Kirstie McDermott - Community Author: Finextra Research

Kirstie McDermott Senior Content Editor at Amply

How to spot a toxic workplace

Toxic as a term has been creeping into the lexicon for a number of years. From toxic relationships to masculinity, friendships, family and more; in 2018, Oxford Dictionaries chose it as its international word of the year. The reason toxic came out on top was less to do with numbers and more to do with the variety of contexts to which it was being a...

01 September 2023 /people

The most AI-ready UK cities for your job hunt

Kirstie McDermott Senior Content Editor at Amply

The most AI-ready UK cities for your job hunt

With interest in generative AI exploding–– trends site Exploding Topics reports a 1,143% increase in search interest in “AI voice generator” and a 268% increase in searches for “AI coach”––the technology has moved out of the realm of tech-savvy early adopters. So much so that recent research from CybSafe found that 52% of UK office workers have ent...

04 August 2023 /people

Kirstie McDermott Senior Content Editor at Amply

Key tech jobs to apply for this week

An unexplored aspect of 2022 and 2023’s tech and finance layoffs is that of the hundreds of thousands of jobs that were made redundant globally, many were not across purely tech functions. Roger Lee, founder of job cuts bible Layoffs.fyi says that “sales is the most common role, accounting for 20% of the laid-off tech workers. Recruiting and HR are...

14 July 2023 /people

Is the era of big tech over for younger workers?

Kirstie McDermott Senior Content Editor at Amply

Is the era of big tech over for younger workers?

Generation Z made up 20% of the workforce in 2020, and is, according to Deloitte, set to soon become the most populous generation on earth. It is also the most diverse generation, with 77% of Gen Z-ers saying that it’s important to work for companies or organisations whose values align with their own. Gen Z is also prioritising their mental health...

30 June 2023 /people

Childcare costs prevent 2 in 5 women from returning to workforce

Kirstie McDermott Senior Content Editor at Amply

Childcare costs prevent 2 in 5 women from returning to workforce

UK fintechs are less gender-diverse than the broader financial services sector, is the stark warning from the latest EY and Innovate Finance report. It’s true that the tech ecosystem as a whole under-represents women. The 2023 Women in Tech survey found that women still only account for around 26% of those working in IT. In banking, the picture i...

19 May 2023 /people

3 of the fastest growing software jobs in the UK

Kirstie McDermott Senior Content Editor at Amply

3 of the fastest growing software jobs in the UK

In its 2021 Needs Analysis Report, The European Software Skills Alliance (ESSA) underlined some key skills gaps for software engineers and developers. ESSA identified skills gaps in the areas of data analysis, and found that the key areas influencing software skills are AI, Big Data, Industry 4.0, and modelling––particularly in research. The repor...

05 May 2023 /people

How the rise in pension age may affect your career

Kirstie McDermott Senior Content Editor at Amply

How the rise in pension age may affect your career

In 1950, the average age of retirement in the UK was 67.2 for men, and 63.9 for women. By 1990, that had dropped to 63.1 for men, and 60.6 for women. Retirement age has been on an upward trend ever since, and by 2019, the average retirement age was 65.3 years old for men, and 64.3 for women. Currently, the age you can qualify for the state pension...

06 April 2023 /people

Are you being trampled by a hippo at work?

Kirstie McDermott Senior Content Editor at Amply

Are you being trampled by a hippo at work?

Many of us know the frustration that can be inherent in the decision-making process at work. It goes something like this: you or your team carefully research a solution to a problem and come up with something that is data-driven, cost-saving or simply really innovative. You are convinced this is the right way to go. Enter your boss, or a senior le...

31 March 2023 /people

Why do female leaders keep on stepping down?

Kirstie McDermott Senior Content Editor at Amply

Why do female leaders keep on stepping down?

Nicola Sturgeon, Jacinda Ardern, and Susan Wojcicki are just three high profile women in leadership who have recently stepped down from their roles. New Zealand’s now former prime minister, Ardern said she was quitting because she “no longer had enough in the tank” to do the job. Scotland’s former first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, explained that “g...

03 March 2023 /people

3 ways to predict if you'll be affected by layoffs

Kirstie McDermott Senior Content Editor at Amply

3 ways to predict if you'll be affected by layoffs

News last week that over 105,000 global tech workers have been laid off since the start of 2023 has, understandably, left many uneasy. The layoffs.fyi website was set up by founder Roger Lee during the pandemic to track tech layoffs and show the reality of life within this volatile sector. The site hit the news when its automatic counter showed tha...

24 February 2023 /people

To lead you need to cultivate your executive presence

Kirstie McDermott Senior Content Editor at Amply

To lead you need to cultivate your executive presence

Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos; these titans of tech do not appear to have much in common on a personal level, but both are responsible for founding and building two of the world’s most successful and recognisable brands in Apple and Amazon. Jobs was an aesthete with a love of simplicity and the work of Japanese designer Issey Miyake, while Bezos is a l...

17 February 2023 /people

How do you know when it’s time to walk away from your job?

Kirstie McDermott Senior Content Editor at Amply

How do you know when it’s time to walk away from your job?

There have been many public resignations of late. In tech, Netflix founder Reed Hastings stepped down from his role as CEO in January following a 25-year journey with the company. Hastings’ resignation was remarkable in that he orchestrated it himself, understanding that good leaders know when it is time to hand over the reins to the next generatio...

10 February 2023 /people

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