Work Seekers Unite!

Prologue

A year ago, when I first began to write this Blog aimed toward offering some guidance and comfort to (generally) more mature work-seekers and career-changers, little did I know that I'd find myself re-sampling my own words of wisdom! Yet, last week on my first day back at work in 2013, I was unceremoniously deemed redundant due to the unwelcome demise of a major contract; very much a sad case of  "Happy New Year! Here's your 'P45' - don't slam the door on your way out!"

"Well, thanks kindly, Guv'nor!" was most definitely NOT the reply on the tip of my tongue as I faced him. There was nothing that I could do about it except beat a dignified retreat - but only after I'd soured HIS face by retorting, "It's just as well I've been putting out CVs and lining up interviews then, eh? I knew this was going to happen..."

His facial expression was an interesting mixture of both dismay and astonishment rolled into one as I turned to leave, my chin up and jaws clenched in defiance...and I wasn't kidding him! I had been sending out e-mails and letters, as I'd just had that feeling in my bones...

However - enough of my current challenges; I'll return to those toward the end of these Work-Seeker Blog entries, then we'll see what elements of my thoughts and past experiences have either worked again or failed, and to pass on those revisions to anyone who might like to learn from my refreshed 'lessons'. I sincerely hope that none of the following tips and pointers might appear even slightly 'patronising', but I thought it best to present this little collection as though to a class of "fresh students" with little or no knowledge of job-hunting...

Eyes down, then, and look in; here we go with some simple work-seeking hints and ideas, based upon my own past experiences - I hope it's useful to you!



Doom Looms!

If you're over 45 and you've either lost your job or you're about to - whether a long-term career or not - you'll probably experience a horrible, stomach-churning feeling of deep shock and total panic...

One moment you're like a canary in a cage - comfortable in your little world, feet firmly on a strong perch, protected from the outside world and singing your heart out with contentment...and all of a sudden that comfort zone vanishes as you're knocked off your perch; suddenly, you're lying on your back in a flurry of feathers, the cage door wide open, your security gone, the cat's paw sneaking in through the gap toward you...

In the real (human) world, your confidence is crushed, you're panic-stricken at the sudden downfall, even wondering where it all went wrong - possibly even feeling deeply, irrationally and unnecessarily ashamed - and much more terrifying, you're worried sick about how you're going to recover from the blow before bankruptcy and homelessness sets in.

It's much the same desperation for anyone in the same age bracket who has been unemployed for more than a few weeks - even months - as it sometimes seems to the older generations that too many employers turn away from 'mature' staff, seeming to favour younger, sharper minds over experienced, practical, steadfast workers. In some fields, this prejudice does hold an element of truth - but, wait! There is hope!

There are certain sectors in the employment market that are changing steadily but surely in your favour, as many prospective employers are turning to more 'adult' candidates for a whole host of reasons - principally, because the older generation have gone through the instability of youth and have mostly settled down from the typical "foot-loose" mentality of the "Grass Is Greener"-set. We - the 'middle-aged' reliable, steady pragmatists of the world - have become a sought-after commodity in the work-place: a stable, experienced workforce.

If you are in a situation now where you're out of work - short-term or long-term, or perhaps even post-family-raising - and you're keen to get back onto your feet, get a new job and rebuild your self-esteem, this "blog" is aimed at helping you beat those job-seeking blues by helping to direct your efforts toward confidence-building, learning to adapt to changing markets, and flexibility in approach. It can also help anyone who is suffering the unfortunate plight of long-term unemployment, just by refreshing thoughts and offering possibly untried ideas and methods. 

The opening few paragraphs in the next section skim through the first scary moments of loss, and there’s an item or two of advice on how to deal with that (and come out with your self-respect intact, if not smiling!), but if you’re already through that initial devastating episode and wondering what to do next, feel free to pass it by to the next section (though you never know - you may have need of the suggestions should the unthinkable recur, later…).

For anyone who has previously lost a job or two - no matter how long ago – some of the following text may seem like “teaching Granny to suck eggs” (though that should be “blow eggs”, truthfully!), but there may be something worthwhile for you, either as a refresher or perhaps a detail that you might not have considered before; it’s essentially all common-sense information based upon personal, first-hand experience – but ‘one-job’ career people may not have thought (or even known) about such elementary basics, and so may particularly benefit from the points raised.

Please, read on in the next section, and with luck and a little extra effort you should succeed...