The job market should start to slow down as we enter December. This time last year it was in a freeze. And it carried over the same way until April.

Traditionally January has seen a surge of hiring activity with new jobs coming onto the market later in the month. This is driven by vacant positions that are held over from November / December as well as newly budgeted roles. The mood in the market is that January 2010 will have a lift in job numbers. This was not the case last year, so we will be watching cautiously.

Before a candidate receives a formal job offer the majority of employers will require a reference checks. The employer will ask the candidate to nominate two referees who they can call. Typically referees include a manager who has directly supervised the candidate and a peer. Personal references (friends and family) are not used in business.