Competition for jobs will stay strong, says Dragon

A member of the BBC’s Dragons’ Den has asserted competition for jobs will remain strong in 2010 and optimism is likely to be high, which could see more Britons making use of recruitment agencies.

James Caan, in an article for the Telegraph, said the recession has resulted in the creation of a new type of jobseeker – with more people who have been in higher education in competition for jobs.

“This year is an important one, as we’ll have a general election. The government has been driving initiatives to help keep businesses buoyant and to get the young back in employment,” he added.

Mr Caan explained that because of this, he would be on the lookout for a candidate who had upped their game in order to stand out from the competition.

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He urged jobseekers to be proactive and to include examples of this in their CVs, while he noted care needed to be taken to ensure this talent was not missed out on.

Steve Williams, head of equality services at Acas, recently noted employers looking for new recruits should ensure they base their hiring decision on skills, rather than appearance.