Desperate for a Job? How Far Would you go to Get One?

A Survey Conducted by the IT Job Board Finds That While a Large Percentage Would Keep Details About a Job They are Applying for Secret From Colleagues and Try to Get Inside Secrets to Gain an Interview, Many Find These Tactics Morally Wrong

LONDON, May 24, 2010 - According to The IT Job Board's, www.theitjobboard.co.uk, latest
survey[1] findings, 62% of IT workers would keep details about a job they are
applying for secret from their colleagues to avoid competition for a role. In
addition, almost eight out of ten people (79%) would try to gain inside
secrets about an organisation and its recruitment process to get a job.

58% of candidates would flatter or compliment their boss in order to get
a pay rise or promotion over their colleagues and just over a fifth (23%)
would claim colleagues' ideas as their own. 32% of people would even create a
problem so that they could fix it and "save the day", giving them extra kudos
with their boss and direct colleagues.

The respondents had mixed views on participating in underhand activities.
Whilst, 38% of respondents take a dim view of using "out of the ordinary"
tactics to boost their chances of getting a job, stating such tactics are
morally wrong, 23% of people said these tactics were fine, as long as they
didn't hurt anyone.

    Other surprising statistics the survey showed were as follows:

    - 15% of respondents said that using out of the ordinary tactics in order
      to secure a role were necessary as it is a tough market out there;

    - 35% of respondents said they would telephone a recruiter continuously
      in order to try and secure an interview, and;

    - 13% of respondents said they would visit a recruiter's premises and
      refuse to leave until they were seen.

Commenting on the survey, Alex Farrell, managing director of The IT Job
Board, said: "Getting the inside scoop on a company prior to applying for a
role does show initiative, however fellow candidates feel this is breaking an
unwritten "rule". These results show that there is increased competition in
the market. On a positive note, as a business we are continuing to meet
demand. Currently we have over 18,000 live IT permanent and contract jobs on
site, this is the largest pool of IT jobs on the internet in the UK"

Notes to editors

About The IT Job Board:

The IT Job Board group of companies was set up in April 2002
in recognition that recruitment in the IT sector was increasingly dominated
by the internet.

Today, The IT Job Board (www.theitjobboard.co.uk) is the UK's
biggest IT specialist recruitment website with over 23,500 vacancies
advertised (as at March 2010).

Online technology enables sophisticated targeting - for example by skill,
region or experience - of The IT Job Board's database of 800,000 IT
professionals. The company always tries to get closer to candidates either
via planned content campaigns, or through the use of social networks.

The site also offers employers services such as branded job
postings, a featured employer zone, targeted email campaigns and guidance on
advertising copy. The managed campaign service filters responses to provide
companies with a shortlist of applicants most suitable for the advertised
position.

www.theitjobboard.co.uk's clients include Sky, the Medical
Research Council, Opsera, Standard Life, Royal Parks, Accenture and Yahoo!.

———————————

[1] 282 surveyed on `How Far Would You Go To Get A Job?' in the UK May
2010

    For further information, interviews and photography please contact:

    Lisa Whiting/Kathryn Hughes
    Publicite Ltd
    T: +44(0)20-8543-6582
    E: l.whiting@publicite.co.uk

For further information, interviews and photography please contact: Lisa Whiting/Kathryn Hughes, Publicite Ltd, T: +44(0)20-8543-6582, E: l.whiting at publicite.co.uk