Tag Archives: Unemployment

Danger Unemployment – skirmishes ahead!

Posted on 15 February 2012 | 2 Comments

Today we have a new update on Dave’s page – you can find it here.

It is now over nine months since Dave left the Civil Service and his wife, June,  is still waiting for him to find a “proper job”.

She would like him to be earning enough to give extra financial support to their grown up children and their families.

June has clear ideas for the kind of job she would like him to take.

She knows he is more relaxed now than when he was at work.  She had reason to be grateful that he was around at home when she broke her ankle and then her wrist.  But she thinks if he can find a “professional”  job locally they can have the best of both worlds.

Dave doesn’t agree.  He thinks the children should be independent by now and he is developing quite different ideas about how he wants to spend his time.

When we lose a job, the ramifications can be wide. Certainly it can mean big changes for close family and dependents.  In the present financial climate, parents do provide extra financial support to grown up children.  It hurts when you can no longer do it.

Most people don’t welcome an enforced  change in their life style.  Change of any kind is stressful and feelings of guilt and shame make things worse!

Loss of a job can mean a loss of status and that is hard to bear and not just for the person being made unemployed.

In times like this families need each other.  They need to share the grief and disappointment. Above all they need to talk to each other and to work out a future together, with support from coaches and counselors when they are available.

Now is the time to share feelings and anxieties and to work together.  There is a good future ahead but you need to help each other to find it.  Don’t let getting there tear you apart!


Wendy Mason is a Coach, Consultant and Blogger. She works with all kinds of people going through many different kinds of personal and career change, particularly those wanting to increase their confidence. If you would like support finding your way successfully through the career change maze, Wendy would like to work with you. Also you can find her Learn to Be Confident Program at this link. You can contact Wendy at wendymason@confidencecoach.me  or ring ++44 (0)2084610114

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Posted in Anger, Emotions

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Assessment Centres – how to do well!

Posted on 26 January 2012 | Leave a comment

My friend Jim has just got through to an assessment centre and I think he has done really well.  It is a job he really wants and I think he will do well in the role.

Clearly the recruiters think so too! Assessment centres cost money and you don’t usually call up candidates unless you think that from what you have seen on paper they could do well.

Now Jim has been to an assessment centre before so he knows the kind of thing to expect.  If you are not sure then there is lots of good advice at Prospects, The UK Government Graduate Career’s Website.  But Jim hasn’t been very successful in the past.
He knows I’ve set up assessment centres and acted as an assessor.  So he has asked me for a few top tips, so here is what I’ve told him.
  1. Be Yourself! My top tip is to understand that the assessors know what they are doing – they will be able to see through an act. Of course you should keep your wits about you and present yourself at your best but try to relax enough to let the real you shine through. It is a good idea to have a simple relaxation technique to practice during odd break. 
  2. Know the criteria. Usually, the assessors will be assessing you against a pre-defined list of qualities and competencies. For most public sector jobs you’ll know what these are before the event. In the private sector, openness can vary. But you should try to find out before the assessment centre.  If you applied through a recruitment consultancy they should be able to help. At the very least the job description will give an indication of the criteria you’re likely to be measured against.
  3. Manage your time carefully.  Many candidates at assessment centres fail to do themselves justice because they run out of time in exercises. Where you have to read a brief and then do an exercise afterwards, start by skim reading. After this there is a chance to go back and study important points more carefully once you have a feel for the overall objective and what you are required to do. Keep an eye on your watch and allocate your time carefully.
  4. Don’t put other candidates down. Remember you are being measured, not against other candidates, but against the criteria for the role.  Scoring points off others in group exercises doesn’t make you look good it just makes you look like a non-team player who scores points off others; that is not likely to make the assessors warm to you.  It would be unrealistic to say that you are not in competition but in this situation your best strategy is usually going to be to support, not to compete.
  5. Practice if you can.  It really help if you can run through possible exercises with someone you trust as preparation for the centre.  You will find some good information about the kinds of exercises you might face at this link. You will find organizations that offer paid-for practice on-line.
  6. Know what you are doing and show you are doing it. At the assessment centre listen carefully to all instruction and show you are listening through your body language.  If there is an opportunity to interact with the assessors – say at lunch time – then make the most of it.  But don’t be nuisance and certainly don’t hog the limelight.  You out to make an impression be memorable but make sure it is for the right reasons.
I’ve coached a number of people for assessment centres in the past so if you would like my help please get in touch.   





Wendy Mason works as a Coach, Consultant and Blogger. She works with all kinds of people going through many different kinds of personal and career change, particularly those wanting to increase their confidence

If you would like to work on developing your own confidence, Wendy offers the Wisewolf Learn to Be Confident Program at this link

You can contact Wendy at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com  or ring ++44 (0)2084610114

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Posted in Leaving the Public Sector

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Unemployment – looking after your mental health!

Posted on 19 January 2012 | Leave a comment
Depression (emotion )

Losing a job is one of the most difficult things we have to deal with in life.  It ranks right up there with losing someone you care for or going through divorce.

“It’s a serious fracture in one’s world view,” says Robert London, M.D., a staff psychiatrist at New York University’s Langone Medical Center. “It doesn’t matter if you’re an executive or a bus driver–your identity is very much wrapped up in your job. And to suddenly be without that identity can be devastating.”

That is why it can make you feel down in the first few weeks and seriously depressed if unemployment stretches over months.

It is all too easy to start believing that there must be something wrong with you personally or that you lack some vital characteristic that the rest of the world seems blessed with.

Sometimes you may not realise you are depressed.  You just want to sleep all the time, you don’t want to mix with other people and/or suddenly you start feeling mysterious aches and pains.

Now that you are depressed, of course, finding a job becomes even less likely and you may not feel you can make the effort.  If you do feel like this, then please do seek help from your doctor, coach or counsellor.

But how do you intervene before things become quite that bad?

Well, first, recognise the risk! Then, you need to take responsibility for looking after your own mental, as well as physical, health.

Being jobless can make you feel you have no control over your own life and that makes you feel insecure and unhappy.  So start to take control by giving yourself a set schedule for every day of the working week.

Make finding your new job your new job.  Set a time to start each day and make sure you are showered, dressed and in your new work space (allocate a space at home for this, if you don’t have a home office) by that time each day.

Work to a flexible but firm timetable for the day.  Explain that you will be working at home during the day to family and friends.

Each morning and evening allocate a time to check and revise your work-search “to do” list.  Make sure you build in some networking time – either by telephone, face to face or on social networks – social contact with others will be refreshing as well as part of your job search.

Make some time as well for your own personal development – are there new skills you would like or need to acquire?  The internet and your local library will help you to find free or at least inexpensive resources.

At the end of your working day, if you can, close the door on your working space or at least make it look different.  Then spend time with family and friends doing what you usually enjoy.

Resist the temptation to hole up in your house and wait for the world to come to you. As Dr London say “Isolation is a dangerous thing. When you live in your head, you ruminate and feed your depression,”

Try each day to find either something to be inspired by – nature is great for that – or something to laugh at.  Laughing at old comedy programs should probably available for us all as part of public health services.

Wendy Mason works as a Coach, Consultant and Blogger. She works with all kinds of people going through many different kinds of personal and career change, particularly those wanting to increase their confidence

If you would like to work on developing your own confidence, Wendy offers the Wisewolf Learn to Be Confident Program at this link

You can contact Wendy at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com  or ring ++44 (0)2084610114

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Posted in Health, Health care

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Tycoonwoman takes on the Abyss of Self Doubt

Posted on 14 December 2011 | Leave a comment
Simulated gravitational lensing (black hole go...

Ola Agbaimoni (Tycoonwoman) left the public sector a year ago after 25 years in local government.  She took the plunge, left and set up her own company, Leaders to Follow Ltd. She works with work with ambitious, heart centered

 women in their late 30s to mid 50s who are committed achieving their true potential. 

But like most people starting a new business she had some difficult times on the way. Below is something she wrote a few months ago – before she moved on to success.  It is a very good example of what the bad times can feel like. But if you want to succeed in business you just have to pick yourself up like Ola did, arm yourself with self belief and move forward.

“I’m still busy going to network meetings and talking to people, although perhaps not as many as my conversion projections would suggest.  In sales’ speak that means how many people you have to speak to before you convert one into some one prepared to pay you, well in this case me. I won’t scare you with the numbers and to be honest you only have to do it that way until you get people prepared to recommend you, nothing sells you better than personal recommendation. This is me looking on the bright side. However, I often find myself starring into the Abyss Of Self Doubt.

The Abyss of Self Doubt

I have no clients. Not a single one. No one is paying me for my services.  I have very clearly defined services and a fantastic elevator pitch to describe them. However, as yet they remain in my head because I have no leaflets and even though I have a web page it says UNDER CONSTRUCTION –a lot of help that is to potential clients!. It’s all going round and round in circles. I don’t want to produce my publicity without sorting out my branding and without publicity I won’t get any clients,  so I won’t earn any money and I won’t be able to pay someone to do my branding and without branding I can’t do my publicity …I think you get the drift.

I can’t get to grips with why I don’t seem able to move forward. What is really going on for me? I did think it was because I’m not used to doing my own administration, but clearly that is just an excuse. Something else is prevented me from moving forward with my business and making money.  I am not making any money at present (waling voice). Indeed I am not even spending money. So imagine my surprise when the HMRC sent me a VAT  bill. Yes a VAT bill!  When I already told them that I was not trading! When I already called and asked them if I needed to submit a VAT return for August as I was about to leave the country, AND as they had sent the notice so late, there was no time to respond before I left.

They said ‘no you don’t need to send in a VAT return. Your application missed the deadline and our system doesn’t show that one is due. We will send you a bill for the next quarter’.

I said ‘Are you sure? I don’t want you to write to me telling me that I should have sent you a return. Can you please put that on my records, so that if somebody else sees it they will know that you told me this?’

‘Yes’ said the very helpful (but as I discovered later) very ill informed person on the phone.

Clearly it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to deduce that it all ended in tears. With me having to quickly put in a VAT return, which basically said I have spent money on an IPad and have not made a single penny because I DON’T HAVE ANY CLIENTS!.  I DON’T HAVE ANY CLIENTS!.

I am finding it so hard to find clients. I’ve done the ‘Painless Selling’ training. According to this – there are opportunities to find clients everywhere! All you have to do is start a conversation with a complete stranger! Show them their pain and behold you have a client! Yeh right!!!.

In the first place I really don’t want every single conversation I have to be a sales pitch.  Definitely incongruence there – how can I be putting forward the philosophy that you have to be open and honest with people and come from a place of integrity, if I only ever talk to people because I’m trying to sell them something?

Anyway I have a deep aversion to sales people. As soon as I detect the sales pitch my guard goes up and I become completely defensive, horrible and nine times out of ten rude! The only thing I can think if is ‘GO AWAY!’ So if this is going to work for me (and I really want it to) I have to find another way.

I thought of talking to everyone I meet regardless of their client potential.  Every conversation would just be a conversation. A sharing formation rather than a sales pitch. But how much time do I have to do that? I worked out that I would have to speak to over 1200 people per month to get 20 clients wow. (Oops Just gave you the scary figures!) Clearly that isn’t doable! When would I have time to coach them?!.

Ok enough of the Abyss of self doubt. It really isn’t as bad as all that. I’m getting stuck into my networking via 4Networking  -‘ … the first joined-up national Networking organisation to let you decide where you go to meet like-minded business people, how often you go and how you can generate results for your business. They guaranteed 3 ten minute meetings at every event – up to 4 times a week – in nearly 200 linked breakfast groups’

I volunteered to be the group’s marketing assistant because you get your membership for half price and you can call any business you like and invite them to breakfast and then set up a meeting with them before anyone else can – what power. Takes the sting out of cold calling and I’ve already managed to find a business to trade coaching time for design skills.

So I shall leave on an optimistic note. The most powerful business tool I’ve discovered to date is self belief. With it you can get through the Abyss of self doubt and come out the other side more determined to succeed. Without it … I guess you just die in there! “

Tycoonwoman

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Posted in Business Start Up

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12 Tips for a Confident Interview

Posted on 2 December 2011 | Leave a comment







So many people I know and work with are going for job interviews.  I thought it would be useful to record some tips for approaching them with confidence.  


There lots of interview tips around but I think these are some of the best!

1.            Know the organization. Do your home work – find out as much as you can about the role, the organization, its needs and its challenges.  Find out what is going on in their sector.  How can your experience and knowledge give them an advantage? Look at their website and see what people are saying about them on the internet.  Research the company at your local library. If they are in the private sector who are their competitors?  Who are their customers? Go to the interview armed with knowledge of the organization you hope to join.

2.            Know what you bring! Review your skills and knowledge and be ready with examples of how you have used them.  What kind of person are you?  How will you bring value?

3.            Know your CV/resume. Review your past achievements and be ready to describe them in answer to questions.  Prepare and remember examples of your achievements.  Practice describing them.

4.            Know one of the first questions. You can almost bet on being asked: “Tell me about yourself”.  So have your “elevator pitch” ready. This is a short paragraph or two that describes who you are and what you can contribute.  Give it punch – make it interesting, informative, and memorable.  Practice delivering it at home with confidence and don’t rush. Approach it from the employer’s point of view. Ask yourself, “If I were hiring someone for this position, what would I want to know?”

5.            Be ready for follow up questions. Be ready for some tough questions about you experience and abilities. Think through what they might ask and then prepare positive responses.

6.            Prepare questions of your own. Employers expect you to be interested in them and to ask some questions about the organization.  Prepare some intelligent questions about the position, the company and the industry. Ask about the issues they are dealing with!  

7.            Visualize!  Imagine the entire interview, from start to finish. See yourself as performing with style and confidence. How will the interview end? Will you get a job offer or be called back for a second interview? How much salary do you want? What kind of benefits? Use your research and practice, practice, practice.  See yourself successful!

8.            Be punctual - arrive at least few minutes early. Allow extra time for traffic, parking and slow elevators. Then take a few moments out in the bathroom to check your appearance and to take some deep breaths.

9.            Dress for success and appropriate for the position you’re seeking and the organization.  Find out about dress code when you do your research.  Be clean and tidy with well ironed clothes and well polished shoes.

10.         Body Language and handshake. Stand straight! Move confidently and have a firm handshake. It does wonders for your confidence and theirs – again practice, practice, and practice! Make eye contact when you shake. Sit slightly forward in your chair and show you are enthusiastic and interested.  But don’t gush and remember to smile.

11.         Communication and listening skills. Listen carefully!  Ask questions if there is anything you do not understand and to show interest. Communicate clearly and stay positive. Never, never make negative statements about earlier jobs or employers-be diplomatic!  

12.         Write back! Send a thank-you note to the company recruiter after the interview.  Ask for feedback if you are unsuccessful – remember to ask them to keep you in mind for future openings.
  

Wendy Mason works as a Coach, Consultant and Writer. 

She works with all kinds of people going through many different kinds of personal and career change, particularly those;

  • looking for work
  • looking for promotion or newly promoted
  • moving between Public and Private Sectors
  • facing redundancy
  • moving into retirement
  • wanting to do a mid-life review

You can contact Wendy at wendymason@wisewolfconsulting.com  or ring ++44 (0)2084610114

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Posted in Boosting Self Confidence, Confidence, Interview technique

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