Denise was a guest expert on The Tonight Programme - ITV1 at 8pm on Monday 17th November.

For the next 30 days the programme is accessible from the ITV web site.

http://www.itv.com/News/tonight/episodes/Howsafeisyourjob/default.html

I was on City Talk Radio this morning, talking about how the recession can have a personal impact on people. I talked on two areas.  What to do if you lose your job, and also the sorts of things you can do to keep your job, to help ensure you aren”t the first one to be made redundant.

These are available for download on the City Talk web site:

http://www.citytalk.fm/Article.asp?id=552594

and you can download them from here:

How to keep your job | If you lose your job

• Gives much more time to devote on job search

• Takes you away from a situation you aren’t happy with

But

• Stay put, it is easier to get another job when you are in a job

• Continue to do a good job in your work, but work smarter so you work your regular hours instead of long hours

• Get really clear on the sort of work you want to do – the research phase can take time, and you need to do it properly

• Commit yourself to job search of at least 2 hours a day. This includes looking on web sites, reviewing your CV and especially talking to people so they  know what you are looking for.  

I’m featured on an ITV1 programme tonight at 8pm.

How safe is your job? Tonight, Monday 17 November, 8pm on ITV1

The ITV web site says:

With unemployment rising, what are your chances of joining the dole queue by Christmas? And are there really 600,000 job vacancies in the UK, as the government claims?

More than 1,500 Brits are now losing their jobs daily.  Tonight asks how bad things are going to get. And reporter Fiona Foster investigates how British firms are fighting back as well as following two jobseekers on their journey to find work.

Featured on the programme is careers coach Denise Taylor who helps a business studies graduate to find a job. To discover more about Denise’s work, you can go to her websites:

http://www.jobsearchsupport.com/

http://www.amazingpeople.co.uk/

Faking your CV can have drastic consequences, so don’t be tempted.

I read in the paper that the boss of the Las Vegas casinos empire – MGM Mirage has stepped down as chief executive once errors in his CV were spotted. There was a story in his Wall Street Journal questioning the authenticity of his MBA qualification.

It might be tempting to make some changes but if you are spotted you’ll lose your job. So much better to be honest!

A client question:

I was hoping to get some careers advice. Since I’ve finished university I’ve been very confused about what I want to do.
 
I’ve researched around and I find HR very interesting and challenging. I’ve just started a post graduate diploma in personnel management . I find the course very interesting but everyone else has work expereince. I have got no background knowledge in the subject and am not sure if it’s the right choice. I’ve been looking for a job to gain experience in the field, but have had no luck. Every where I’ve applied for wants experience in HR!
 
I’m very confused with what to do and would like some guidance.

My response

Congratulations on graduating, whilst you may not want to directly choose a career based on your degree you will have many transferable skills and it might be worth taking the time to identify them. 

The current economic climate means that, if you are faced with redundancies in your organisation, providing employees with outplacement support is vital, says Denise Taylor. 

Outplacement is the process by which a company meets a duty of care to its employees facing redundancy. It helps people to come to terms with the shock of losing their job, to focus on what they want to do next and get them interview ready so they can get a new job, and maintain levels of self confidence through the inevitable rejection they are likely to face. 

Some people need to take the time to understand themselves, and to use this as an opportunity to consider career options. Other people may need to take time to talk through their feelings. Ongoing support and motivation is vital in helping people to find a new job, offering people just help with rewriting a CV is insufficient. There is a need to consider options, plan a strategy and get ready to present themselves well through all aspects of the application process.

This article has been published on the HR zone web site and you can access it here.

 A couple of times a month I get approached by people who are seeking to move into an occupational psychology career.

Some people ask specific questions and I’m very happy to answer them. 

I’m always pleased when people have looked at my web site, have addressed the letter to me and are referring to the aspects of occupational psychology I practice.

But others send out a general form letter - there is little evidence they have looked on my web site beyond capturing my email address and whilst my site clearly states who I am they send the letter to Dear Sir/ Madam.

There can also be a request for sponsorship to help them with their studies, and/or seeking work experience on aspects of psychology which is not a core part of my business.

The people I help are those who relate to my business, refer to me by name and tell me what interests them about carer development. 

So how does this help you?

If you are looking to get into a new work area identify people within companies that you want to talk with - write direct to them, tell them you will follow up with a phone call and do so. 

Make sure the letter shows you have done your research; you will then stand a stronger chance of success.

If you are not happy in your job, redundancy might seem like a great option.

But what are you going to do? With the recession there are less jobs available, and many good people looking for jobs. 

So first of all think carefully about the sort of work you want to do, getting coaching if needed.  You can then see how well you match up and how best to market yourself in your application.

Then find out how much your redundancy payment is likely to be. It could be anything from the statutory minimum to a years pay or more depending on length of service. Three months pay sounds great, but it could take you longer than that to get a job and you do need to eat and pay the bills. Find out what you are entitile to by using this link.

With the current economic climate you must be very careful before leaving a job, and if it pays reasonalby well, best to stay there until you have worked out a strategy for getting a new job.

I had a client enquiry the other day and in my follow up email I wrote about the need to have an effective marketing campaign.

I always think about job hunting as marketing. As a candidate you are the equivalent of a tin of beans, what makes you stand out from the rest? Why would a company want to take you on in preference to the 75 or more other people that have applied for the job.

Regardless about whether you are seeking a job in the private or public sector, you need to be clear on:

• what you have to offer - your strengths
• how to explain this in a way that a company can see how you clearly match with their requirements
• and to use an application that is a little bit different to the others.

It doesn’t matter how great you are, the company you are applying needs to know this.

Good luck in your job hunting and if you think I can help at all do get in touch.