Category: Blog

Are you considering starting a career as a Forklift Operator? Perhaps you work in the supply chain industry and want to take on a new role?

Forklift Operators are responsible for loading and unloading goods in warehouses, ports, and airports. They play an important role in keeping things running smoothly in the supply chain industry.

To be suitable for this position you need to get certified, so we’ve put together some information for you to read if you’re considering taking this next step in your career.

Age requirements

 If you’re old enough to leave school you’re old enough to be a forklift truck driver, however, it’s unlikely employers will consider anyone under the age of 18. For that reason, it’s fine to train when you’re 17, but the closer to 18 you are the more chance you have of getting straight into employment when you qualify.

As a forklift licence – like HGV licences – is linked to the weight of the vehicle, the fact that a forklift is heavy and lifts heavy loads means there are age limitations even though they’re smaller vehicles.

Driver’s license

Unless you are going to be driving a forklift truck on a public road, it isn’t essential to have a full UK driving license. You will, however, need to be certified through an industry-recognised accrediting body such as RTITB, ITSAAR, ALLMI, NPORS or AITT. This is crucial so that employers can be assured that everyone operating these machines is properly trained, reducing the chances of workplace accidents or injuries.

Cost

The cost of getting your forklift license can vary depending on your previous experience and your location. If you’re starting out from the beginning then you can typically expect to pay around £750 for the course, but for refresher courses or to further your knowledge, you would usually expect to pay around £100-£200. The cost of this can sometimes be partially or fully covered by your employer.

Salary

Forklift Operators typically earn around £9.49 per hour to start with, but this tends to increase with further experience and knowledge. The different types of trucks you operate and the weight of the loads you carry can impact your salary too, with some roles paying over £24,000 per year.

Career progression

Forklift Operators can progress in their careers, becoming a Construction Plant Operator, earning up to £28,000 per year. If they want to progress further, they can even go on to become HGV Drivers, who can typically earn up to £40,000 –sometimes even more!

In demand

Forklift Operators are always needed across various industries, from airports to warehouses, so getting certified ensures that you’ll always meet the requirements to work in those roles.

If you’re looking for a job as a Forklift Operator in Northern Island, our team are available to help you in your search. Simply give us a call us on 028 95 219 313 or email us at [email protected].

Your CV is the tool that helps you get your foot in the door when applying for jobs. It acts as the first opportunity to promote yourself to a potential employer.

It may seem daunting to write about yourself at first, especially if you’re starting from scratch and don’t know what a CV needs to contain.

That’s why we’ve put together some guidance on what (and what not) to include when writing a CV:

Personal details
Start off by ensuring you’ve covered the basics. You need to include your personal and contact information – your full name, address, contact number(s), and email address.
You don’t need to include your age, date of birth, marital status, or nationality.

Personal statement
A good CV should always include a personal statement. Your personal statement is a chance to describe who you are, what you can bring to the role, and your career aims. Identify skills in the job spec and include examples of these. Keep it short and snappy. Aim to prove why you’re suitable in one short and succinct paragraph, ideally no more than five or six sentences.

Education
List your educational experience and achievements, including all qualifications, the awarding bodies, and the grades you attained. You should list these in reverse chronological order so that your most recent qualification is at the top. If you have more educational experience than work experience, it’s a good idea to place greater emphasis on this section.

Work Experience
This section should include all your relevant work experience. Include the name of the company, your job role, your employment dates, and your key responsibilities. Again, this should be listed in reverse chronological order, with your most recent role first.

Skills
The skills section of your CV shows the employer you have the abilities required to succeed in the role. Often, employers pay close attention to the skills section to determine who should move on to the next step of the hiring process. Be sure to include job-related, transferable, and adaptive skills (backing them up with examples), and make it clear how you would apply these to the new role.

Hobbies and interests (optional)
You don’t always need to mention your hobbies and personal interests in your CV. However, including some can be a great way to stand out from the crowd, show the prospective employer a bit of your personality and make it a basis for conversion at the job interview. Don’t add anything for the sake of it. If it’s not going to add value, leave it out.

References
Your CV references are people who can vouch for your character, skills, and experience to potential employers. References are only needed right at the very end of the recruitment process. Today, it’s normal to go through multiple interview and assessment stages. Then you’re given an offer and only when you’ve accepted it are your references be requested.

References are often unnecessary so early on. What’s more, in today’s data protection-minded world, it’s not good form to practice someone’s personal info to each and every job application you make. A better tact is to include ‘references available on request’ somewhere on your CV.