you’ve read let us know! Contact us at contact@corecomconsulting.co.uk

22/06/2016

Elon Musk – Ten Rules for Success

Day three of Corecom Consulting’s ‘Leadership and Success Series’ sees the man who created game-changing businesses like PayPal, Tesla Motors, and SpaceX, Elon Musk. Elon Musk is worth over $11bn and here are his ten rules for success:

Never give up

“I’d have to be dead or completely incapacitated to give up.”

Really like what you do

“It’s really important to like what you do if you don’t like it, life is too short.”

Don’t listen to the littleman

“We’re doing these things which seem unlikely to succeed and we’ve been fortunate that at least thus far they have succeeded.”

Take a risk

“Take risks now and do something bold, you won’t regret it.”

Do something important

“If something is important enough you should try even if the probable outcome is failure.”

Focus on signal over noise

“Focus on signal over noise…are these efforts that people are undergoing resulting in a better product or service? If they’re not, stop those efforts.”

Look for problem solvers

“When interviewing somebody to work in a company, ask them ‘tell me about the problems you worked on and how did you solve them’ and if someone was really the person who solved the problems they’d be able to answer at multiple levels and if they weren’t they’d get stuck.”

Attract great people

“All a company is, is a group of people that create a problem or service and so dependent on how talented or hard working that group is and the degree to which they are focused cohesively in a good direction that will determine the success of a company.”

Have a great product

“You’re always going to buy the trusted brand unless there’s a big difference. A lot of times an entrepreneur will come up with something that is just slightly better, and it can’t just be slightly better, it’s got to be a lot better.”

Work super hard

“If you do the simple math, if somebody else is working 50 hours and you are working 100, you’ll get twice as much done in the course of a year as the other company.”

More on this can be found here. If you want to find out about Steve Jobs’ ten rules for success click here, and to find out about Bill Gates’ click here. For Corecom’s Managing Director, Jonathan Sanderson’s ten rules, keep your eyes peeled on our blogs over the next week.

21/06/2016

Bill Gates – Ten Rules for Success

Day two of Corecom Consulting’s ‘Leadership and Success Series’ welcomes one of the best-known entrepreneurs of the personal computer revolution, Bill Gates. Bill Gates consistently ranks in the Forbes list of the world’s wealthiest people and is the second-most generous philanthropist in America, having given over $28 billion to charity and here is his top ten rules for success:

Have energy

“If you’re going to start a company, it takes so much energy that it better overcome your feeling of risk.”

Have a bad influence

“I’m a bad influence, that’s why I was asked to speak at your graduation because if I’d have spoken at your orientation, fewer of you might be here today.”

Work hard

“About 25% of the time that I’m out travelling around meeting with customers in Europe and Asia, that helps me think: do we have the right priorities, what are people responding well to and what they’d like to see us do better?”

Create the Future

“Every week we see new innovative work and it’s really attracting all the innovation in the industry. We predicted this a long time ago and now it’s the future.”

Enjoy what you do

“You’ve got to enjoy what you do every day, and for me that’s working with very smart people, it’s working on new problems. Every time we think we’ve had a bit of success we’ve got to be careful not to dwell on it too much because the bar gets raised.”

Play Bridge

“I love Bridge, Bridge helps you think, it’s a game you can play your entire life and you keep getting better and better and I think that anyone who is good at Bridge will be great at a lot of things.”

Ask for advice

“A small number of people that you can turn to on certain key things is a great asset.”

Pick good people

“The benefit of sparking off someone who’s got that brilliance is not only fun, but it has also led to a lot of success, so picking a partner is crucial.”

Don’t procrastinate

“Procrastination is not a good habit.”

Have a sense of humour

“I’ve been waiting more than 30 years to come back and say this, Dad, I always told you I’d come back and get my degree.”

More on this can be found here. If you want to find out about Steve Jobs’ ten rules for success click here. For Elon Musk and Jonathan Sanderson’s ten rules keep your eyes peeled on our blogs over the next week.

Tag: Technology

What is Li-fi and how does it work?

40 best Android Wear apps in 2016

How to download Pokemon Go in the UK – and when is it out?

Still a virtual reality skeptic? Here’s why you shouldn’t be

Beach reads for techies 2016

Brexit: 8 cities that might replace London as FinTech capital of Europe

iOS 10 release date, news and features

See an F1 race through the eyes of the driver and witness his near-superhuman reactions

The future of 3D-printed prosthetics

Fear, uncertainty and doubt grips Britain’s tech sector

Google set to take on Apple with its own range of branded phones

Developers aren’t overpaid (despite what you might think)

Tell a good story

Lead by example

Share your vision & values

Know what your team wants

Have fun

Ask for feedback

Take accountability

Take an interest in your team’s success

Delegate effectively

Take time to think

Never give up

Really like what you do

Don’t listen to the littleman

Take a risk

Do something important

Focus on signal over noise

Look for problem solvers

Attract great people

Have a great product

Work super hard

Have energy

Have a bad influence

Work hard

Create the Future

Enjoy what you do

Play Bridge

Ask for advice

Pick good people

Don’t procrastinate

Have a sense of humour

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