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Base from official figures, Britain is finally "on track" to recover from the economic crisis with employment back at the same level as in 2008. The economy grew by 0.6 per cent between April and June despite earlier speculation that there may have been a renewed recession. This has been followed by another rise earlier in the year. There are optimistic signs of growth with employment and the number of hours worked returning to pre-crisis levels, ending a five-year slump. But, in totality the size of the economy is still way smaller than previous to the crisis and politicians were last night eager to stress that Britain still faces years of austerity and improbability before it will have fully recovered. George Osborne, the Chancellor, said that the country was "on the mend" as he prepared to make improving the economy his key message at the next general election. "The figures are better than forecast," Mr Osborne said. "Britain is holding its nerve. We are sticking to our economic plan. "Britain is on the mend, but we've got to stick with the plan because there's still a long way to go." David Cameron, who went on his annual summer holiday, added: "We are on the right track - building an economy for hard-working people." Nonetheless, senior politicians also gave warning to people "not to get carried away"and stressed that ministers were not complacent. Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, said that he would not be prepared to declare that the economy had recovered before there had been another "two or three years" of strong growth. Neil Bentley, the deputy director-general of the CBI, said that the figures confirmed that Britain was on the road to recovery although there were likely to be "a few bumps ahead". "Underlying conditions are quite weak as consumers are still saddled with debt and despite the global economy picking up, the potential for getting knocked off course remains," he said. According to the O

Westhill Consulting Career & Employment based in Australia, thank the guardian for the following comments Do your research Collaborating with an overseas university first is a great way to get to know them if you are considering moving abroad. Paul Matsudaira started his career at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, before accepting the position as head of biological sciences atNational University of Singapore in 2009. While he was still at MIT, Matsudaira taught biology to students from two Singaporean universities via an online videolink. He also travelled to Singapore several times in the summer holidays to teach at study camps. He says his family really enjoyed their trips to Singapore, and this made it much easier for him to make the decision about accepting the offer of a full-time post. Go for it wholeheartedly Once you have made the decision to move, make sure it is a clean break. Matsudaira says the biggest mistake he saw others making was expats not really committing to the move. Warning, it can be very stressful trying to run parallel lives - particularly across different time zones. It can also lead your new employers to question your commitment to the job. He said a "go for broke" attitude is essential to succeed. Don't be put off by the paperwork Job interviews often take place in London. The employing university liaises with the immigration department and it usually takes less than four weeks for a work permit to be issued. Pay In general HK/south-east Asian universities pay better than European institutions and about the same as US universities, but tax is much lower. Check for allowances Academics with children should also check on the availability and costs of places at international schools and whether the employer provides any education allowance. Look into accommodation Accommodation is very expensive in many of south-east Asia's densely populated cities so colleges often provide it as part of the package. But if living

http://www.westhillconsulting-career.com/blog/2014/03/17/seizing-opportunities-south-east-asias-oil-gas-industry/ Since 2010, South-East Asia has consolidated its position as an important contributor to the global downstream market with Petronas' recent announcement of its plan to build the new RAPID facility in Malaysia one further example of the region's growing importance. In reality the timing couldn't be better - as populations across Asia continue to grow, the demand for fuel will grow exponentially, offering oil & gas operators a real opportunity to make a significant contribution to the region's continued economic development. However, with this growing demand comes additional pressures, and with the sector still vulnerable to fluctuating oil prices, operators can ill-afford to rest on their laurels. The need to ensure their operations are as productive as possible and that cost inefficiencies are stripped out from the very outset, is arguably more important than ever before. Minimizing operational costs When it comes to new projects oil & gas operators have traditionally been good at minimizing their CAPEX spend. However, there has been much less focus given to limiting the cost of operation of their assets. With maintenance costs typically responsible for 20-30% of the overall OPEX expenditure, this is one area where the downstream sector in South-East Asia is increasingly focusing its attention. According to some analysts the costs incurred across the globe in maintaining the next generation of oil & gas assets could equate to $0.75 trillion highlighting the scale of the prize that could be on offer here. For a typical refinery the operational expenditure is principally dictated by three prime factors: the quantum of work carried out on the asset, the efficiency at which it can be delivered and the agreed cost rate of the resource used. In each instance there is an opportunity to significantly reduce cost outlay by focusing on a range of inter

http://www.westhillconsulting-career.com/blog/2014/03/06/top-10-job-search-tips/ Is your job search off to a slow start or getting stuck? Here are some quick time-saving job search tips that will help your hunt for a new job go smoothly. Be Prepared. Have a voice mail system in place and sign-up for a professional sounding email address. Consider getting a separate email account to use for your job search, so you can stay organized. Put your cell phone number on your resume so you can follow up in a timely manner. This job search toolkit will help you get everything you need set for your job search. Westhill Consulting & Employment Australia has some good tips for finding work in countries such as KL Malaysia, Jakarta Indonesia, Beijing China, Bangkok Thailand and many more. Be More Than Prepared. Always have an up-to-dateresume ready to send - even if you are not currently looking for work. You never know when an opportunity that is too good to pass up might come along. If you're not on LinkedIn yet, create a LinkedIn and start making connections who can help you job search. Don't Wait. If you are laid-off, file for unemployment benefits right away. You will most likely be able to file online or by phone. Waiting could delay your benefits check. Get Help. Utilize free or inexpensive services that provide career counseling and job search assistance such as college career offices, state Department of Labor offices or your local public library. Many libraries provide workshops, programs, classes, computers and printers you can use, and other resources to help you with your job search. Here's more on getting job search help at the library. Create Your Own Templates. Have copies of your resume and cover letter ready to edit. That way you can change the content to match the requirements of the job you're applying for, but, the contact information and your opening and closing paragraphs won't need to be changed. Microsoft Word users can download free templates for re