Manchester and its surrounding towns once grew rich thanks to the cotton trade, creating a landscape dotted with the mills that clothed the British Empire. Now the second highest-populated urban area in the UK with more than 2.5 million residents, Greater Manchester is the leading area outside of London for the business, financial and professional services. And thanks to a strong manufacturing presence along with high employment in health and education, there are a wide range of job opportunities available.More jobs expected – on balanceThe most recent major forecast from Greater Manchester's policy and strategy body, New Economy, looks positive, with a net gain of more than 100,000 jobs expected over the next decade.Kerry Houston, lead economist at Oxford Economics, which carried out the study, said: 'The Greater Manchester economy is expected to remain as a key driver of the North West. The forecasts suggest an additional 128,000 more people and 110,000 net new jobs within the cit...

Recruiters are increasingly using skill-based testing and psychometric assessments to narrow down the applicant pool and situational judgement tests (SJTs) are just one of the many tools employers use to find the best candidate. If you're asked to sit one, Rob Williams, chartered occupational psychologist and independent psychometric test developer, reveals what to expect and how to shine. What are SJTs?A situational judgment test presents realistic scenarios similar to those that would be encountered when doing a particular job. By using real life scenarios, the idea is that employers will get a better understanding of how you might operate in the work place.'Typically, candidates must identify the best and the worst course of action from four multiple-choice options. In other words, you must make two "judgments" about what to do and what not to do next in the "situation" presented,' explains Rob. 'An alternative SJT format asks the test-taker to rank multiple choice options in ter...

Everyone has their ideal dream job. Maybe it's something that pays for the pursuit of a hobby, a role studied for at university, or even a long-held pipedream from childhood – whatever it is, it's always in the back of the mind, waiting for the right opportunity to do what we would all rather be doing to come along. The Telegraph recently reported on jobs that are wildly overrated – typical 'dream jobs' such as chef, architect or travel writer, that are actually not as fun as they might appear – as well as jobs that are more fun than they sound, offering high salaries or exciting opportunities in fields that may rarely be considered. Over in the US, AOL publishes a list of the most underrated jobs every year. Jobs such as accountant, systems analyst, and engineer are regular features at the top of the list – stereotypically unexciting positions that aren't exactly seen as aspirational, although engineering has certainly shaken this label over the years. Lists of "underrated" jobs ty...

Not everyone is cut out to be a prison officer, funeral director or pest control officer – but could you be? If your job search is running out of steam, it could be time to take a second look at those jobs which are easy to dismiss. To get you started, we reveal five jobs that you may not have considered before, what they pay and how to get into them.1. Prison officer You might think you know what life inside a prison is like from watching TV and films but the reality is often very different. As the website of the HM Prison Service puts it: 'Until you've worked in a prison, built trust, exercised authority without throwing your weight around, and ultimately changed people's lives for the better, you've no real idea what a difference prison life can make to offenders, society and to you.'Salary: The national starting salary for Prison Officers is £18,720 (inclusive of base pay and 17% addition for unsocial hours working) for working a 37 hour week.How to become one: If your applicati...

Chances are you enjoy living where you are right now with your friends and family close to hand. But let's face it, there are some places that offer more of what you like and offer better career prospects than others. So if you're on the look-out for a new job then you might want to know what cities in the UK offer the best job prospects.Many cities are bouncing back from the recession, including some of those hardest hit by job losses — according to the Centre for Cities annual index, Cities Outlook 2011. But economic recovery is likely to be unevenly spread across the country this year.Five cities to watch right nowThe Centre for Cities identified five cities that are best placed to help the UK out of the recession. According to the Cities Outlook, these places will be better-insulated from the economic impact of the spending squeeze, and have high potential to create private sector jobs. They have lower vulnerability to public sector job losses and spending cuts, and given the ri...

For many, the road to success cuts through college and often graduate school. But the skyrocketing cost of education coupled with the widespread squeeze on people's bank accounts and time often makes this impossible.Millions of people find themselves in this situation including those who: – Have their GCSEs – Have some work experience, but no college degree – Want to try a new career but don't want to go through years of schooling – Can't afford the money or time to go back to schoolEducational consultants Gabbitas have surveyed the views of a range of professional organisations to find out the true prospects for those who want to shine off-campus and earn while they learn without the burden of student debt.The research covered a range of sectors, including accountancy, financial services and engineering. Almost all offer non-graduate entry as well as specific training schemes, often sponsored by their employers. Retail, for example, attracts a large number of school leavers — 32 pe...