4 Tips to Find Flexible Jobs in the United Kingdom

4 Tips to Find Flexible Jobs in the United Kingdom4 Tips to Find Flexible Jobs in the United KingdomIn the article 14 Million Britons Who Want Flexible Working Compete for a Handful of Jobs, it shows that Britain is facing some serious lack of flexible working options. According to research from flex experts Timewise, a paltry 6.2 percent of job listings are flexible. However, 14.1 million workers (or 46 percent of workers in the UK) want to work flexibly.While better flexible working options exist outside of London, Scotland, northern Ireland, and northern England, this lack of flex work has a particular negative impact on working women who cannot climb the corporate ladder since the option to work flexibly isnt even an option to begin with. And to add insult to injury, flexible work options decrease at higher salary levels, so executive-level jobs with remote work options are even more rare.To get a sense of the industries that are offering flex (and which arent), here are just a f ew examples from Timewises research findingsPositions that offer flexHealth/social care 20 percentEducation/training 13 percentMilitary/policing/security 7 percentPositions that offer little flexDirector/management 2 percentMarketing/advertising/PR 2 percentEngineering/manufacturing 2 percentThe law is also working against making better flexible work options for people. As of right now, an employee who has worked with his current employer for at least 26 weeks can make one flex request to change his work schedule for a year. (The company legally has to consider the request, but doesnt necessarily have to grant it.) Previously, only parents with children under 16 were allowed to request flex.If youre looking for flexible jobs in the United Kingdom, here are some tipsAssess your situation.Before you start looking for a flexible job, you should figure out what type of flex you really need. While you might really, really want a full-time telecommuting job, given how limited the nu mber of flexible jobs in the United Kingdom are, you might need to be flexible yourself when looking for flex work. So if you find a part-time remote job or a job that lets you work a compressed workweek, landsee if that level of flexibility would be enough for you.Take the market into consideration.Although no one industry in the UK seems to have an overabundance of flexible work, there are some sectors that are more flex-friendly than others. If youre considering a career change (or simply have to have a work-from-home job), look to see which industries are hiring remote workers, and then tailor your job search to match those companies that are hiring.Avoid job scams.Job scams are unavoidable when youre looking for a work-from-home job. Thats why you need to be super savvy in your job search. You should be wary of any potential hiring manager who reaches out to you with a too-good-to-be-true job offer, or is looking to hire you without an interview. And you should never, ever rele ase any personal information (such as your bank account info or social security number) to a prospective employer.Know where to look.Job searching is never fun, but there are ways in which you can expedite your search. Look for job listings that use the words flexible work, remote, or telecommute, which will indicate that there is work flexibility already built into the position. That way, you dont have to go through the entire job interview process only to find out when youre offered the job that it is an in-office position only. You should also use niche job boards (such as) that are reputable and focus on flexible work.As work flexibility continues to grow in popularity, other nations, such as the UK, will catch on that flexible work is a huge benefit for both employees and employers. Only then will flexible jobs in the UK become the norm.Readers, are you looking to find flexible jobs in the United Kingdom or elsewhere? Let us know in the comments below