THE new year is well and truely here and 50 per cent of adults are determined to change an aspect of their life after making at least one New Year's resolution, according to a new poll by the Pitman Training Group.

Losing weight and getting fit are the two most popular resolutions, while over 2 per cent of us will use the start of a new year as an opportunity to plan a career move or find a better job.

However, based on their past experience, a third of respondents admitted their good intentions were unlikely to last more than a few days.

Branch manager of Pitman Training in Bromley Alison McCulloch said: "People enjoy discussing their New Year's resolutions and this is quite a light-hearted piece of research to find out a bit more about them.

"We were interested to find that so many people want to make changes in their work life and, at Pitman Training, our job is to help them achieve their goals."

She added: "Lack of confidence is one of the main obstacles people face when they are thinking about finding a new job or entering the workplace after a long break and, as a result, many people never fulfill their potential because of their fear of failure.

"We help hundreds of people every year by providing them with the training, skills, and, as a result, the confidence they need to get the job they want."

Established project manager Jenny Neal from Sidcup knew she wanted to branch out into the secretarial market despite an impressive work history.

She said: "I decided it was time for a change of career and had been thinking about taking a legal secretarial course for a few years.

"I had seen the Pitman Training advertised several times in the newspaper so decided to go for it."

Jenny approached Pitman Training in Bromley and, on the advice of Alison, enrolled on the legal secretarial diploma course.

She said: "As soon as I finished the diploma, I walked straight into the job I am doing now. I can honestly say that doing the Pitman diploma turned my life around."

Alison said: "There are many people like Jenny Neal who struggle to find a job, despite having excellent academic qualifications.

People who don't have practical office skills, mums wanting to get back into the workplace or those who left school with no qualifications are just some of the individuals we help.

"In some cases, they simply need practical assistance, such as interview skills or how to design a CV. Others are looking for a complete career makeover, requiring advice and training.

"Our courses are flexible so learners can arrange their training around their current job or family commitments."

For more information on the range of Pitman Training courses, call 020 8313 3882 or visit pitmantrainingkent.com