Christmas job search shut down?

Job hunting in December is seen by some as pretty pointless exercise but between the office party and finishing for the year there are some things you might be able to commit to trying…

Private Review
This time of year is a great time to review your objectives to ensure we are clear headed for the coming new year. Might be worth thinking afresh of your goals and motives for seeking change. This might be obvious in most cases but worth consideration.  Is this what you are thinking about really what you want? If you landed a new job tomorrow – how would you feel? December holidays is an ideal time to think the unthinkable, explore radical ideas and, if necessary, completely revisit your job objectives for the coming year. Write it down and keep it handy!

Clean up your act
Over the Christmas period you should make some time for doing the things that you have been mulling over the past year. This might include updating (or completing) your Linkedin profile, or replacing that unflattering photo you posted up in a rush. It might be a good time to re-read and then tweak your main CV, and consider if it can work even smarter for you. When the new year arrives you should be ready for the next assault on the job market…

Network
December and Christmas in particular can be a great time to network with old colleagues, friends, and relatives and anyone else you’ve neglected during the past year. It doesn’t mean you need to over indulge and spend over the odds either. Very often a chat over a coffee will be sufficient. I recently caught up with three ex colleagues who were able to share some ideas almost as we took our seats in the pub to eat! I would not discount the value of informal (or otherwise) catch ups as they are always useful and can be a good source of encouragement and information. It is fun too!

Learn something new
Learning a new skill or tool might be another way of increasing your visibility in the job market. Alternatively you might pick up a skill or technique that you’ve struggled with in the past. If you need advice, there are many online resources available to draw on too. Practising interview techniques might be another consideration. Whatever efforts you expend will hopefully help to build your confidence and ‘appeal’ come the new year.

Refresh
Ok, you can relax too! We all need to take time out to refresh ourselves and re-energise. Job searching can be tiring as well as being stimulating at times, so give yourself time out to enjoy being with friends and family, maybe a good walk will do you good too. Enjoy!

Have a really Happy Christmas and here’s wishing you success in the year ahead…

Job Interview Advice: What not to do or say…

With an interview on the horizon it’s got to be worth dedicating time in preparation, this will show you as serious and should be reflected when the big day comes. In addition to pressing your clothes and doing some homework on the employer, it is worth taking note of some interview turn offs!

Employers will probably have a long list of interview “no no’s” and will be looking out for these when they meet you. Picking your nose will be one of them of course, but there are other things you should avoid saying or doing at interview. The list here is not exhaustive, and some might be obvious to you, sadly they are not obvious to everyone!

Don’t be late
It is imperative that you don’t arrive late for an interview. It will not impress your interviewer and they will question whether you can actually be on time for the job itself! If your car or the train breaks down en route or you get stuck in traffic – remember to call ahead in plenty of time. If you had a late night, nursing a hangover and still in bed an hour before the appointment you clearly are not serious about the job and should do the polite thing and cancel. Try to arrive in good time in order to familiarise yourself with the location, freshen up and relax.

Don’t turn up unprepared
If you have not done your research or not read the job description properly, your interviewer will be able to tell. Should you get the company or interviewers name wrong that probably won’t help your cause too much, unless of course the interviewer is forgiving and appreciates that such a slip is probably down to nerves.

Don’t be tempted to ‘wing it’ during an interview, despite how much you think you already know about the company.

Don’t wear inappropriate clothing
Whether you like it or not, first impressions count! Regardless of what you chose to wear outside of work, remember you are going to an interview and need to impress. Clean, ironed and professional looking clothing is the best way to go. If you have any doubts before hand you should contact the HR department or recruitment agent and ask for the expected interview dress code. They should always be able to guide you.

Don’t forget to turn off your mobile phone
A phone ringing with your favourite song during a job interview is highly unprofessional and will most certainly be frowned upon by your interviewer. Even if they like the band! Turn your phone off or to silent before the interview begins.

Don’t waffle
A candidate who talks too much or is over-enthusiastic may irritate the interviewer. This may give the impression that you are difficult to control, will find it hard to listen or keep focussed.

Avoid bad-mouthing previous /current employers
During an interview do not be tempted to complain about previous colleagues. If you left your old job due to a conflict with a former boss, even if this was not down to you – Say nothing, instead bite your tongue! This could imply that you have difficulty getting on with people and this will not be the impression you want to leave with a prospective employer.

Don’t lie!
Lying in an interview is dumb. Not only will your body language give you away, but it can be held against you later on, even if you get offered the job. Lying on your CV or application can also be used as grounds for dismissal, particularly if the lie is about your qualifications or criminal record.

Don’t use foul language
Swearing during an interview is a big “no no” – it will show you up as rude and disrespectful.

Don’t give away too much about your personal life
It’s important to remember that a prospective employer is looking for things that show them you are the right person for the job. At this stage they don’t want to know about your drinking habits or relationship issues, focus instead on the skills that will secure you the job.

Avoid fidgeting or biting nails
Playing with your hair, fiddling with pens, or tapping your fingers are all signs of nervousness and will also end up making your interviewers feel uncomfortable too. Instead, sit straight, keep your hands below your elbows and rest them somewhere comfortable so that all that your interviewer is paying attention to is what you are saying.

Avoid eating anything smelly immediately before your interview
Before your interview try not to eat or drink anything that has a tendency to linger, such as garlic, onions or in the case of drink no alcohol. Strong odours take a while to disappear. Both you and your interviewer will be able to notice it, which could be an embarrassing distraction!

Don’t argue with your interviewer(s)
Confrontation during your interview is not a good idea! Even if you disagree with something that has been said – don’t get drawn in. After all, who is going to want to hire somebody who is aggressive or argumentative, as this doesn’t bode well for any future interactions with their team.

Don’t mention ‘money’
Employers need to know that you are applying for the job because you have the relevant skills and experiences on offer. They will not want be impressed that your sole motivation revolves around the salary and how much annual leave is on offer.

Don’t overstay your welcome
Interviewers have very likely carved out a specific time slot in which to meet with you. This may be mentioned before your meeting commences. If so, be advised that they will not want to be delayed so let them lead the interview with regard to time. Do not be tempted to keep talking after they have drawn the meeting to a conclusion. If they can offer you more time, they will make this clear.

When is a job offer really a job offer?

Upon the completion of any interview process the successful candidate should receive from the hirer/ hiring company a formal job offer. This is usually in the form of a letter, which gives a start date and initial salary… If you are offered a job outside the usual procedures, it is important you still request the offer in writing. Without it you are in a vunerable situation…

A job offer?
Unless arrives in letter form or lands as an email to your inbox, any promised offer is not worth the paper its printed on. You need any offer in writing.

If you have not heard anything from the companies HR department after two weeks, it is fair to assume that you are no longer under consideration for the job. Some companies are known to take their time deliberating after a round of interviews for a number of reasons. They could be uncertain about the budget for the job, they could be gathering input from a great number of sources, they could have a highly structured or somewhat cumbersome selection process, or they could just be plain inefficient. But assume for our purposes that you actually did not get the job.

Unfortunately things can change even at the eleventh hour as I can testify. Recently I was advised that an offer letter would shortly be on its way to me. I had spent 4 hours in interview and according to the recruitment agent their client were keen to get me working for them as soon as possible. The feedback from the client was glowing, and I was similarly impressed with them. A week later I was still waiting for the letter or email to arrive. We all assumed that the HR department was being inundated with work or very slow and my efforts to get an update on the situation was fruitless.

Out of the blue, one Friday evening the news was broken to me that even though I was the strongest candidate by a country mile at the time, an internal candidate had actually been appointed. I felt gutted, shocked, yet also angry and disappointed. The next few days were not my best as I brooded with the injustice of it all. Maybe my interview performance wasn’t that compelling after all.

The moral from the story, is clear. Even if a recruitment agent leads you to understand you are the best candidate they’ve ever encountered this side of planet earth, be cautious. You need any job offer in writing, in ink, on paper, in your sweaty hands before jumping to quit your current job or splashing out on a shiny new something or other to celebrate…

The offer when it comes
A job offer that comes your way can be a huge encouragement. If you by some quirk find two that appear at the same time you could briefly allow yourself to feel supremely chuffed and smug wondering if such things happen to mere normal people. They do, and you are not above normal. Whatever, you do still however have some work to do before the deal is signed and sealed.

You still need to decide whether the job is what you’re after,  so sit down with your Starbucks coffee to ponder a variety of factors including: the job itself, the company, the location, the working conditions, the salary, training and career development, and your own values and needs.

Remember:

• In the present climate (if it’s not stating the obvious) jobs are in short supply and good jobs are even shorter. If it’s not quite what you were after you may opt for the one that will  ‘do-for-now’ in order to get back into the market, earn money and gain experience. Few people find their ideal job (if they know what it is) straightaway

• Every job can open unexpected doors into other career options and provide you with a valuable network of contacts as well as new skills;

• If you find that the job doesn’t quite suit you, discuss the issue with your manager or the HR department to try and resolve it. If it cannot be resolved you can leave giving the appropriate period of notice. In an ideal world it is in no one’s interest for you to stick with a job that you are really unhappy in. Depending on your circumstances, (money?) if you can’t land another job immediately you may have to keep the job until another is found.

Accepting an offer
If you decide to accept an offer, phone the employer to state your acceptance and follow this confirming this in writing stating that you agree to the terms and conditions of employment as outlined. Your reply constitutes an important part of your contract of employment so keep a copy filed away with the offer letter.

When your offer of employment is confirmed, you should immediately decline any other job offers or invitations to interview and inform any intermediary (Recruitment Agent) working on your behalf.

Declining an offer
Think carefully before deciding to reject an offer. Give yourself time to weigh up the pros and cons.

Send a written response as soon as possible to the person who sent the offer, so that the employer has time to offer the job to an alternative candidate.  Be sure to thank them and give your reasons for declining it, if you feel confident in doing so.

Such an approach will reflect well on you and brings the matter to a suitable closure. Be polite, you might be back in touch with them one day.

Some unemployment stats

According to a recent study, the number of people out of work for longer than two years has soared to more than 400,000, the highest figure since 1997 – the total has more than doubled since the recession in 2008.

Of the 100,000 people over 50 who lost their jobs at the start of the economic crisis, (100,000!) many are now running the risk of being forced to retire earlier than they planned, and with a lower/ possibly much reduced pension.
It doesn’t look any rosier for the younger element either! The number of 18 to 24-year-olds who have been jobless for more than two years has almost trebled since 2008, from 36,000 to 95,000. Frightening statistics for any reader to accept.

When employers take on more workers they will (no doubt) offer the lowest they can get away with, and surprise surprise, that includes all age groups, not just teenagers and not just over 50s.
At the lowest end of the pay scale, the likelihood is that the lowest paid jobs will go to those who are frankly the most desperate for money and a job. (Not just Eastern Europeans) They’ll possibly also be required to work longer hours, with increased responsibility and of course will be expendable.

But, the tide will turn… When the job market improves, disgruntled staff will eventually move on to better jobs. Unfair bosses will see their workforce temporarily depleted and the jobless thousands of today will see the emergence of more jobs offering genuine opportunities…

Where are they now?

Over four glorious years have now passed since redundancy and I still spare the occasional thought for some of my ex colleagues.

I wonder where are they now? What they’re doing and whether they’re happy. Unfortunately as we’ve gone our separate ways not much contact remains. Hardly surprising I guess.

Through the grapevine I’ve heard that a handful have set up their own design agency, Milly is offering creative writing and strategic thinking, Dan is working in a print shop, Simon is producing wedding videos, Dale is a selling solar panels (does the sun really shine in the UK?) and of course there is yours truly doing what I do. (A bit of everything)

There would be no surprise if I one day found out that others of my former colleagues have either emigrated, started a beauty parlour in Marbella or decided on early retirement. Good luck to them, one and all…

How many times?

How many times have you, when job hunting received a message similar to ‘Unfortunately you have not met the full criteria for this role and therefore shall not be shortlisted’. or ‘We have decided not to continue with your application for this role’.

Some of the above messages are auto generated of course as ‘possible employers’ and recruitment agents like their standard messages rather than the personal touch.

It can be useful to find the reasons behind our unsuccessful failure, so we can adjust our applications or take remedial action but this is rare. How many are going to be honest with us anyway and say it’s because they want a younger model or don’t want to have to pay for experienced workers?

This causes irritation and is disappointing of course, but are we fooling ourselves if we deny these forms of (age) discrimination exists in the job market? Our response in such situations should be resolute, to press on and not give up, ever hopeful that our turn will come…

JU5T WED

The Royal Wedding day for me (a commoner) started about 8am as the TV commentators started their trawl through the expected events of the day. As they began to introduce various dignitaries who’d obviously got up incredibly early in order to take their places at the Abbey, I ate my way through my Oat flakes topped with bananas and raisins.

At the appointed time our tele was switched off and we made our way round to friends to watch the event on their TV. Not being a great party goer myself, I was gently eased into the day with more BarBQ food, plus our very own Wedding Kate, er Cake) a glass or two of Champers and plenty of laughs and smiles. For the strenuous amongst us, there was the challenge of Croquet with its hoops and mallets. A particularly difficult sport but in my opinion.

Even though the Wedding Service itself started at 11am all eyes were on stalks as they strained to gain their first glimpse of that Wedding Dress. It was truely stunning, and everyone at our Party was equally impressed, the next oohs and aahs were reserved for Pippa as she followed her sister onto the red carpet. As one Party goer exclaimed, ‘No VPL!’ Indeed, the rear view of Ms Middleton and her shapely figure was another treat that will stay in the memory for some time to come.

As events in London unravelled and Will married his stunning Bride Kate Middleton to the tumultuous applause of earths inhabitants (or there abouts) the newspaper hacks were surely conjuring up headlines for the next editions. Who can forget the photos and video footage of the cartwheeling clergyman, that stunning dress designed by Sarah Burton or the opportunity offered by one Tabloid paper to vote on who is the ‘hottest’, Kate or her sister Pippa? Mmm. Need to think about that.

For me, the highlights of the day were being with friends once again, joining the celebrations in our own way, and seeing the happy couple drive away from Buck Palace in a classic open-top Aston Martin….

JU5T WED

A cracking Easter

We always celebrate Easter, and where better than in church before meeting up with family members at Uncle P’s, for a BarBQ. The weather was wonderful, or rather it was blistering hot, Over the course of the afternoon we joined in wishing all Happy Easter, Grandma a Happy Birthday and us a Happy Anniversary (our Twelfth).

But the afternoon wasn’t to be all booze and burgers whilst sitting in the shade. There was chicken, bangers, cake, pavlovas with raspberries and salad for the the figure conscious.

Four of the nephews started to play football but the flower beds were in clear and present danger of becoming flat beds so the keepy-uppys and other soccer skills (after a short stand off with the grown ups) were stopped.

Not to be deterred, within a couple of hours of eating Birthday cake and the family time over, my son reached a compromise with his dad and his skills were back in evidence at the local park. Dead flowers were quickly forgotten. Sadly my efforts at acting the cool dad in goal were somewhat short-lived when I pulled up in agony on the goal line.

Some fool about a hundred of years earlier had planted a tree adjacent to my goal line and forgotten to bury the roots. When taking a swipe at clearing a shot on goal, my body juddered as my foot connected with the aforementioned root system…

I have since been assured by my son that he thought I was simply taking my time to do up my laces, and my strange gesticulations and yelps were somehow normal. The truth was I was gingerly counting my toes and checking for broken bits before reassembling my footwear. Not good.

Even though no bones are obviously broken, I’ve decided that this forthcoming weekend I will make it easy on myself… We’re joining friends to celebrate a Royal Wedding this Friday, and then there’s another family BarBQ, on Sunday afternoon… Should be fun.

Footnote: As luck would have it, the football involved in the above incident has since suffered a partial deflation and a replacement suitable for use in wide open spaces has now been purchased.

Phew!

Fernando Torres scored his first goal since making his much publicised move to Chelsea this very afternoon. There was much relief all round Stamford Bridge and in CFC fanland as the news was broadcast. Hammers fans might not be so impressed, the goal came against their team.

Maybe now everyone will get off Fernandos back about the ridiculous price tag that was on his transfer. Well done to the boys in blue.

Now he’s broken his duck… more goals of the same wouldn’t come amiss…

Ready Steady Go / CRE Sandown / CRE Telford

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Ready Steady Go is the theme of the CRE Exhibition at Sandown 2011 and Telford 2011 and this year the organisers claim that ‘Possibly everything you require will be available at this unique resource exhibition’.

That is, with one HUGE exception at least. WorkHope won’t be there! I can’t afford it, although I might be tempted to stand in the Car Park and give out the odd advertising flyer whilst dressed up as an ‘Unemployed’ person…

I jest…  All is not lost,,, you can follow my ramblings, encouragements and real life traumas associated with being made redundant and how (so far) I have survived it, on this very blog. More importantly others facing job loss or redundancy might find this stuff useful. If you do get to attend CRE, great. But that’s no reason to quit browsing now.

I won’t claim to be able to get you (or your friend) back into employment at the flick of a switch, but I hope that in parts at least should be equally entertaining as some of those late night Sci-fi TV movie offerings such as Rabid Frogs of Doom, Anaconda 999 or Destination Hornets Nest.

(Oh yes, you can search by topic to the right of this message)

If you are keen to get an abridged copy of this in handy book format… or you publish handy little books of relevance = do get in touch, I want to share the love with others struggling with real life issues associated with losing employment.

If you’re not sure where to start, how about here:-

Now What? (Sept 2007)

D Day (June 2007)

Signing On – My first time…

Dress to Impress?

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