New Year, New Career 2025

highlighting the real need in the community for support in finding a job.

Attendees came from all sections of the community and spanned a range of ages and career stages to hear from a series of expert speakers. You can read their top tips here.

Work Avenue CEO Debbie Lebrett said: “From those seeking entry-level jobs to those pursuing senior executive roles, there was a strong sense of unity at New Year, New Career, with everyone sharing the same struggles but also the same determination.

“The sharp rise in numbers at this flagship event echoes what we have seen in all areas of our work. Redundancies and job losses hit hard in 2024, along with the greater financial need many families have due to rising costs.

“What this inspiring day demonstrated is that the support is there to help people build confidence, find the right vacancy, prepare for interview and land their dream job.”

The day began with a panel discussion on ‘what it takes to succeed’ featuring Keith Breslauer (Managing Partner at Patron Capital), Amanda Reuben (recruitment consultant), Neil Taub (Co-Founder of Zoomdoc) and Eszter Bobvos (Head of People & Culture at JW3) and chaired by Charlotte Collins (Editor-in-Chief of SheerLuxe).

Their mix of positions and experiences gave a true insight into what employers and recruiters look for across a range of sectors. All agreed that a positive can-do attitude is the key to success at both interview and once in the job.

Two motivational sessions were led by Nicky Simmons (Founder of London Health Consult) and Dr Danny McGuigan (Director of Business Development Centre), who used their personal stories of overcoming adversity to help inspire others.

There was also a series of mini taster workshops, led by the Work Avenue team, on creating a CV, the interview process, upskilling and managing the job search.

Job seekers described New Year, New Career as “insightful and empowering”, “a real boost to my confidence” and “the jolt I needed to kickstart my career plans for 2025”.

One young female participant said: “Looking for a job can be very lonely. To be with so many talented people, all in the same boat, was comforting and gave me hope.”

An older male attendee commented: “It’s been a long time since I had to look for work, so to hear about what employers and recruiters look for – along with what they certainly don’t want – will greatly help me as I start applying for jobs again.”