Recruitment Solutions

Injection Moulding Setter Technician

£28000 - £33650 per annum Bonus, Pension

Stockport, Cheshire / Manchester, Greater Manchester / Altrincham, Cheshire

This high-volume manufacturer of plastic products, that are part of a global organisation, are currently seeking an experienced Injection Moulding Setter Technician to join their team.

The role is responsible for identifying and diagnosing process faults and implementing the correct solution or, if you are unable to resolve the issue to report this to the relevant departmental representative on shift. You will be responsible for conducting daily monitoring and optimisation of processes to ensure that desired cycle times are achieved reporting any variances from this cycle time. This position will perform hand overs at both the beginning and end of the shift, therefore it is important that you can effectively communicate both verbally and written to ensure that any relevant information is transferred over to the oncoming shift.

As Injection Moulding Setter Technician your duties will include -

Completing gate freeze off analysis and report deviations.
Carrying out regular tool inspections, including cleaning and greasing.
Daily monitoring and optimising of processes in order to achieve desired cycle times and report the reason for any variance of cycle times.
Ensuring that an acceptable first off sample is produced at the start of each production run.
Maintaining a good standard of housekeeping at all times, ensuring material spillages are cleaned up, all purging's are removed from machines and placed in appropriate bins once the material is cold.
Setting hopper loader systems to the correct percentage for correct throughput of materials.
Carrying out daily water heater checks and record these checks onto the attribute charts.
Completing an effective shift handover at both the beginning and end of each shift.
During the first and last hour of each shift ensure that all machines are checked for documentation, materials hoppers are topped up and purging's removed prior to handing over to the oncoming shift.

To be successful in the role of Injection Moulding Setter Technician, the ideal Candidate -

Will be experienced in Injection Moulding
Must be qualified to IMT Level 3 or equivalent (G&A/RJG)
Have previous experience of using hot runner systems
Will be able to set from scratch, process optimise and trouble shoot moulding/process/tooling issues.

Based near Stockport, this role is easily commutable from Manchester, Congleton, Runcorn, and Buxton.

On offer -

Salary of up to £33,650 per annum (inc. shift premium)
Shift Pattern = 07.00-19.00 x 2 days, 19.00-07.00 x 2 nights, 4 on 4 off pattern
Contributory pension scheme with up to 4% contribution from the company
Bonus
Life assurance
Access to subsidised canteen
Free onsite parking

Apply now to be considered for this role.

contact

Mathew Ram-Gopal

Power Electronics Engineer

£50000 - £55000 per annum

Leamington Spa, Warwickshire

Senior Power Electronics Engineer required for my client, who specialise in providing electronic solutions to environmental issues. This engineer will add expertise to a team that have developed an innovative solution to environmental/agricultural challenges and will help drive the next generation of electrical systems across a multitude of applications.

We are looking for someone passionate both about Power Engineering and improving the environment. This is a tremendous opportunity to be one of the first to join this growing and unique business

Responsibilities:

Develop complete systems, from concept through to production, to deliver high voltage (>5kV), high power (>1kW) and high frequency (>10kHz) outputs, powered by a range of sources including mains, batteries, alternators and solar

Identify technical risks within projects and drive their resolution
Ensure products are safe
Mentor others and develop best practice
Ensure focus on driving efficacy and value

Skills - Required:

Design transformers and inductors
Manage thermals and resolve any issues
Simulate designs in tools such as Matlab or SPICE
Design and layout PCBs
Build and commission prototypes
Verify designs in lab and validate performance in field
Design product for worldwide compliance
Create production specifications
Design for cost and mass-manufacture
Create technical construction files
Identify and manage electrical hazards
Design of resonant inductor circuits
Develop embedded microcontroller systems
Program with CAN bus and Modbus protocols

Qualities

In-depth knowledge and passion for development of power electronics
Highly motivated and proactive to thrive in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment
Excellent creative, analytical and design decision making skills
Ability to manage own time, prioritise effectively and deliver to agreed timescales
Ability to communicate to a wide range of audiences including senior management
Great at mentoring and developing junior staff
Diligent with confidentiality
Passion for improving the environment

This role would suit a power electronics specialist with both theoretical and practical expertise.

Based within commutable distance of Warwickshire

contact

Project Engineer (Software Devices)

£45000 - £53000 per annum Pension, Free Parking, Life Assurance

Stockport, Cheshire / Peterborough, Cambridgeshire

Are you an experienced Project Engineer from a Software/Firmware background who ideally possess a knowledge and understanding of energy product related compliance guidelines and devices (test cases, applications, testing standards, regulations etc.) and have an understanding of software development methodologies SCRUM/AGILE?

Would you like to work for a global company? As the successful Project Engineer you will be involved with software & firmware projects and the software QA compliance associated with these. With can understanding of energy devices (smart meters) you will have the ability to work with and push back to R&D teams.

Experience and Responsibilities:

Have a deep understanding of Product Development Life Cycle Phases and have experience in working in Quality driving continuous improvement activities, delivering robust business processes, and product quality
Support and partner with the team to ensure compliance to Quality Assurance processes by tailoring and executing the Project Quality Plan (PQP) according to the specification and process deliverables
Provide guidance and support for the team in the interpretation of quality standards (ISO, Environmental Compliance, RoHS, etc.)
Provide support for the project team in technical and regulatory compliance challenges
Continuously look for improvement opportunities and challenge the 'status'
Knowledge of 8D, FMEA, DFM, DFR, Root cause analysis and Lean Six Sigma

This is an excellent opportunity for a Project Engineer with Product, Software, Embedded SW (FW) and Device Management to be involved with supporting projects by facilitating state of the art management methods, techniques and tools to ensure a specialist product, system or solution is delivered each and every time.

Benefits: Pension, 25 days holiday, free car parking, bonus, private medical insurance and life insurance. The salary for this role is between £45,000 - 53,000.

contact

Steel Processing Operative

£10 - £12 per hour

West Midlands

Temporary

Steel Processing Operative with B1 Counterbalance Licence Required

We are currently recruiting for a large steel processing company on a temp-to-perm basis in Oldbury. You will be responsible for manoeuvring steel around the workplace, loading and unloading machinery and vehicles for dispatch. To be considered for this role you MUST have operated overhead cranes and counterbalance forklift trucks within the steel industry.

An indate B1 Counterbalance Licence is required, and an Overhead Crane Licence would be beneficial.

Your day to day duties will include;

Operating overhead cranes
Operating counterbalance forklift trucks
Handling steel coil and processed steel
Helping to load and unload slitting lines and blanking presses
Loading and unloading vehicles for delivery

Working on a three shift pattern basis of Monday - Friday; 6:00am - 2:00pm / 2:00pm - 10:00pm / 10:00pm - 6:00am totalling 40 hours per week.

Pay rate for mornings and afternoons is £10.41p/h and for nights £11.75p/h.

After a thirteen week probationary period through the agency you will be eligible for a permanent contract, though you may spend a longer time on the agencies books.

If you think this position is right for you, APPLY NOW! For more information contact ASC Connections on 01902 771443 or email lucy.ward@asc-connections.com

contact

Part Qualified Accountant

£24000 - £29000 per annum

Bromsgrove, Worcestershire

Are you an experienced Accounts professional who is looking for a standalone role where you can utilise your skills to run the accounts department?

If so and you are looking for this level of responsibility, then this position could be for you.

We are supporting a large, established Distribution firm near Bromsgrove with their search for an experienced Financial Accounting Technician on a contract basis for approximately 12-15 months. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with similar experience to join a welcoming organisation that can offer a bit of flexibility with hours if required.

As a Financial Accounting Technician your responsibilities will include:

Processing payments
Instrastat reporting and EC Sales List
VAT returns
Processing and submitting Sales Reports
Reconciliation of Intercompany balances
Balance sheet reconciliations
Running product valuations and post stock movements
Processing a waste report and post waste journal
Revaluing aged debtors and aged creditors
Sales and Purchase Ledger
Collating payroll information and submitting to payroll department
Preparing and submitting management reports
Preparing financial statements
Pre-payments
Fixed assets
Bank statement reconciliation
Credit control
Petty cash

As a Financial Accounting Technician you will have the following skills and experience

Must have good knowledge of Excel (must be able to do pivot tables and V-Look up)
Proven experience within a similar role
Sage experience would be advantageous
Ideally AAT, ACA, ACCA qualified or equivalent

If you are interested, please apply now or get in touch the Redditch ASC Connections branch for more information.

Keywords: Accounts, Sales Ledger, Purchase Ledger, VAT return, Excel, Credit Control, reconciliations

Local to: Bromsgrove, Redditch, Droitwich, Longbridge, Rubery, Worcester, Alvechurch, Tardebigge, Northfield

contact

Claire Roberts

MIG & TIG FABRICATOR WELDER

£24000 - £29000 per annum

Bromsgrove, Worcestershire

We are currently recruiting for a MIG & TIG Fabricator Welder working for a leading specialist in architectural metalwork in the Dudley area on a temp to perm basis.

The ideal candidate will have experience of;

Working from engineering drawings to fabricate and weld architectural metalwork, (mainly consisting of staircases, balustrades, balconies etc)
MIG & TIG welding
Experienced with ferrous and non-ferrous metals
Trigonometry experience would be beneficial

Hours are Monday to Thursday 7:00am - 3:30pm and Friday 6:00am - 1:00pm totalling a 39 hour week.

Overtime is readily available with options to work an additional 2 hours a day at time and a half and Saturdays 6:00am - 11:00am at time and a half.

Pay rate from £12.50p/h dependant on skill and experience.

If you think this role is right for you, APPLY NOW! For more information contact ASC Connections on 01902 771 443 or email lucy.ward@asc-connections.com

contact

Injection Moulding Setter Technician

£24000 - £29000 per annum

Bromsgrove, Worcestershire

This high-volume manufacturer of plastic products, that are part of a global organisation, are currently seeking an experienced Injection Moulding Setter Technician to join their team.

As Injection Moulding Setter Technician your duties will include -

Completing gate freeze off analysis and report deviations.
Carrying out regular tool inspections, including cleaning and greasing.
Daily monitoring and optimising of processes in order to achieve desired cycle times and report the reason for any variance of cycle times.
Ensuring that an acceptable first off sample is produced at the start of each production run.
Maintaining a good standard of housekeeping at all times, ensuring material spillages are cleaned up, all purging's are removed from machines and placed in appropriate bins once the material is cold.
Setting hopper loader systems to the correct percentage for correct throughput of materials.
Carrying out daily water heater checks and record these checks onto the attribute charts.
Completing an effective shift handover at both the beginning and end of each shift.
During the first and last hour of each shift ensure that all machines are checked for documentation, materials hoppers are topped up and purging's removed prior to handing over to the oncoming shift.

To be successful in the role of Injection Moulding Setter Technician, the ideal Candidate -

Will be experienced in Injection Moulding
Must be qualified to IMT Level 3 or equivalent (G&A/RJG)
Have previous experience of using hot runner systems
Will be able to set from scratch, process optimise and trouble shoot moulding/process/tooling issues.

Based near Stockport, this role is easily commutable from Manchester, Congleton, Runcorn, and Buxton.

On offer -

Salary of up to £33,650 per annum (inc. shift premium)
Shift Pattern = 07.00-19.00 x 2 days, 19.00-07.00 x 2 nights, 4 on 4 off pattern
Contributory pension scheme with up to 4% contribution from the company
Bonus
Life assurance
Access to subsidised canteen
Free onsite parking

Apply now to be considered for this role.

contact

Mathew Ram-Gopal

Power Electronics Engineer

£24000 - £29000 per annum

Bromsgrove, Worcestershire

We are looking for someone passionate both about Power Engineering and improving the environment. This is a tremendous opportunity to be one of the first to join this growing and unique business

Responsibilities:

Identify technical risks within projects and drive their resolution
Ensure products are safe
Mentor others and develop best practice
Ensure focus on driving efficacy and value

Skills - Required:

Design transformers and inductors
Manage thermals and resolve any issues
Simulate designs in tools such as Matlab or SPICE
Design and layout PCBs
Build and commission prototypes
Verify designs in lab and validate performance in field
Design product for worldwide compliance
Create production specifications
Design for cost and mass-manufacture
Create technical construction files
Identify and manage electrical hazards
Design of resonant inductor circuits
Develop embedded microcontroller systems
Program with CAN bus and Modbus protocols

Qualities

In-depth knowledge and passion for development of power electronics
Highly motivated and proactive to thrive in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment
Excellent creative, analytical and design decision making skills
Ability to manage own time, prioritise effectively and deliver to agreed timescales
Ability to communicate to a wide range of audiences including senior management
Great at mentoring and developing junior staff
Diligent with confidentiality
Passion for improving the environment

This role would suit a power electronics specialist with both theoretical and practical expertise.

Based within commutable distance of Warwickshire

contact

Project Engineer (Software Devices)

£24000 - £29000 per annum

Bromsgrove, Worcestershire

Experience and Responsibilities:

Have a deep understanding of Product Development Life Cycle Phases and have experience in working in Quality driving continuous improvement activities, delivering robust business processes, and product quality
Support and partner with the team to ensure compliance to Quality Assurance processes by tailoring and executing the Project Quality Plan (PQP) according to the specification and process deliverables
Provide guidance and support for the team in the interpretation of quality standards (ISO, Environmental Compliance, RoHS, etc.)
Provide support for the project team in technical and regulatory compliance challenges
Continuously look for improvement opportunities and challenge the 'status'
Knowledge of 8D, FMEA, DFM, DFR, Root cause analysis and Lean Six Sigma

Benefits: Pension, 25 days holiday, free car parking, bonus, private medical insurance and life insurance. The salary for this role is between £45,000 - 53,000.

contact

Steel Processing Operative

£24000 - £29000 per annum

Bromsgrove, Worcestershire

Steel Processing Operative with B1 Counterbalance Licence Required

An indate B1 Counterbalance Licence is required, and an Overhead Crane Licence would be beneficial.

Your day to day duties will include;

Operating overhead cranes
Operating counterbalance forklift trucks
Handling steel coil and processed steel
Helping to load and unload slitting lines and blanking presses
Loading and unloading vehicles for delivery

Working on a three shift pattern basis of Monday - Friday; 6:00am - 2:00pm / 2:00pm - 10:00pm / 10:00pm - 6:00am totalling 40 hours per week.

Pay rate for mornings and afternoons is £10.41p/h and for nights £11.75p/h.

After a thirteen week probationary period through the agency you will be eligible for a permanent contract, though you may spend a longer time on the agencies books.

If you think this position is right for you, APPLY NOW! For more information contact ASC Connections on 01902 771443 or email lucy.ward@asc-connections.com

contact

Part Qualified Accountant

£24000 - £29000 per annum

Bromsgrove, Worcestershire

Are you an experienced Accounts professional who is looking for a standalone role where you can utilise your skills to run the accounts department?

If so and you are looking for this level of responsibility, then this position could be for you.

As a Financial Accounting Technician your responsibilities will include:

Processing payments
Instrastat reporting and EC Sales List
VAT returns
Processing and submitting Sales Reports
Reconciliation of Intercompany balances
Balance sheet reconciliations
Running product valuations and post stock movements
Processing a waste report and post waste journal
Revaluing aged debtors and aged creditors
Sales and Purchase Ledger
Collating payroll information and submitting to payroll department
Preparing and submitting management reports
Preparing financial statements
Pre-payments
Fixed assets
Bank statement reconciliation
Credit control
Petty cash

As a Financial Accounting Technician you will have the following skills and experience

Must have good knowledge of Excel (must be able to do pivot tables and V-Look up)
Proven experience within a similar role
Sage experience would be advantageous
Ideally AAT, ACA, ACCA qualified or equivalent

If you are interested, please apply now or get in touch the Redditch ASC Connections branch for more information.

Keywords: Accounts, Sales Ledger, Purchase Ledger, VAT return, Excel, Credit Control, reconciliations

Local to: Bromsgrove, Redditch, Droitwich, Longbridge, Rubery, Worcester, Alvechurch, Tardebigge, Northfield

contact

Claire Roberts

SLITTER SETTER / OPERATOR

£24000 - £29000 per annum

Bromsgrove, Worcestershire

A Slitter / Slitting Line Setter is required for a well-established steel processing company based in the Halesowen area. Duties include setting and operating a wide coil slitting line, processing various types of steel coil.

Full Duties include -

Setting and running a wide coil slitting line, processing coils up to 1500mm wide
Checking and setting of shimless tooling on the machine using Edgemaster
Selecting and using correct tooling for slitting heads and separators
First off, in process and final quality checks using measuring equipment, reporting of any non-conformance
Loading and unloading of coil onto the machinery using a pendant overhead crane
Supporting the line when required, banding / packing / labelling of slit coil once processed

Applicants should have experience with setting and running a wide coil slitting line, be able to set and run ALL stages of the machine, and be able to confidently oversee co-workers. Must also have an excellent awareness of health & safety checks and following procedures, as well as promoting good housekeeping on the machine.

Rate of pay is £9.89p/h on days & £11.87p/h on nights. A daily attendance allowance of £10.26 is payable after 12 weeks.

Working hours are a two shift pattern rotating weekly of -

Days - 6:00am - 4:30pm Mon to Thurs, with a 2:30pm finish on Friday

Nights - 6:00pm - 4:30am Mon to Thurs, with a 4:00pm - 12:00am on Friday.

The position is a long term contract with a view to permanent for the right person, though please bear in mind that you will be on the agency for an extended period of time.

If you think this position is right for you, APPLY NOW! For more information contact ASC Connections on 01902 771 443 or email lucy.ward@asc-connections.com.

contact

Key Account Manager

£24000 - £29000 per annum

Bromsgrove, Worcestershire

Key Account Manager

A global leader in Industrial Manufacturing Machinery and Automation solutions is looking to recruit a Key Account Manager due to continued investment and expansion.

The Key Account Manager will be responsible for new business development identifying new opportunities and also account management of allocated key existing customers to achieve set targets and increase company overall profitability.

Responsibilities Overview:

Identify, develop and convert new business opportunities
Retain and develop existing customer base
Introduce new products to customers
Complete renewal agreements with all relevant customers

The Candidate:

Keen to speak with experienced Account Managers, Business Development Managers, Sales Managers,

Technical Sales Managers with a track record of selling a product into the Automotive manufacturing

sector: OEM, 1^st Tier, 2^nd Tier.

ERP / Sales Tools experience

Happy with occasional overnight stays away from home and in-frequent European travel

Self-motivated, able to work remotely to achieve targets

What's on Offer?

In return for the above you will enjoy a competitive salary & market leading benefits package.

Basic salary up to £55K (DOE), Company Car, Defined Pension Scheme

(Employer Contribution up to 10%), 26 Days Stats, Private Medical (including family),

Death in Service (6X), Income Protection, Gym Membership Contribution, Cycle to Work

Apply now to be considered for this exceptional opportunity to work for a company which is expanding and can offer both good career prospects and market leading benefits package.

Please send your CV to: stuart.williams@asc-connections.com

contact

Stuart Williams

Senior Buyer

£24000 - £29000 per annum

Bromsgrove, Worcestershire

SENIOR/STRATEGIC BUYER NEEDED!

Are you an experienced, proactive Buyer/Senior Buyer/Purchasing Professional looking for a new challenging role to start the year? Are you experienced in low volume, high Value manufacturing procurement? Are you experienced in purchasing PCB/ Electronics?

Do you have experience in Far East sourcing and have travelled to China to meet suppliers? Are you able to regularly travel to the Far East?

The company is a successful manufacturing business producing a high quality, desirable product.

You will be responsible for:

As the Strategic Buyer you will procure a range of components related to manufacturing. These will be mostly low volume, high value parts and components.
Supplier generation and development to ensure the business is getting value for money.

Negotiation on cost whilst ensuring product quality standard are not only met but continually improved.
Maintain optimal supply chain performance from suppliers.

We would love to hear from you if you have had the following experience:

Worked as a Buyer or Senior Buyer within a manufacturing, production or engineering environment.
Worked with a range of systems including MRP, SAGE and SAP
Far East sourcing, predominantly China with the ability to travel regularly.

If you're interested hearing more about the role then please apply online today!

contact

Mark Dawson

Civil Engineering Application Support

£24000 - £29000 per annum

Bromsgrove, Worcestershire

Technical Customer Support Consultant required for my client, a software business who provide solutions across Civil Engineering, Trade/Supplier Management and Accounting.

Benefits include Life Insurance, 4% Matched Pension, Free Parking, retail discounts, cycle to work scheme, 3 days paid leave for charity/volunteer work.

The ideal candidate will have some knowledge or understanding of the software used within Civil Engineering for example:

Civil 3D,
Site 3D,
Storm CAD,
Autodesk,
Bentley Civil Engineering Software
Microdrainage
Innovyze

You will have:

Previous experience of providing second line technical customer support / or knowledge and experience gained in the Civil Engineering industry and a willingness to provide technical support.
Experience of working in a software application support team / or knowledge and experience within Civil Engineering and have a desire to help others.
A relevant degree (or equivalent) in IT, software development or computer science or other relevant subject.

Responsibilities will include but no be limited to the following activities:

Assist in analysing customers business requirements and application objectives to ensure successful delivery of projects.
Develop the deliverables (code, test, debug, documentation etc) as specified, ensuring that the solution provided in in accordance with customer expectations.
Conduct periodic status checks with customers and teams to assess progress against plans to meet deadlines and budgets.
Assist with proposal development and post-integration reviews to evaluate the process and identify areas for development.

This role will suit candidates who are already providing support for civil engineering software/solutions, or someone who is currently a "super user" of relevant software and would like to further progress that experience into a more formal support position.

The role is based in Slough, however remote candidates can be considered depending on experience.

contact

Quality Manager

£24000 - £29000 per annum

Bromsgrove, Worcestershire

Quality Manager (Relocation Assistance available)

A global manufacturer is looking to recruit an experienced Quality Manager to join their team due to continued growth & expansion.

You will be an established Quality Manager/Senior Quality professional in a manufacturing environment.

If you are ready for the next step in your career but unable to achieve this in your present role then this is an opportunity not to miss!

Purpose of Role:

As Quality Manager you will lead, support and manage the Quality department and be responsible for day to day quality issues to ensure customers receive the highest standards of quality with products and service. You will implement and manage Quality systems and processes.

Experience/Skills/Knowledge required to be successful:

Experienced Senior Quality Engineer / Quality Manager in a regulated manufacturing environment such as Automotive / Aerospace or similar
Must have previous leadership / management experience able to mentor and develop your team to maximise full potential and resource
Working knowledge of ISO9001 & ISO14001
Knowledge of Statistical Process Control (SPC) and Supplier Evaluation systems

In the role of Quality Manager you will be responsible for:

Lead and develop a small established Quality team to maximise full potential of every individual
Ensures Quality procedures, processes, practices and controls are developed & implemented
Ensure issues are investigated in a timely manner and implement corrective/preventive actions
Review and approval of technical documents
Problem solving
Supplier development
Work with in house design team during new product development from a Quality perspective
Lead regulatory compliance strategies
Produce and deliver Quality reports

On offer:

A competitive salary of up to c£55k (DOE), Pension, Life Assurance, Healthcare

Relocation Package available

The role is commutable from: Seaford, Hove, Brighton, Eastbourne, Lewes

contact

Stuart Williams

Application Support - Accountancy Software

£24000 - £29000 per annum

Bromsgrove, Worcestershire

Do you have experience of providing technical customer experience and troubleshooting for accounting software? Do you enjoy providing an excellent Customer Experience? If so I would love to hear from Applications Support people who are looking for a new challenge and have supported accounting software previously.

As the successful Applications Support person you will be enthusiastic about providing outstanding technical help and support to customers, with a great can-do attitude and a passion for delighting customers, ensuring that they have a positive experience.

Responsibilities & Skills Required:

Have previously provided second line technical customer support for accountancy software.
Experience of working in a software application support team / or knowledge and experience as a quantity surveyor, estimator or accountant and a desire to help others
A relevant degree (or equivalent) in IT, software development or computer science or other relevant subject.
Possess a warm and friendly telephone manner and ability to provide accurate and well written responses, along with excellent planning and organisational skills
You'll be responsible for technical application and end user support, liaising with technical engineers when necessary to ensure that all problems are resolved.

This role is to work for an established organisation who have offices across the UK, Ireland and India and provide enterprise software solutions to their customers.

Benefits: Private Medical, 4% matched pension, Life Assurance, Private Medical Insurance, Holidays, onsite parking, Retails Discount at 1000 stores, Office Fruit and Cycle to work Scheme to name a few. The salary for this role is between £30,000 - 40,000 depending on your experience.

contact

MIG & TIG FABRICATOR WELDER

£12 - £14 per hour

West Midlands

Temporary

We are currently recruiting for a MIG & TIG Fabricator Welder working for a leading specialist in architectural metalwork in the Dudley area on a temp to perm basis.

The ideal candidate will have experience of;

Working from engineering drawings to fabricate and weld architectural metalwork, (mainly consisting of staircases, balustrades, balconies etc)
MIG & TIG welding
Experienced with ferrous and non-ferrous metals
Trigonometry experience would be beneficial

Hours are Monday to Thursday 7:00am - 3:30pm and Friday 6:00am - 1:00pm totalling a 39 hour week.

Overtime is readily available with options to work an additional 2 hours a day at time and a half and Saturdays 6:00am - 11:00am at time and a half.

Pay rate from £12.50p/h dependant on skill and experience.

If you think this role is right for you, APPLY NOW! For more information contact ASC Connections on 01902 771 443 or email lucy.ward@asc-connections.com

contact

Injection Moulding Setter Technician

£28000 - £33650 per annum Bonus, Pension

Stockport, Cheshire / Manchester, Greater Manchester / Altrincham, Cheshire

This high-volume manufacturer of plastic products, that are part of a global organisation, are currently seeking an experienced Injection Moulding Setter Technician to join their team.

As Injection Moulding Setter Technician your duties will include -

Completing gate freeze off analysis and report deviations.
Carrying out regular tool inspections, including cleaning and greasing.
Daily monitoring and optimising of processes in order to achieve desired cycle times and report the reason for any variance of cycle times.
Ensuring that an acceptable first off sample is produced at the start of each production run.
Maintaining a good standard of housekeeping at all times, ensuring material spillages are cleaned up, all purging's are removed from machines and placed in appropriate bins once the material is cold.
Setting hopper loader systems to the correct percentage for correct throughput of materials.
Carrying out daily water heater checks and record these checks onto the attribute charts.
Completing an effective shift handover at both the beginning and end of each shift.
During the first and last hour of each shift ensure that all machines are checked for documentation, materials hoppers are topped up and purging's removed prior to handing over to the oncoming shift.

To be successful in the role of Injection Moulding Setter Technician, the ideal Candidate -

Will be experienced in Injection Moulding
Must be qualified to IMT Level 3 or equivalent (G&A/RJG)
Have previous experience of using hot runner systems
Will be able to set from scratch, process optimise and trouble shoot moulding/process/tooling issues.

Based near Stockport, this role is easily commutable from Manchester, Congleton, Runcorn, and Buxton.

On offer -

Salary of up to £33,650 per annum (inc. shift premium)
Shift Pattern = 07.00-19.00 x 2 days, 19.00-07.00 x 2 nights, 4 on 4 off pattern
Contributory pension scheme with up to 4% contribution from the company
Bonus
Life assurance
Access to subsidised canteen
Free onsite parking

Apply now to be considered for this role.

contact

Mathew Ram-Gopal

Power Electronics Engineer

£50000 - £55000 per annum

Leamington Spa, Warwickshire

We are looking for someone passionate both about Power Engineering and improving the environment. This is a tremendous opportunity to be one of the first to join this growing and unique business

Responsibilities:

Identify technical risks within projects and drive their resolution
Ensure products are safe
Mentor others and develop best practice
Ensure focus on driving efficacy and value

Skills - Required:

Design transformers and inductors
Manage thermals and resolve any issues
Simulate designs in tools such as Matlab or SPICE
Design and layout PCBs
Build and commission prototypes
Verify designs in lab and validate performance in field
Design product for worldwide compliance
Create production specifications
Design for cost and mass-manufacture
Create technical construction files
Identify and manage electrical hazards
Design of resonant inductor circuits
Develop embedded microcontroller systems
Program with CAN bus and Modbus protocols

Qualities

In-depth knowledge and passion for development of power electronics
Highly motivated and proactive to thrive in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment
Excellent creative, analytical and design decision making skills
Ability to manage own time, prioritise effectively and deliver to agreed timescales
Ability to communicate to a wide range of audiences including senior management
Great at mentoring and developing junior staff
Diligent with confidentiality
Passion for improving the environment

This role would suit a power electronics specialist with both theoretical and practical expertise.

Based within commutable distance of Warwickshire

contact

Project Engineer (Software Devices)

£45000 - £53000 per annum Pension, Free Parking, Life Assurance

Stockport, Cheshire / Peterborough, Cambridgeshire

Experience and Responsibilities:

Have a deep understanding of Product Development Life Cycle Phases and have experience in working in Quality driving continuous improvement activities, delivering robust business processes, and product quality
Support and partner with the team to ensure compliance to Quality Assurance processes by tailoring and executing the Project Quality Plan (PQP) according to the specification and process deliverables
Provide guidance and support for the team in the interpretation of quality standards (ISO, Environmental Compliance, RoHS, etc.)
Provide support for the project team in technical and regulatory compliance challenges
Continuously look for improvement opportunities and challenge the 'status'
Knowledge of 8D, FMEA, DFM, DFR, Root cause analysis and Lean Six Sigma

Benefits: Pension, 25 days holiday, free car parking, bonus, private medical insurance and life insurance. The salary for this role is between £45,000 - 53,000.

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Steel Processing Operative

£10 - £12 per hour

West Midlands

Temporary

Steel Processing Operative with B1 Counterbalance Licence Required

An indate B1 Counterbalance Licence is required, and an Overhead Crane Licence would be beneficial.

Your day to day duties will include;

Operating overhead cranes
Operating counterbalance forklift trucks
Handling steel coil and processed steel
Helping to load and unload slitting lines and blanking presses
Loading and unloading vehicles for delivery

Working on a three shift pattern basis of Monday - Friday; 6:00am - 2:00pm / 2:00pm - 10:00pm / 10:00pm - 6:00am totalling 40 hours per week.

Pay rate for mornings and afternoons is £10.41p/h and for nights £11.75p/h.

After a thirteen week probationary period through the agency you will be eligible for a permanent contract, though you may spend a longer time on the agencies books.

If you think this position is right for you, APPLY NOW! For more information contact ASC Connections on 01902 771443 or email lucy.ward@asc-connections.com

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Part Qualified Accountant

£24000 - £29000 per annum

Bromsgrove, Worcestershire

Are you an experienced Accounts professional who is looking for a standalone role where you can utilise your skills to run the accounts department?

If so and you are looking for this level of responsibility, then this position could be for you.

As a Financial Accounting Technician your responsibilities will include:

Processing payments
Instrastat reporting and EC Sales List
VAT returns
Processing and submitting Sales Reports
Reconciliation of Intercompany balances
Balance sheet reconciliations
Running product valuations and post stock movements
Processing a waste report and post waste journal
Revaluing aged debtors and aged creditors
Sales and Purchase Ledger
Collating payroll information and submitting to payroll department
Preparing and submitting management reports
Preparing financial statements
Pre-payments
Fixed assets
Bank statement reconciliation
Credit control
Petty cash

As a Financial Accounting Technician you will have the following skills and experience

Must have good knowledge of Excel (must be able to do pivot tables and V-Look up)
Proven experience within a similar role
Sage experience would be advantageous
Ideally AAT, ACA, ACCA qualified or equivalent

If you are interested, please apply now or get in touch the Redditch ASC Connections branch for more information.

Keywords: Accounts, Sales Ledger, Purchase Ledger, VAT return, Excel, Credit Control, reconciliations

Local to: Bromsgrove, Redditch, Droitwich, Longbridge, Rubery, Worcester, Alvechurch, Tardebigge, Northfield

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Claire Roberts

News & Blog

Solving the industry 4.0 skills gap?

Could IT professionals be the answer? According to the Engineering UK 2018 report, 61% of businesses were not confident there will be enough people with the skills to fill their high-skilled job vacancies. Although this statistic accounts for the broad sector that is engineering, the industry 4.0 skills gap figure within controls and automation is likely to be higher. This is because the onset of industry 4.0 is changing automation within the manufacturing industry. The companies we work with are struggling to hire the right people now which will not get any better with an increasing need for industry 4.0 skills. This got us thinking, as a recruitment company that hires within the sector, how can the industry become more attractive to increase the supply of skilled candidates and alleviate the industry 4.0 skills gap? Transferable Skills When our controls and automation recruitment team have spoken to people within their network about this, the general consensus is, there aren’t enough opportunities for people to enter the industry. This is due to companies needing skilled candidates to complete project work now, they don’t have the time to train. This is a shame as there are youngsters out there who are enthusiastic and want to learn given the chance. However, there might be another alternative by looking at IT professionals. As we also recruit within the IT sector, we think we’ve had a lost generation of engineers because there was a real push towards the IT sector. Although some roles were hard to fill, the majority would attract more candidates than within engineering. Could IT professionals solve the industry 4.0 skills gap by transferring over to engineering? IT to Manufacturing Case Study John Sullivan We spoke to John Sullivan, an engineer who has moved from IT into manufacturing to work within controls and automation. In our conversation, we discussed the benefits to both IT professionals and manufacturing companies of hiring IT skills, how we can make the industry more attractive and solve the skills shortage. What made you move from IT into Operational Technology within Manufacturing? It wasn’t something I actively chose to do, I was just in the right place at the right time. During the 2008/9 recession, a manufacturer wanted an IT professional to use their skills to help with the technical areas of their plant. I was excited to have the chance to work in manufacturing, in what turned out to be a green field site as well. It was a great chance to work in a different industry and put my experience in various areas of IT hardware/software, networking, databases and programming into practice in a new setting. Having now made that transition, I would highly recommend others do the same. The IT sector is so fast-paced, it can be exhausting keeping up with the changing landscape but manufacturing has yet to be as advanced in technology. It gives you more chance to breathe. (But that pace of change is picking up steam in manufacturing as well. I later went on to work for a company doing Big Data and Analytics related to manufacturing with a solution that was very cutting edge. A nice blend of IT and OT worlds there!) How easy was it to move between IT and OT? What are the transferable skills? While IT can have you learning many different fields, people are often pidgin-holed into one particular area like software development, or just networking. In the OT world you may have the chance to broaden your skills across several domains. This is because there is always a new problem in manufacturing that needs a different solution. One day it could be on the programming side and another day on the network side. Other benefits of moving from IT into a manufacturing environment include: The ability to take your IT skills and become more task orientated, which can help you feel a sense of accomplishment. You can really make a difference that has a direct impact on the business. In IT roles, you tend to be a little fish in a big pond whereas in manufacturing it can be the other way around. For manufacturing companies, we’re in a skills shortage so we need people. Not only will utilising the skills of IT professionals help to bridge that gap but also IT professionals will have a different perspective and way of solving problems. Many will ask why you do something a particular way and you could offer alternatives to help your manufacturing plant become more efficient. However, although utilising people from other tech industries like IT could support the skills shortage, companies will need to invest the time to train people on their particular industry. How can we make the industry more attractive to IT people to make a potential move into manufacturing? There are various considerations when looking at attracting IT professionals to cross over into manufacturing. Firstly focus on how a manufacturing environment offers them much more variety in the work they do, and how it may offer the chance to broaden their skills more than within an IT (office) environment. Secondly, depending on the type of product you are manufacturing, this could also be attractive and an area to sell. IT professionals are often from the same mindset as engineers in their problem solving and interests. Appealing to them along the line of your products, services, or culture may be of interest to them as that may add meaning to their work. Others we have spoken to have mentioned the industry isn’t attractive to the younger generation, would you agree with this? I think there are a few factors. Years ago a lot of manufacturing moved production to more cost-effective labour countries, so there was negative press, feelings, and opportunities that followed; it gave the industry a stigma. And the word “manufacturing” often brings ideas of smokestacks and old buildings pumping out widgets – not something that can be “cool” (IT people often like the “cool” and “cutting edge” factor.) These, along with the fact that the last few decades pushing people to think about high school then college/university only (rather than a profitable and rewarding career in a “trade”,) is also a key reason I think that it has deterred people to want to pursue a career within the industry. Inspiring and getting young people interested in automation at a much younger age is key. Businesses need to be working with schools and allowing children to programme something and see the end result. The education system needs to get students thinking about ‘the why’ not just ‘the what’. Understanding why something does something, not just what it does, allows you to develop the skills to solve problems more quickly. In the present, this often isn’t explored properly until you get to university level. Other than inspiring youngsters and attracting talent from other industries, is there anything else you think could help to bridge the industry 4.0 skills gap? Company Collaboration Companies should be working together to create a community to find solutions rather than working against each other. I know of a few companies and groups that are sharing their work with each other in customer forums and meetings. For this to happen in the historically very protective field of proprietary manufacturing is amazing. Sadly this openness is still rare, but it’s getting better. Also remember that today’s younger workers, who have the world and social networks at their fingertips, expect their work world to also be open and accessible. Continuous Learning Companies also need to develop and reward a culture of continuous learning and creativity. Look into new technologies, including trusted technology that is newly gaining acceptance in the manufacturing world. For example, I know of a company who shared the technology they had developed for their own plant with other manufacturers. It helped efficiency and worked with all automation platforms. For example, if you had a CNC application interface and had 2 lines down but you only had enough maintenance resource to repair one, how would you choose which one? Currently, you might look at which one was down first, but with the technology mentioned above, it could tell you which one was going to be the most efficient when fixed. Or you might use other solutions to show you which line would be more profitable when operational. Following either one could mean a better return on your resources. New Technology There is even technology that eliminates the need for coding in now-archaic PLC languages. This no-code PLC platform enables higher efficiencies, greater safety, and increased communication among your process and controls staff as they and others define your process visually and using regular English sentences from relevant drop-down choices. This software then creates the needed PLC code for you to export to your supported PLC platform of choice, along with automatic documentation creation as well. This means engineers, technicians, operations, and maintenance staff could work across more processes, lines, projects, and companies, and more collaboratively, instead of only working with those the plc’s they are trained in. These new applications of technology can be inviting to the IT crowd to enter the traditionally non-IT manufacturing environments. The industry needs to embrace these types of technology to help alleviate the skills gap to a more manageable level. What Are Your Thoughts? We found it really interesting chatting to John. He had some valid points in terms of looking beyond candidates who currently sit within the controls & automation industry. His point about getting young people to understand ‘the why’ will hopefully help develop the skills we need. There is a lot for the industry to think about. It would be great to hear your thoughts and opinions or if you are part of a movement helping to bridge the industry 4.0 skills gap. What Next? If you’re looking for support with your controls and automation recruitment, contact the controls and automation team. Controls & Automation Jobs

Recruitment Careers: Your Market Sector

In our latest Recruitment Careers series, we look at the importance of choosing the right market sector to recruit within and how this impacts your success as a recruiter. Recruitment careers are great if you are an ambitious and driven individual. You can become successful very quickly because you can build your own mini business. It’s exciting, challenging and rewarding all rolled into one. However, in our experience, the market you choose to specialise in impacts your success. Why? Well, like with anything in life, the more interest you have in something, the more motivated you will be to learn, talk about it and in recruitment sell it. Recruitment careers involve engaging with people every day about the industry they work in. If you don’t have an interest in this, it would be like sitting with a group of people who are talking about a topic you don’t understand, have no interest or opinion of and ultimately become bored. You cannot see recruitment careers as a job, a means to an end as if you do, you will not succeed. Therefore, if you’re thinking about a recruitment career, choose to recruit within an industry that interests you, one that you can connect with people. To give you a better understanding we spoke to Mathew Ram- Gopal, an experienced recruitment consultant with over 15 years’ in the industry. He talks about the importance of selecting a niche market rather than a broad one and his experience of why he chose the market he did and why he changed markets. 1. You’ve been in the industry for a long time, in your opinion, why do you think choosing a niche market is important for your recruitment career? When you work a niche market all your activity ties in together – every candidate you speak to could be suitable for more than just the one vacancy you initially had in mind for them. The leads you gain from them can generate vacancies which are suitable for the other similar Candidates you have on your books. Also, I believe it’s best to have a clear identity – by stating that you specialise in a market you gain instant credibility. You’re seen as an industry expert, someone that can offer help, advice and knowledge. 2. You seem really interested and passionate about the market you recruit for, do you think this is a big factor when deciding on the market you want to recruit for? If you don’t have an interest in the vertical market you’ll get bored and it’ll become more of a chore. Both Clients and Candidates will pick up on this. 3. You changed the market you recruit for partway through your recruitment career, why was this? Although I had an interest in my market, I found that from the activity I was putting in I wasn’t getting the results I was hoping for or expecting. This was mainly down to that particular market lacking urgency – they could normally divide the workload amongst other staff until the perfect candidate came along. 4. What advice would you give to someone when thinking about what market to recruit for? Find something that interests you, research it, find out the demand for Candidates in that market, and who your competition would be. If it looks like you can reach or exceed target after crunching a few numbers then it’s worth looking into further. For example, when I decided my original market wasn’t bringing the results I wanted I researched into other areas. After a conversation with someone in the office, the Injection Moulding & Plastics industry looked promising. Not only did the numbers add up but the technical and scientific side to the roles I’d be recruiting for was something that fascinated me and I wanted to know more. The rest, as they say, is history, I haven’t looked back since. 5. Once you’ve decided on your market, how do you develop your knowledge to gain your reputation and credibility like you mentioned? By speaking to Candidates, watching videos on YouTube, and by going on Client visits. You’ll start to pick up things and if you don’t understand something look it up and learn about it, after all, if it interests you, learning about it will be easier. 6. Have you got any other advice for those thinking about which market they should recruit within? Look at it as your own business, and make a business plan. Preparation is vital! In conclusion... To summarise, pick a market that interests you but do your research to ensure it will bring the results you want, keep developing your knowledge online and through client and candidate conversation and plan to ensure your success. What Next? There you are, an introduction to the importance of choosing your market within recruitment. If you have any questions on this, don’t hesitate to contact us. If you think you’d like to work for ASC, find out more about working here and if the markets we recruit for would be of interest to you. Click Here to Learn More About Recruitment Careers

Common Interview Questions & Answers

We know interviews can be a daunting experience, even if you know you can do the job you are applying for. However, regardless of the role, there are common interview questions that are regularly asked by employers to understand who you are and if you will fit into their culture. They assess your motivations, aspirations and work ethic. Common Interview Questions Here, we give you a guide to common interview questions and how best to answer them with examples. Why do you want this job? This has to be one of the most common interview questions asked. We suggest thinking carefully about this question. Stress the positive aspects which have attracted you to applying for this position. Do not mention the negative aspects of your current job or the job in question. Good Examples I have heard lots of good things about your company and that combined with my research has really got me enthused about working for you.I am looking to work for a company that I can further grow and develop my skills and my experiences and I feel that this role and your business will enable me to do that. Bad Examples I'm looking for a job closer to home.I looking to move to a job that offers me more money.I'm not getting on with my current manager and need to get out. What qualities do you think will be required for this job? Their advertisement for the job may help you a little bit, but you should also think of the other qualities that may be required. These may include leadership ability, supervisory skills, communication skills, interpersonal skills, problem-solving, analytical skills, etc. Example: I think you will need someone that can effectively manage your customer’s expectations and deliver a high level of service. I feel that my years of experience and numerous examples of where I have done so put me in a strong position to perform well in the role. What can you contribute? This is your chance to shine. Tell them about your achievements in your previous position(s) which are relevant to the new position you are applying for. Examples: I am cool under pressure and I am able to find a positive in any situation to overcome the challenge. For example, in my previous role, I had a deadline to organise x project. I decided to utilise the expertise of those around me to support me in completing the project on time. My years of experience in x industry will support the growth of your business. In my last role, I managed to bring on 10 new clients from my connections within the industry, resulting in x revenue over x years for that company. Why do you want to work for this company? Emphasize the positive reasons why you want to join their company, but avoid aspects such as more money or shorter hours. These would not endear you to a prospective employer. Examples: You have a really strong reputation in the market and I want to be a part of this. I feel that your company values are in line with my own such as your focus to become more sustainable as a business. What do you know about this company? This is your chance to impress the interviewer with your knowledge of their company. Give them a rundown of their products/services, sales figures, news, company figures, customers, etc. Examples: History and Structure: You were founded in X and Operate in X countries and are a leader in the market. You have X employees across X sites. Market Knowledge: You are number x in your industry and have x products that are big sellers in your market. What interests you about our product (or service)? Again, your research into the company should aid you in answering this question. Have they won any awards for their product innovations or service? Example: You have some of the most innovative products within your market and this has been proven with your industry award for xxx. I am interested to understand more about the thinking behind the products and achieving such good standards. What can we (the new company) offer that your previous company cannot offer? Tread carefully here! Again do not mention money. In other words, stress opportunities for personal growth, new challenges, etc. Examples: I want to work for a company long term where I can progress. You offer various progression routes and you really invest in your employees. I feel I have gone as far as I can in my current company. You have a leading product that I am really excited to work with and support with its development. What do you like and dislike about the job we are discussing? Likes: stress things such as a new challenge or the opportunity to bring fresh experience to the company. Example: I like that I will be able to take on more responsibility and welcome the challenge Dislikes: Imply there is nothing to dislike about the job, which is why you are so interested. Example: There is nothing that I dislike the sound of at all. If that was the case I probably wouldn’t have applied and accepted an interview. Why did you choose a career in …? Be positive about your reasons. If you have changed careers make a logical argument as to why you did so. Example: I decided t pursue a career in x industry because I had a real passion for it personally. This has only fuelled my ability to develop my career. How much does your last job resemble the one you are applying for? What are the differences? The interviewer is trying to see how well you would fit into the position you are applying for. So you should stress the similarities rather than the differences. When it comes to discussing the differences it will help your case if you can show that either you have done something similar in the past or that you can quickly pick up the new skills. Example: It is a very similar role, just with a different process and software. I will be able to learn quickly and be up to speed and operational in a short time. The products are very similar, however, yours are different in terms of quality and innovation and I feel that I can perform even better in the role due to this. Why did you join your previous company? Did they live up to your expectations? Why are you leaving now? Always be positive about your reasons for joining and leaving a company. Be very careful that you do not say anything negative about your present employer. If you do, the new company will wonder what you will say about them when you leave. You might want to stress that you are looking for a new challenge and that you feel that the company that is interviewing you fits the bill! Example: My previous company gave me a great opportunity to develop as a manager and are a great company to work for, however, I feel I have progressed as far as I can and it's time for me to take on a new challenge at this stage in my career. Explain the organisational structure in your last company and how you fitted into it? It's important to realise, this sort of question may be used to find out whether your old job is at a comparable level to your new job. If the new job being discussed would be a step up the ladder you will need to show that you are ready for a more demanding position. You may be able to show that you have already had many of the responsibilities and the necessary skills which would be required for the next step. Example: In my current role, I work in a team of 10, we all report to one manager who reports into the director of the company. I also have one person who reports into myself. As part of my role, I have on occasions stood in for my manager and have provided updates on team performance and project progression to the director. How long have you been looking for a new job? If you have been unemployed for a long time this may be a rather tricky question to answer. But be honest. If you have been away on holiday or done some voluntary work you could mention this. Examples: If you are still employed I don’t want to take a job just for the sake of it so am waiting for the right career opportunity to come up. If you are unemployed Whilst I have been looking for a new job, I have been studying for x qualification to strengthen my knowledge of the sector. I have been volunteering at x company which has supported me to develop management skills. What are you looking for in a new job? Make sure your answer fits in with the company who is interviewing you. A suitable reply would be that you are looking for a new job where you can apply your existing skills and learn new ones. Example: In my current role, I have developed competent production planning skills. I am looking for a role where I can add to my current skill-set through being given the responsibility of more complex production planning requirements. Are you considering any other positions at the moment? If you are say so, but do not give too many details away - it will weaken your negotiating position later. If you do not have any other job offers at the moment just say that you have a few interviews in place. Example: As I am actively looking, I am considering a few select roles that meet my criteria’ What did you think of your manager/supervisor? Say that he/she was the sort of person you could learn from and you communicated well, which meant that the task in hand was completed on time. Example: My manager gave me support when I needed it, knew when I needed to be put under pressure and provided constructive feedback which helped me develop my skills. What did you do on a day to day basis? Stress the positive things you did including your achievements. Even if some or much of it was paperwork, you can still show your interest in the way it was tackled. Example: As my role as Sales Administrator, my day to day duties included processing sales orders, answering queries from our clients and stock control. I really enjoyed building relationships with our clients and learning about how the companies products were used for their business. How would you describe yourself or How would others describe you? Choose characteristics that fit with the role you are interviewing for. If it is a sales role, talk about soft skills such as communication. If it’s a finance role, perhaps attention to detail. Either way, keep it relevant. There is a tendency from people to only focus on the positive traits but it shows a good level of self-awareness if you can balance the answer perhaps with an area of development that you or another has identified for you to work on. Example: I am extremely approachable and put people at ease when they talk to me. However, I'm not afraid to challenge a difference of opinion or rejection. What was your greatest success? How did you achieve it? You should pick an achievement which is related to their needs and talk through it using the STAR method. S – Situation – explaining this initially will give context to the example T – Task – give details of your responsibilities in the situation A – Action – demonstrate how you responded or took charge R – Result – Explain the impact you made or the lessons you learned There are great examples of this here. What has been your biggest failure? Keep it work related if possible and explain why you feel it is your biggest failure and more importantly, what you have learned from it and how would you apply that in future situations? What Next? If you don't seem to be able to get past interview stage, maybe we can help. Register with us and one of our consultants will be in touch to: Talk through your experience, situation and what you are looking forMatch you with companies and roles that are right for youHelp you prepare for your interviews to give you the best chance of success Register Your Details Today

Can you transfer your PLC programming skills?

How easy is it to transfer your PLC programming skills from one platform to another? We’ve recruited within the controls and automation industry for a number of years here at ASC. In recent times, we have seen a common theme surrounding the ability to transfer your PLC programming skills. In various candidate and client conversations the team have had, there has been a difference of opinion. Candidates tell us time and again it’s easy to transfer between platforms and that if you can programme a PLC it doesn’t matter which platform it is. On the other hand, most (not all) clients will only consider plc programmers who have worked on their platform. Any engineers who could be the right fit culturally, have the technical knowledge and are willing to adapt to another platform are dismissed. In a candidate led market with a worsening skills shortage should companies be more flexible when considering candidates? To investigate this further and understand: Why employers feel this wayIf engineers had transferred PLC programming skills how easy was itIf we should encourage employers to change their mindset We asked the team to reach out to their network. The results made us realise that although technically it is considered to be relatively easy to transfer your PLC programming skills, changing the mindset of employers is not so easy. Why do employers feel this way? In short, from the responses received from those hiring, and engineers, it’s not as simple as just considering transferable skills. It becomes complicated when there is a time constraint in terms of delivery deadlines or a customer is working with a specific set of industry standards. This is where companies feel they require an expert but this then puts pressure on the engineer. For example, some company’s may need this expertise straight away and can’t afford to spend time waiting for the new employee to get to grips with the new platform. However, on the flip side of this, if you consider the time it takes to hire the right person who has experience of your PLC platform, there is a cost impact on your business for each day there is no engineer to take your project forward. But, an engineer without your platform expertise could have got up to speed in the same time. Double-sided sword maybe? Therefore, should employers change the way they think about recruiting controls and automation engineers for their projects? Opinion: Should employers change their mindset? Yes Those that were of the opinion of yes believed it is relatively easy to transfer between platforms and that employers should be assessing the whole package as opposed to just looking at tick boxes. Furthermore, if someone is going to be a good fit and demonstrates the ability and willingness to transfer skills, they should definitely be considered. Yes, they may need more time to adjust to your platform because there are small differences between each. It was even suggested that some platforms such as Rockwell would only take a few weeks to develop the knowledge required. Whereas Siemens can take a while longer to understand. Does this suggest, it depends on the platform? Also if you have other employees on-site that are experts in this area then they can support a new person get up to speed. However, for employers to be more open on considering the transferable skills option, it’s important to fully assess ability. Do the applicants’ understand the basics? As one person mentioned “PLC programming is just a tool to implement a control system. If a person has taken the time to learn and understand process control, automation systems and software design best practices, they will not have much trouble moving from one PLC programming platform to another. However, if someone only knows the PLC programming part, and doesn’t understand the WHY part of automatic control systems, they will have a lot of difficulty moving from one PLC platform to another” How familiar are they? Can they hit the ground running? It was also brought to our attention that it depends on whether the company has considered the long term objective of why they want to hire someone with PLC programming skills. Are they looking for someone to simply work on a short term project or do they want someone who in the long run can improve the running of their facility? If it is the latter, then asking for a specific plc programming skillset isn’t necessary and their wider skills and the value they can bring to the business should be the focus. No The main reason behind the opinion of ‘no employers shouldn’t change their mindset’ is business needs. Therefore it’s not a straight-out ‘no’ but more looking at each role on a case by case basis. For example, if a company only needs a contractor for a month, they won’t be able to afford to give them the time to get up to speed with their platform. There is also the issue around different industry standards. Automotive having different standards to FMCG for example. Although the standards were meant to make life easier and everything more uniform, they have actually made things more compartmentalised. Before the standards came in, most engineers could work at most companies. Nowadays, each company will use different platforms. Unless you keep moving from one platform to another, you become an expert of one platform rather than having general/good knowledge of 2 or more. Do we, therefore, need more of these types of engineers? But is this really plausible? In one sense, no because when we had more engineers like this, the systems were mechanically driven. The factory/plant technology and the environment has evolved. Not only do we have PLC platforms but also complementary technologies. It makes everything a lot more complicated which is why experts in niche areas are required. However, a new underdeveloped standard called O-PAS could see things changing. It is suggested that once O-PAS is fully defined it will allow for the construction of safe, reliable, secure process automation systems that are scalable & do not require system shutdowns to perform updates. Thus, creating more uniform standards across various industries and there will not be a need for employers to change their mindset about transferring PLC programming skills across platforms. In conclusion…. What we have taken from this is, it is possible to transfer your PLC programming skills between platforms but due to the complexity of the modern-day platforms and increased functionality within these platforms, it’s not actually that easy when you start getting to the nitty-gritty of it. We do understand where employers are coming from, in terms of looking at it from a cost point of view. However, although it may not be that easy, we believe each role should be looked at individually and as already mentioned in this article, what is it you want them to achieve and in what time frame? More long term roles, maybe be a little more flexible. It will be interesting to see how standards and technologies evolve. Will we need these niche skill-sets in the future or will they become even more niche? Let’s see what the future holds. We hope you have found the article and debate interesting. It would be great to hear your opinion, please leave your thoughts below. If you’re on the lookout for a new role or struggling to hire the right engineer, let’s open up a conversation, get in touch with the team here.

Building a Personal Brand

Following on from the previous post, why personal branding is important for your career, here we discuss the impact building a personal brand will have on your job search and how to get it right. What is a Personal Brand (re-cap) Whether you are successful in your career or just starting out, building a personal brand can attract the attention of potential employers. Furthermore, your personal brand will give you the opportunity to showcase your experience and knowledge in a different way. Personal branding is no different from branding a company or a product, done correctly, it is very powerful. To illustrate this, read the story below from Lars Lofgren, CEO of Quick Sprout. How to Build a Personal Brand Above all building a personal brand will differentiate you from others. Below are the 4 key steps to help you get started. 1. What is your Personal Brand? Who are you? Like everything in life, you need to have a plan. Thus, the saying goes ‘if you fail to plan, you plan to fail’. In other words, to create a strong personal brand, you need to determine what you would like to say. Ask yourself these questions: By developing and growing your personal brand, what is it you want to achieve?For example, are you looking for a new job and want to make some noise about your knowledge & experience in your sector? Are you looking to change careers and need a way to capture the attention of employers? Or, maybe you want to go freelance and need to start building your customer base.When you meet or connect with people what is it you want them to know about you? How do you want them to perceive you?Here think about what it is you want to achieve, then establish what your strengths are, the parts of your personality that will support you achieve your goal, what you are you passionate about in your industry or discipline.What do people think about you now? Once you know this, you can decide if you want to build on it or change it depending on what it is you want to achieve. Your Story When you have determined all of this you can decide what your story and message is. For instance, maybe you want to move into a management position within the Procurement industry and you’re looking to get the attention of procurement professionals. Your story could focus on the journey you’ve taken into procurement, what has changed and what you predict will happen in the future. What is your opinion? As a result (of this), the message would resonate you are in a position to advise and guide those more junior to you and have the knowledge to influence within the industry. 2. Who do you want to engage with your personal brand? After you have established what it is you want to achieve, it’s important to understand who you want to reach. Not everyone will be interested in you or your personal brand. Now, this doesn’t mean finding out the names of every individual but what type of people are they. For example, where are they in their career, are you trying to reach people who already have a good reputation, how do they engage with others, are they serious or relaxed? Who is your target audience Other things to think about are: What do they want to achieve and how can you help them with that? Such as if they are a director of a manufacturing company and need someone to manage their production process to support growth, how would you help them do that, what would make them sit up and take notice of you. Similarly, what are the things that frustrate them or what are the challenges they face, do you have an opinion or solution for this? 3. Where will you showcase yourself? The main point to you building a personal brand is to showcase it to others. You can’t do this unless you have a platform to do so. Therefore, you need to think about where you want to share your story and your message. With this in mind, if you are not sure, think about the people you want to notice you, where are they? For example, which social media channels are they on, what events do they attend or what do they read? Other platforms to think about are: Your Reputation An online portfolioYour own WebsiteWriting articles for an external sourceHolding your own eventsSpeaking at eventsDeveloping your own podcast/video series 4. How will you showcase your message Finally, think about how you will get your message out there, you know what you want to achieve, who to and where but how do you get there? Firstly people are not going to come to you, you need to get out there online and offline and shout about who are and what you believe in (your message). By the same token, having a social media account, your own website/blog and video series to showcase your message is great but you need people to take notice – that requires work on your part. Take time to build your personal brand In addition, you need to network with people, share your opinions, have an opinion on others thoughts. How? Make it a priority to comment on other’s posts on social media each day, connect with people and when they accept contact them. Do the same when you meet people face to face and follow-up with them after. Hence, when you start engaging and networking with people, people will start to take notice of what you have to say and will read your articles, listen to your podcast/videos, comment/share/like your posts and reach out to you personally. It’s at this point, your goals will become reality. You’ll get offered that job or you’re customer base will snowball. Personal Branding Examples Here are some personal Branding Pros that you may learn a thing or two from: Gary Vaynerchuk – Someone who came from nothing and built not only his family business to be successful but now has an empire of businesses. Neil Patel – In short, he is currently he is one of the top entrepreneurs in the U.S and he started his entrepreneurial lifestyle at the age of 15. A few things to remember Consistency – don’t change your persona once you’ve developed itConfidence – in who you areBe Patient – it takes time to build your personal brandAlways Engage – always respond to those who engage with youBe constant – decide how often you can post a social media post, write an article/blog or shoot a video and keep to that timeline. Albeit, the more you post the more often you will be seen. Hopefully, talking through how to build your personal brand will support you to get it off the ground and make it a success. You might also like: How to write a good CV How to succeed at Interview 7 Tips to Get Your Job Application Noticed If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us. Search Jobs on the ASC Jobs Portal Today

Getting the best out of your recruitment provider

Is your recruitment agency not delivering the results you want? Or are you reluctant to even consider using their services? Not all recruitment agencies provide a bad service, we’re not all the same but you have to do a bit of work too to get the best out of your recruitment provider. Why does the industry have a bad rep? I have worked in the recruitment industry as a Managing Director for nearly 30 years. A lot has changed in these years but in most recent times, the number of recruitment companies has increased dramatically. In fact, 84% of all recruitment agencies registered since 1990 have been within the last decade and in 2018 there was a 46% increase in newly registered agencies since the year before. In my opinion, the increase is due to the ease of entry to the market. You can recruit from your bedroom, a laptop, phone, and website is all you need. However, I feel this has led to a rise in falling service levels and bad practice within recruitment which has unfortunately tarnished the reputation of the industry. Focus on the good not the bad... I feel sometimes companies focus too much on the bad experiences rather than looking at the value a good agency can add. In my view this can lead to a number of scenarios: You try and negotiate very low feesYou don’t spend time with the agency to give them a good understanding of your company and the roleYou use lots of agencies believing they are all the same and this will lead to more candidates What happens in these scenarios is you feel like you’re not getting the level of service you need and thus, your trust in recruitment agencies diminishes. On top of this, the lack of service then costs you money, time and your productivity and profits are impacted. Why does this happen? You may wonder why? Well, would you work as hard for a client who didn’t believe in you and wanted to pay you less than you’re worth? Would you be able to provide a product or service with half a brief? Working with lots of agencies actually makes it harder for you, not easier. So many different processes, fees and not to mention the duplication of CVs. It will be difficult to tell the good from the bad. Working with a maximum of 3-4 is best or work with an agency who offer a managed service. They will deal with other agencies so you don’t have to, trust me it will make your life much easier. Good recruitment agencies do exist However, amongst the cowboys out there, there are a number of very good agencies that can add real value to your business. But, you have to trust, believe and have respect for each other for it to work. We are not miracle workers and do need you to put the time in with us so we can give you what you need. Good recruitment agencies are not just CV churners and interview arrangers, they offer a consultative service so use this to your advantage to get ahead of the competition. Take guidance from them on your recruitment process, your candidate expectations and salary/package on offer. Too often, I’ve seen great candidates lose interest in a role because of the length of time it takes to agree to see them for an interview or make a decision on an offer. We’re in a candidate shortage market. If a candidate pulls out, maybe review your processes and if they are too long, take advice from the agency on how to improve it. When deciding if to interview a candidate or not when perusing a CV, look for the reasons why you should interview them as opposed to why not. A good reputable agency will have spent time talking to that candidate and made sure they are the right fit for you. Look at why you would hire them and not just the skillset but the overview of their personality and how they would fit in which is just as important. I’m really not ranting…. Honest! Now I might sound like I’m having a rant but actually I just want to outline how not to work with recruitment agencies. In all of the scenarios above, a business relationship starts off on the wrong foot because it starts with no confidence. If you do not believe in your recruitment provider to start with, your service level will not be met. I understand this can be hard if you’ve had a bad experience in the past but if you take the right steps initially, listen to advice and see a recruitment agency as a partner, not a supplier, you will find an agency that is the right one for you. Our best clients are the ones we meet and communicate with regularly, who dedicate time to support us to understand their business, what they need and help them improve their recruitment and retention strategies. These clients have not used other agencies as they haven’t needed to. They also trust us enough to book candidates in for an interview without seeing their CV first. So, how do you find the right recruitment partner? Firstly, don’t view all recruitment agencies in the same way. All will vary in the way they recruit and the services they offer. With so much choice I can understand why it can be difficult to find the right one for you, so here are some tips: Choose an agency that specialises in your sector.Where possible, select an agency within a 50 miles radius of your location so you can easily organise meetings.Meet with the agency.Ask how often they would like to meet with you. For temporary assignments, every 1-2 weeks is best but for permanent 1-2 times a year is fine.Ask for testimonials and case studies.Look for how long they’ve been established and if they have a good reputation.Are they aligned with a professional body? Ask lots of questions, don’t assume an agency can do something, ask.Find out how detailed their process is and how they screen candidates – passing you CVs without speaking to a candidate first is a definite no-no. How much are they asking you about your company and the role, it’s important they find out as much as possible about you too. Don’t base your decision on fees alone. There is honestly a very good case for working with an agency that has your best interests at heart. What Next? If you’re on the lookout for a new recruitment agency or thinking about using one, get in touch with us for an informal chat. Employers Click Here to Contact Us About Your Roles