Getting a job when you are an older worker – are you doing it the right way?

admin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 08:30:22 +0000

I wrote a blog a few weeks ago on the issue of finding work as an older worker. I thought I’d add to it in the light of recent client experiences.

I continue to see people in their 40’s and 50’s who have been struggling to get back in the work place following redundancy or want to change direction but don’t know how. Many are not getting any interviews and are wondering why this might be. I remain increasingly convinced that the solution lies in the unadvertised job market – and people need to have a proactive marketing plan something that many have not considered. Why I ask myself do they, religiously, rely on job boards and recruitment agencies as the principal and often the only strand of their job search? It never ceases to surprise me.

The answer is that in many cases they just do not know better and with this comes a complete, and surprising naivety about the job market today. They have always been told that job boards and agencies are where you should look when you are searching for a job. Another reason is that they are not prepared to take advice or be flexible and think broadly about the kind of role and organisation that they consider and the way in which they might work. This may be die to the “I know it all mentality” or the view that “I could always do it in the past when I needed to get a new job”. They are just too narrow in their thinking and in the way they look at their job strategy. A third factor is that they have not realised that the key to marketing at this age is networking and using their warm leads, or if they have then they are only playing lip service to it.

Several major issues are crystal clear to me and these I convey to clients during our initial meeting.

The job market is not only 85% unadvertised but with about 18 million CV’s on databases in the UK it is now a complete lottery! Why search for a job this way when 90% of people are doing the same?
Recruiters have no time to talk to you – to them you are purely a commodity – and your CV will very probably be lost in the Ethernet. It is therefore a numbers game with clients calling the shots. Clients are also very discerning about sector fit and remain conservative often preferring to offer the job to the candidate who has worked in their same sector rather than take a risk with someone who has more to offer but is new to that sector.
The world of work is still very largely ageist despite what HR Managers tell you. Many organsations still prefer to hire a younger person and train and hone them into their culture. They fail to appreciate the value or worth of experience and the qualities that older workers can and do bring.
The majority of jobs on job boards lie in the £30K and below bracket and only 15% sit in the £45K and above range.
Networking really does work provided you do it effectively. That means having a plan and framework to narrow down your contacts and connections to produce a list of people who will add real value to you and using Linkedin in a focused way.

So the answer has to be to focus on the unadvertised market, but what does this involve and what are the chances of success? I have blogged separately on the value of the hidden job market and I now work increasingly with people in this age group to give them innovative approaches and insights to their job and career search. These will significantly increase the return on their time and secure them more interviews where they are looking for another employed position. I have also introduced a different approach and way of increasing their chances of converting the interview into a job offer.

It may also be that the solution does not lie with an employed role and here my colleagues and I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to help them take a broader view to consider options for using their experience, skills and knowledge in a different way whilst meeting their main work life requirements.

I hope you find this blog interesting. If so, why not pass it on to a friend or colleague?

Job Market Statistics

admin — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 06:42:54 +0000

A recent major job board survey and report shows that the average numbers applying for every job has increased from 15 per job to a high level of 20 in the last year, and rising to over 50 for some vacancies. A the same time a strong fall in public sector jobs of 58% year on year has been revealed. This points to a very difficult job market, and slower resettlement of redundant employees could well be an expected outcome.

Meanwhile statistics showing the growing trend towards self-employment - starting a new business or moving to become a consultant, contract worker or interim – continues with one outplacement provider reporting 26% in January, 38% in March, and averaging for the quarter at 30% of their delegates choosing some form of self-employment route. At the same time figures for resettlement into an employed external role have dropped with that company showing a level below 50% for the first time a figures which they say reflects the high number taking the self-employed route that month.

Other interesting figures show that very few people seem to be taking up further training as their next career step with reported statistics highlighting a ateady pattern at under 5%. People moving to an internal role were reported at 6-8%, retiring 2-3% or taking a career break 4-5%.

Future blogs will give more information on patterns and trends in the job market.

One way to handle redundancy is to try fractional work

admin — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:26:41 +0000

A guest blog from my colleague Andrew Horder.

For many, the work that we really love falls into a very narrow band. So narrow that the only way to do that and nothing else is to work for a very very large business. And many of us just aren’t suited to surviving in really large companies. In fact, if the work that really lights you up is very specialised, it’s probably not even possible to make a full-time job doing just that in any company.

Traditional work’s answer to that is to give you some similar work to do as well. If you’re lucky, this “filler” work is stuff that you can at least manage to do with good heart. And more often than not, the makeweight work is stuff you really don’t enjoy at all. It might even be stuff you hate – but you have to do it, don’t you, to fill up your time.

Increasingly, companies are turning to fractional working to get specialist work done. I’d love to say they do that so that workers don’t have to do boring or undesirable (to them) filler tasks. In reality, it’s more a case of companies realising that they’re better off paying a little bit higher hourly rate for a shorter time for a real specialist in a task. They get a better result, and don’t need to pay a specialist rate for the mundane tasks that a junior could do. The result of that, of course, is to leave our specialist with only a part-time job – hardly ideal for them!

This is where you can take advantage of the situation. If any one employer only needs a part of your time (the part spent doing what you love), that means you have a part of your time available to do other stuff. If you’re lucky enough not to need a full-time salary, you can take that time and improve your work-life balance. In fact, if you really love the specialist work you do, your work-life balance is already fixed – it’s all enjoyable stuff. If, like most, you could really use a full-time salary, you can go and do your specialist work for somebody else, to make up your full-time hours.

And remember I said earlier that companies may well be prepared to pay an enhanced hourly rate for specialist work? It’s entirely possible that the rate you now get paid by each of your employers is higher than you were on before – so your full-time hours are paying more in total!

This article is an excerpt from TheBusyFool.com‘s upcoming new ebook “The A to Z of Loving Work”

What To Say On LinkedIn When You’ve Been Laid Off

admin — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 22:01:56 +0000

A recent article by Sandra A. VanGilder who is an executive coach with her own firm in New York caught my attention. Here is what she says. It is important for people recently made redundant. How true is this especially for many British people who do not like to blow their own trumpet!

“Many people who’ve been laid off feel like crawling in a hole, rather than broadcasting their new job status (or more accurately, lack-of job-status) to the world at large. But if you want to find another position, that’s precisely what you should do.

In the current economy, with so many talented people being let go, there is “absolutely no shame whatsoever” in clearly indicating that you are out of work,” she says. “You exude confidence by not being ashamed that you’re between jobs.”

Linkedin which functions as an electronic CV, is a valuable tool to help you spread the word.

Until they are laid off, some people either don’t know how to use LinkedIn, or have a very basic presence on the site, Perhaps they think of it as a job search tool (a mistaken assumption) and either aren’t looking or don’t want their boss to think they are. Others are too busy.

Move up Move down

Three years ago senior people thought LinkedIn was for lower-level employees. Now everybody is connected and checking each other out. Often, the first thing people do when they are asked to interview someone – or even just network – is to look the person up on LinkedIn.

If you suddenly find yourself out of work, develop a “robust, 100% complete LinkedIn profile. This site is so user-friendly that even new users ought to be able to find their way. Those who need guidance can rely on LinkedIn’s online tutorial or enlist help from an experienced friend or an enthusiastic IT minded teenager.

In creating a new profile or editing your current one, be very public about the fact that you’re looking for new opportunities. These are some things you must address as you find your way though the key sections of the LinkedIn template:

Professional Headline

In this line, which goes under your name, give a generic description of what you do or a sample job title (for example, Chief Executive Officer, HR Manager). Label yourself as what you would like to be, rather than feeling limited by what your last job title was.

Current Position

As you’re now out of work, the “Current” heading should be deleted. Before you do that, cut and paste your previous company and job title into the “Past” section. Then click “edit” and “delete,” and make the “Current” heading disappear. Don’t be concerned that your job shows an end date. It’s very acceptable to be in between jobs.”

How to discover the right job?

admin — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:05:35 +0000

I read an article from a old Career Management colleague recently and it made sense.

Making an informed and objective choice for your next career move is a critical phase of any job search.

It is really worth spending time and effort in making sure that the decision is right. We all know people who walk into a new job and find themselves desperately unhappy after a few months. Over 50 per cent of the population don’t look forward to Monday morning because they are in the ‘wrong’ job for them.

Whether you are unemployed or in work and looking for change the question is how to ensure that the next job is the ‘right’ one. Your abilities, experience and qualifications will determine whether you can do a job, but they will not tell you whether you will enjoy doing it. Fulfilment in a job depends much more critically on your personality strengths, related weaknesses and transferable skills base. A successful career planning exercise must begin with a careful analysis of these factors.

To identify your personality strengths and transferable skills, ask yourself these questions and then, importantly, write down the answers:-

Which 10 work-related tasks do I do particularly well?
What are the personality strengths which make me good at them?
What do other people say I am good at and why?
What are my 10 most impressive achievements?
Which of my transferable skills were essential to each achievement?

If you look carefully at your answers you will see some common patterns emerging which are related to your personality and working style. Make the analysis as objective as possible by seeking feedback from other people. The more objective the assessment the more useful it is in identifying the functions, sectors and types of companies to which you are best suited.

Now do the exercise again and this time concentrate on what you are not good at. This will help to define areas to be avoided. Remember, though, that with correct guidance some weaknesses can be turned into strengths in a different working environment or job function.

With self-awareness exercises like these, whether done by yourself or by seeking professional guidance , you are more likely to make the right career move and career and work choices for the right reasons.

Considering a major change of career?

admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:45:29 +0000

If you’re considering a major change of career here are some essential questions to start to think about. Doing so will help organize your thoughts and feelings.

Ask yourself the following questions. Remember to answer carefully and honestly. This is for your guide only. Also, make sure you write your answers down. Putting abstract thoughts and feelings into words on paper can help you identify what’s really going on and it adds a tangible element to your reflection process.

What is it about my current career that isn’t working?
What does this new career or opportunity offer and provide that my current career doesn’t?
Why and how does this new career excite me?
How does this new career align with my core values?
What are the long-term opportunities associated with this new career?
What skills or resources will I need to take advantage of these long-term opportunities?
Who do I know who is already in this career and can give me an honest insider’s view and perspective?
Will my friends and family support this new career venture?
How long will it take to make a comfortable living in this new career?
Do I have the financial resources to make this new career work? If not, how can I get what I need to feel secure?
What obstacles and struggles can I predict in my transition to this new career?
What can I do now to minimize these potential struggles?
What specific experience do I hope to gain in this career move?
How will my previous experience help me in this new role?
Is this career move one step in a larger plan? If so, what does this new career need to provide in order to help me move forward?

If you need help in anwering these questions please call us on 0845 459 0035 or contact us on info@gatewaycareers.co.uk. Why not visit us on www.gatewaycareers.co.uk

Severing psychological contracts with employees: there must be a better way than this

admin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:04:19 +0000

I read a very good article the other day by Simon North of Position Ignition. It rings true in the world of employment today.

Psychological contracts start at the point at which an individual and an organisation begin their relationship.

Typically what happens is the individual is sold to by the organisation, is sold to by their future boss and the department and, ultimately, is sold the job. That whole process can take some time–sometimes months, often weeks. What the individual signs up to is not just the work but also the pay and benefits that go with it and so the rules of the game are what we expect: “This is how we do it round here”, “these are the hours we expect you to work and the clothing we expect you to wear” and so on.

It is well trodden ground and the processes that everyone utilises here need to be quite mature. But what if we find we don’t like it? On the one hand we have, for the individual, something akin to the FSA cooling off period. This may result in an employee not coming back, often because they’re unhappy, they can’t do it or they just decide they don’t want it. And on the other hand the organisation has its own probation period during which, as an employer, it sets the standards that it requires from its employees. These expectations can be tough or light depending on the employer.

Again the processes just described are quite mature and well accepted. Then what happens is that the employee and the organisation go off on an employment journey that can last for a short or for years. The experiences during that journey together can be good but not great, sometimes less good or, if not done right, awful. The psychological contract during this period might be changing for good or ill on quite a regular basis. If you work for one employer for a long time, the chances are you will have many bosses. The chances are you’ll change role quite often too and in these changes trying to provide a healthy psychological contract at a time of “recontracting” is fundamental to all parties.

What happens to many of us with increasing frequency is the looming cloud of organisational change, namely the requirement to downsize, which leads to redundancy and job losses. The psychological contract comes under direct attack as employers fail to support those affected by such restructuring. And in the case of downsizing, everybody is affected. But most of the attention is usually on those who are let go. Yet it is well known to us that those who stay need to be supported and looked after just as much.

These processes of organisational change are usually cost driven. And the costs are associated with the employment contracts and the inflexibility with which they are drawn up, making the uncoupling of an individual employee often quite hard and also quite expensive. So how possible is it to change the way things are? What could be saved by a different type of psychological contract that encourages more openness and transparency between the organisation and the individual employee?

The assumption that somebody is going to have a job forever–and it is forever now that the DRA has been lifted–is not just a false assumption but a toxic and unhealthy one. The assumption that an individual employee will know what to do if their job comes to an end is also unhealthy. What seems to be the case for so many organisations is that employers and individuals alike sleepwalk through these processes until at some point they are awoken by a deep dark cloud of organisational change that requires the severing of the contract.

There must be a different and better way than this.

First Testimonial for new 4 session Managing your Career Transition programme

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:23:41 +0000

I would like to recommend the services of Gateway Career Management Limited and particularly Peter Wilford. The four focused sessions provided a programme of supported self analysis to establish a new personal approach to the current recruitment market and to facilitate the career change I am wishing to undertake. The programme has enabled a new set of relevant CVs to be prepared, the development of a more challenging skills matrix, and a directional focus to my search for a new career.

I would add that I found the sessions that Peter facilitated were execellent and “homework of self assessment of true work values” an extremely positive exercise challenging self needs. Session venues were located to suit and were conducive to maximising the benefits of the whole process

Director

Career Tips: Your First 30 Days on the Job

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:32:25 +0000

Congratulations on your new job!

If you’re lucky, you may have a honeymoon of about a month to prove that you can perform and fit in. There is nothing worse than starting out on the wrong foot. Some of the most common job and work mistakes that I have seen include:

Misunderstanding the corporate culture
Not asking enough questions at the start
Failing to set goals for your first 90 days
Not following basic company rules
Lacking attention to detail
Not identifying the key stakeholders and building your business network
Making basic job-related errors through being over eager or keen to impress and not planning
Misinterpreting the job description
Failing to develop good relationships with immediate co-workers
Trying to change things too fast

Why not use this important time to construct your own framework for success in your new job. Some other tips to think about include:

Why not get yourself a mentor - you can choose either an internal or external mentor but the important point is to decide what you want from your mentor and make sure that you get the relationship right from your first meeting. We offer external mentoring support to people who are feeling lonely, insecure or uncertain in their new job and yet have to make an impact quickly – especially senior managers and directors where expectations on deliver are high.

Put in place your personal Development plan – why not set yourself development goals. You may need these if you are required to do CPD but it is good to understand where the gaps are between what is required in your new job and your skill set.

Develop your Linkedin profile- so often people disregard or forget about Linkedin when they are in employment but in reality this is a good time to think about building your network further and letting people know your new job status.

Revise your CV – yes, as soon as you are in a position to do so why not update your CV to reflect your new responsibilities. Once you have delivered a few early successes add these to your achievements. It will keep your CV fresh and also serve as a reminder that you are making progress – that in itself is a good way to keep your confidence levels high in the first few weeks.

Learn how to influence – the first few days are crucial to your success in the job. Why not identify your key internal and external key stakeholders and then think about how you need to work with them. Develop approaches to ensure that you maximise your key business relationships. It may be worth sharing this with your mentor who will know you and can therefore be impartial but objective having your best interests at heart.

We offer a First 90 Days programme to support people in these critical initial weeks and can tailor it around your precise requirements. For more details why not contact us at info@gatewaycareers.co.uk

How to begin Networking – Use Your Warm List

admin — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:15:55 +0000

I recently read a good article on Networking. Many of us are good at Networking but some find it difficult to use their network effectively as part of their Job Search activity. Why is this so? It might be a cultural issue – English people are often reluctant to ask for help of advice – or it might be that the whole concept of Networking is alien and just “Not for you”. Here are some pointers:

When you are searching for a job, apart from checking the advertisements in newspapers, internet and job boards, it is very helpful to ask for information from the people on your warm contact list.

People you know can provide you with up-to-date information on the company and position vacancies that are not posted on job boards or advertisements. At times when they cannot provide you information about the job that you are looking for, they may be able to refer you to a person that they know who might be able to tell you something about the job.

This is is a key part of networking. Networking is when you start using your warm list to get information or referrals to their other contacts. Many people are switched off by the thought of networking. Some think it is not a reliable source of information about the job. Others say networking is more difficult than following the leads on the advertisements that are posted in the newspaper, internet or ad boards.

I believe that despite such beliefs, networking is not that difficult to do. You may just have to contact or meet some people, and you can get valuable information that can help in your career search. Another point is that the people you meet belong to the same industry, they can provide you information about hiring that isn’t advertised and first-hand facts about the company.

What is you are already networking and you just don’t know it? When you have seen an advertsement in the paper posted by a company you know little of, why not you ask your friends if they know somebody who works for the company? In this way even if you are not attracted by the idea of networking, it is still essential when seeking a job. To make networking easier and more productive for you, here are some helpful tips.

Prepare your warm contact list

When you have prepared your initial warm contact list, it will be easier to select the people who you prefer to call first. These are the people who you think have some information about the job. They may be former employers, colleagues and members of the professional organization belonging to the same industry. They usually have first-hand, up-to-date and reliable information.

Calling a warm contact

When you call a warm contact, inform them that you are actively seeking a job. Ask them to let you know if they have heard of job openings you might be interested in. It is better to let them know what type of job you are looking for. And remember to leave your contact number with them, so they can get in touch with you if they hear of anything. It is also better if you can leave a copy of your CV with them so they can show or submit it to someone who will be able to help you in your job search.

Think about your strengths and what you have to offer before calling your contact

You warm contact may ask about your skills, experiences, abilities, interests, expectations and career goals. You should be able to talk about these openly and be able to describe what information you would like to have from your contact.

To help prepare, why not practice by drafting a script on what to say? In this way, you can spell out clearly what you would like to communicate to your warm contact.

Anticipate questions about yourself and practice answering questions about your previous job and what you can contribute to the company.

Ask for referrals

If your warm contact was not able to provide you information that will be helpful to your job search, ask them for the names of at least two people who they think will be able to help you. Get their contact number, and if possible, the time which they will be free to talk over the phone.

Contact referrals immediately

When your warm contact gives you referrals, they may even call this person to inform them that you will be asking for more information. Sometimes, the person you were referred to will be calling your warm contact. Therefore, it is important if possible to call your referrals within a few days after you have spoken with your warm contact.

When you make a call, introduce yourself and inform the person who has been referred you how you are related with the person who referred you. Be polite, but straightforward, in letting the person know what information you are seeking.

In summary. Networking really isn’t a difficult thing to do. It just needs plenty of practice and experience and with that you can maximize the benefits that you can get from networking and from your network.