Why Outplacement?

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One of the key services offered by Career Evolution is outplacement, so it is hardly surprising it is a topic we regularly refer to and write about. But unless you have been on the receiving end of outplacement or have commissioned it for someone else, it is entirely possible you don’t know exactly what it is and how it can be beneficial to you.

Outplacement isn’t something that is ‘done’ to someone else, it is an important process that the recipient has to fully engage with to get the most out of it. In fact, your outplacement Consultant is going to make you work hard!

Time to refocus

If you are in the process of being made redundant it is easy to get lost in a negative mindset. However, one of the great benefits of outplacement is that it gives you an opportunity to really take a step back and think about what you really want to do next. It is an opportunity to refocus on your goals, as well as your wants and needs. You might be perfectly happy looking for a similar role in the same sector as the one you have been working in. Equally, you might be delighted to take a totally different path. Whichever it is, your Consultant will work with you to identify what you need to do to enable you to achieve your dream.

Up-to-date digitally and on paper

With all the recent coverage about skills shortages, it is natural to assume it will be easy to find your next role. But regardless of your experience, knowledge and transferable skills, it still takes work to find the right, next best move for you.  It is important that you commit your time to job hunting, and one of the most important things you need to do is ensure that your CV is up-to-date and your LinkedIn profile is an accurate reflection of your CV. At a senior level, you are likely to find that you will spend as much time, if not more, networking to find your next role rather than filling in application forms.

Don’t be disheartened

Whatever time of year it is, you will be competing against other people looking for that next career move too. However, having an outplacement Consultant working with you, will help ensure you stay focused and accountable, and that commitment to the search, will help you achieve the role that you want – and when you find it, they will continue to help you prepare for the interview and finalise your offer.

Time for change

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We all have a work persona, whether we acknowledge it or not. But with WFH so prevalent, it’s sometimes difficult to distinguish between your true self and your ‘work self’. The same is correct when it comes to making decisions about your career path and your future. Are you self-aware enough to identify where your future lies?  Are spending less time in the office, but working as many hours from home? Have you got a work-life balance that suits you? Or would it be beneficial for you to be in the office more?

WFH doesn’t suit everyone. Perhaps a move towards a more office-based culture would be a better fit. This is certainly true in creative industries, where collective thinking and collaboration are vital ingredients. And of course, not everyone has had a say in whether they work from home. If the balance isn’t suiting you, then perhaps it’s time for a change.

A fresh outlook

Don’t wait for a formal review to speak to your manager about your development. These conversations should be woven into formal and informal discussions throughout the year.  Discuss with your manager to ensure they are aware of your feelings and areas you would like to develop or change if possible.

However, if you are reviewing your career due to redundancy, don’t forget to ask your employer to fund outplacement. This will give you access to a professional Career Consultant to discuss and identify your options and how to achieve them. This might be in the same sector you occupy now, or it may be an allied industry – or a new area entirely. A Career Consultant will be able to identify aspects such as transferable skills, that can be deployed in an adjacent sector. They may also be able to steer you towards something you find more fulfilling or into a sector where the demand for new employees and thinking is high.

Taking control

Successful career management means taking control. The old notion of a career being a continued upward progression and of ‘jobs for life’ is one that doesn’t really sit with today’s workplace. People move around, roles and technology evolve, so sometimes you have to retrain just to keep up with modern working methods. Also, with remote working, the world’s literally your oyster when it comes to working locations. A Career Consultant can help you to identify what is most important to you, to prioritise your ambitions and analyse your skills. They can also look at aligning your goals with a work-life balance you would prefer – wherever you choose to work.

Speaking your language

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There is more to being a success at job interviews than simply having a good CV and the right skills. Whether you are attending an in-person interview or a remote one, you want to create the right impression and make sure your interviewer/s are impressed by your presence and personality. You want to be an appealing prospect, when it comes to someone they would want to work and collaborate with. Also important are the many verbal and nonverbal cues that are a result of body language in interviews.

Body language is how you hold yourself, your posture and demeanour, how you are subconsciously communicating with people and your ease with the environment around you. It’s what you say about yourself without speaking, if that makes sense. If you are naturally relaxed, even in stressful situations, you’re halfway there. Eye contact and a natural smile – not a pasted-on grin – are also big positives. But if you’re tapping your fingers, biting you nails or picking your nose, you might as well forget about whatever else you may offer your perspective employer. You are less likely to get the job.

Making a good impression

Here are some of my tips on how to be a natural interviewee. Try and make a good impression from the off. Think about what you’re going to wear beforehand and don’t wear something you’ve never worn before. Make sure you are comfortable – you don’t want to be distracted by a tight waistband or pinching shoes – but also smart. Be confident in your introductions and try to relax and be yourself. First impressions do count, so try to make a good one. 

Be natural

When you’re actually in the interview make eye contact and be responsive – nod that you’ve listened and understood, ask questions if given the opportunity, and make it a two-way conversation as far as the limitations of an interview allows. Be personable and likeable too and try to smile as part of your general demeanour. Sit up and don’t slouch and if possible don’t gesticulate too much. If you are someone who finds yourself waving your hands about when you speak, practice trying to reduce this. It’s okay up to a point, but can become distracting. Think about each question before responding and speak clearly and concisely, so the interviewer can hear your responses. Don’t mumble or speak too quickly, as this will feed into your own nervousness or even panic, if you get out of breath. And make sure you round things off nicely at the end of the interview – reinforce your enthusiasm for the role and your suitability for it.

Practice makes perfect

It’s a bit like public speaking. If you’re not naturally a relaxed person in this situation then the best thing you can do is practice. Get a friend or colleague to rehearse some questions with you and mock-up an interview situation. The more second-nature this becomes, the calmer you’ll be in the real situation. Get used to the sound of your own voice and how you can seem more confident by using a calm approach. Think about all the aspects I’ve outlined above – it will go towards making that next interview a whole lot easier.

 

Finding your balance

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Like so much in life, finding the right balance in work is so important. I was listening to ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ by Nirvana recently, and when Kurt Cobain sings the line, ‘I’m worse at what I do best’, it really struck a chord with me. My interpretation is that those things that we enjoy and do best can become out of balance and take over our lives. This got me thinking and relating it to the workplace. Do you find you are giving too much of yourself to work or spending too much time in the office? It is important that you recognise if you are, as this is no good for family life and it is vital that you maintain a decent work/life balance.

Time management

Your work is important, but so too is your life outside work. By spending too long stuck at your desk or focusing on work means that you might be missing out on important stuff with family or friends, outside of the work environment. Also, long hours don’t necessarily mean high performance. They might actually mean you are not focusing on what is most important. It is worth remembering that the important and urgent tasks need to be done with alacrity, but there are also the important but non-urgent jobs, which can be scheduled in for a convenient time. And don’t forget, there are also the non-urgent, non-important jobs that perhaps don’t actually need to be done at all – or possibly delegated to someone else in the team.

Learning to say no

It is an important skill to learn how to say no. This doesn’t need to be seen as rude or unhelpful. However, if you are too busy – or not the best person for the job – most people would rather you highlighted this, than take on something that someone else would be better doing. By saying no, but offering a better solution, not only are you not taking on unnecessary work, but you are solving a problem too.

Manage expectations

Where you do take on additional work, there is a lot of sense in outlining – realistically – when this can be completed by. By setting out what you can do by when, you are ensuring that you are providing clear information and people know the situation. If you can’t make a deadline without working until midnight, make sure you inform the person that asked you to do the work. This allows the opportunity to redistribute the work if necessary.

With the advent of remote working, it is all too easy for people to be putting in additional hours without the knowledge or support of their team. Even if you are enjoying it, it is important to make sure you have the support you need in place.

 

Asking for a friend: the importance of requesting LinkedIn recommendations

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I was recently delighted to receive an unsolicited recommendation on LinkedIn from a client whose programme is coming to an end. It is so gratifying when someone thinks so highly of the service you have provided, that without asking, they take the time to write a recommendation and post it on your LinkedIn profile.  Of course, people are generally very busy or it doesn’t even occur to them to leave a review or recommendation for you. Afterall, they have thanked you in person, and that is so much more important, isn’t it?

Thank you for the thank you

While, yes, it is great to be thanked at the end of a session or after a programme has been completed, but by this client going the extra mile and posting their recommendation on my profile, they have not only acknowledged the benefit of what I provided to them, but also endorsed my services to a much wider audience. This sort of public approval is gratifying but it is also highly beneficial to you, particularly if you are looking to change your job or role within the business you work in.

Do as I say…

However, it’s not just the ones that do this unsolicited that are happy to do this, many people are delighted to provide you with a recommendation for your LinkedIn profile, if you just ask them to. It can feel so incredibly awkward asking for a recommendation, but it really shouldn’t. I tell my clients all the time that they just need to reach out and ask for that glowing testimonial or recommendation, even though I am guilty of shying away from doing so myself!

Regardless of how awkward it makes you feel to ask, it is so important that you have these public declarations on your LinkedIn profile. With over 800 million users across 200 countries (according to LinkedIn Stats for 2022), LinkedIn is an incredibly powerful tool, with an extensive reach.

LinkedIn, Trip Advisor for work?

In addition, we are now living in an age when sites like Trip Advisor and Trust Pilot are visited before a decision on a new car, a meal out or even the purchase of a holiday or washing machine are made. Why should it be any different for someone looking to recruit – and where would they look other than LinkedIn?

Do something different

So, next time you have received a good service from someone or are impressed with the quality of the work that is being carried out, don’t wait to be asked, make someone’s day and leave them a positive recommendation on LinkedIn. You never know what a good service you are providing them in return.

Preparing for your interview – top tips for getting interview ready

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Like all aspects of the working environment over the last couple of years, interviews have changed due to circumstances. Not too long ago, the interview process would be predominantly an in-person affair, if the job was within travelling distance and visiting the premises was permitted. Interview preparation would consist of rehearsing your responses and making sure your appearance and demeanour would elicit the right reaction from your prospective employer.

Changing times

But interviews for jobs further afield – in other countries or sometimes on the other side of the world – have always relied on more remote methods. Due to the pandemic, social distancing and the rise of work from home, there are many more opportunities now for interviews to take place over the phone or onscreen over the internet, via such platforms as Skype or Zoom. It has also become much more commonplace for employees not to meet their work colleagues until much further down the line now, rather than in a training or induction period.

Achievements and ambitions

Whatever the media of communication, your preparation should be largely the same. Anyone preparing for an interview should be confident about who they are. Appearance and first impressions matter, so think about what you are going to wear – and how you will appear onscreen if the interview is remote, or in person, if you are attending a formal interview. If you are having an interview over the phone, it’s very difficult to create a fully-rounded impression of who you are. Sometimes however, phone interviews are ideal for complete impartiality when it comes to hiring new employees – without appearance, age, ethnicity or even name taken into account.

Make sure you are completely up-to-date with your CV and that it’s an accurate reflection of your abilities and career. Also ensure that you can talk knowledgeably and enthusiastically about your achievements and ambitions.  Don’t over-egg the enthusiasm or ambition, but be honest and define where you’d like to see yourself in the future. Think about how you can best phrase your responses.

Be prepared and be confident

Interviewees should have conviction in their abilities and play to their strength, whilst if they have to, also acknowledging their weaknesses. One of the curveballs thrown by interviewers these days is a question like: “Can you identify your weaknesses?”, with the stock, instinctive, usually untruthful reply being: “I don’t have any”. Being able to identify where you may have room for improvement isn’t doing yourself a disservice, but rather demonstrating self-awareness.

Experience and a broad range of interests beyond your chosen field of work are often as important as qualifications and ability. Being able to connect with people on different levels, across different subjects, will demonstrate that you are a great communicator. Talking  knowledgably about a range of subjects and with passion, can show an interviewer there is more you than your CV may indicate. It’s easier said than done, but try not to be too nervous and try to answer any questions as succinctly as possible. If you are uncertain how your responses sound, record your voice and listen to what phrases work best for you.

All this preparation will go towards making sure you give your interviewer a fully-rounded snapshot of your personality and abilities – and your best shot at landing the role.

 

The importance of trust

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Trust is present is all aspects of our lives. From the purchases we make online, to the people we share our workspaces with, to the professionals who care for and educate our children, we put trust in people on a daily basis. As Career Consultants, we are entrusted with peoples’ career choices – and they put trust in us to deliver the best outcomes for them. For example, Career Consultants are given a trusted role when asked to support an employee with outplacement and it’s essential that we render results that will make a difference. So, in my latest blog, I’m considering what ingredients make a good outplacement consultant?

A broad skillset

As a Career Consultant, it’s important to consider what are the attributes that will make a success of the role. What aspects of my personality are strengths in my role and which are less so. When I think about my own experiences of being a Consultant, I think I have a broad skillset that stands me in good stead when it comes to interacting and assessing people. I need the balance of empathy and knowledge, experience and intuition, so that I can find out and ascertain what makes my clients tick.

When I work with people, I always have their best interests at heart. I personally place great emphasis on one-to-one support, either on Teams/Zoom or in-person where possible. To enable our clients to handle change effectively, I must be able to identify their key strengths and values, as well as their core skills and attributes. In this way, I can guide my clients through the outplacement process.

Putting myself in your shoes

I also put a lot of myself into the process, so that aspects such as empathy and knowledge are used by me as well. It’s also important, I think, to have interests outside work – such as reading, sports, travelling or walking – so you can relate to clients on other levels too. I find that being able to talk knowledgeably about a range of subjects will make them relax and aid the process of me ‘getting to know’ them – and the real them, not just the ‘work’ or ‘public’ persona.

My colleagues have different sets of skills to me, which provides an even broader range of options for clients. My colleagues and I will ensure that the type of personality required is matched to their client’s needs. We provide friendly face-to-face consultancy support and my own personality very much goes into my work persona. There’s no mask or facade when talking to clients. Although we also provide email and telephone support, the interpersonal skills important in a one-to-one situation are very much to the fore. In this way, rapport and trust are built in the relationship, and confidence is built.

As Career Consultants, we make a strong commitment to our clients. We put our trust in them too, which will reap rewards in the long run. Ultimately the only person who can find a new role is the client themselves. But it’s my job to guide them in any way I can, by using my experience and rationale, to define their ambitions and identify their career path.

WELCOME TO OUR LATEST VLOG

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Welcome to the latest vlog from Career Evolution!

We are continuing to share weekly advice and updates from the industry on outplacement, career management, and coaching.

In our latest vlog, our director, Sue Thomas, rounds up some of our posts from January/February, after returning from the Caribbean she focusses on our blog ‘What does ‘working from anywhere’ mean to you’. You must ensure you have holiday time as well as working. You can put down the laptop, your business is in good hands. There’s so much more to this platform than job searching.

Watch the video below:

The power of LinkedIn in your job search

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Like so many aspects of daily life now, the internet plays a huge role in your job search. There are many elements to this, you might find the job you want to go for advertised online, and now in many cases you might even have your interview online, via a conferencing platform like Zoom or Teams. However, possibly the most useful part of your online job search is LinkedIn.  This powerful professional social medium allows easy access to networking as a key part not only of job search but continuing to communicate with like-minded people who you want to stay in contact with.  It can also use its algorithms to alert you to suitable roles for you to apply to online.

Connection almost 35 million people in the UK

Gone are the days when LinkedIn’s biggest role was to act as a glorified address book. Today it has become a hugely powerful and influential platform for many elements of working life. According to Statista, in September 2022, there were around 34.9 million LinkedIn users in the UK alone, which was up from 34.7 million in the previous month. LinkedIn user numbers have steadily grown throughout 2022 and the platform has witnessed a 17 percent growth in users since September 2020.

Keeping up-to-date with your industry

Users are using the platform to keep abreast of what their colleagues, partners and competitors are up to. Sourcing latest news and best practice from their industries and keeping in touch with their network. This is why it is such an important tool when it comes to job search. You never know who knows who, or who may be looking for someone to join their team.

To make the most of the potential job opportunities on LinkedIn, you need to make sure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date and shows you and your work achievements off in the best light. Make sure you are connected to your business contacts and engaging with their posts and comments online – showing interest and expertise. The platform has introduced new icons that you can easily add to your profile now if your business is hiring or if you are looking for work. These provide a quick visual check, but don’t forget, not everyone will want to use them.

Reaching out

You can use LinkedIn to speak to your connections directly too, rather than in the public forum. And if you are particularly interested in working for a certain company or in a certain sector, it is worth reaching out to people individually to see if you can have a chat. It’s amazing how many people are happy to have a conversation, and this softer approach can sometimes lead to solid offers of employment.

The power of LinkedIn – and the networks you develop on there – should never be underestimated. Spend some time on your profile today.

 

 

Minding your Ps and Qs

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Good manners are an aspect of life that people entirely take for granted. They are also noticed by many people by their absence. People who are gracious do it without really thinking. It’s politeness, it’s the done thing. You say ‘thank you’ when someone serves you in a shop, or gives you a present. You even thank someone when they make you a cuppa. So why not retain that level of thanks for the little things in life, such as the receipt of an email?

Manners matter

In this blog post I’m going to look at something I feel strongly about – the importance of saying thank you and acknowledging what people have done for you, however small. One of the most infuriating things for me is sending off emails (particularly if it’s an important piece of work, or a document) and being left in the dark as to whether the recipient has received it. You wonder if it’s been read and dealt with, when with the unreliability of technology, it’s probably fallen through the cracks and been lost in space – or rather spam or junk.

A simple thanks is all it takes to allow the sender to rest assured that it had landed. It takes seconds to send off a quick acknowledgement – there’s even an ‘autosuggestion’ reply, so you only have to select the reply you want to send.  It’s most worrying, I find, with emails that are time-sensitive. Is your request being acted on? Have they acknowledged that there’s a deadline in place and will soon be looming? It’s sometimes the case that when you follow up your email, they’ve never received it, or they have and are working on what’s required, without having the decency to let you know.

Acknowledging effort

It’s easy to say people don’t notice these things in their busy everyday lives. But some people are so pleased with a genuine thank you, that they will invariably say ‘thank you’ for the ‘thank you’. Part of the need to send a thank you is the importance of being appreciated – there’s nothing worse than feeling taken for granted. Being valued, having your effort acknowledged, is a great morale booster and also creates a great atmosphere at work. Little things like a quick thanks may seem trivial, but being polite also helps with the company’s profile as a whole. A good reputation in this area can lead on to recommendations, and the forging and establishing of future relationships.

In a formal public forum such as LinkedIn, contacts are much more inclined to be seen to be polite and courteous. Why not in all areas of their lives? It’s not something that can be taught, but you can encourage people to be a bit more aware of the issue. If you really want to know that your email has arrived, for example, ensure you include a simple prompt that requests a ‘receipt of message’ reply. When it comes to building a successful business, it’s all about the little details, of dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s. And you can add to that the good manners of minding your p’s and q’s.