Redundancy? Could it be you?

Unfortunately, many organisations are making people redundant or maybe doing so soon.

Do you think your organisation is likely to be one of them? 

If so, now is the time to put a plan in place.

What signs should you look for? 

Less work

There is less work to go around.

New Management / Leadership or Change Leadership

A new management and leadership team will want to make changes. They will want  to inspire  and guide the organization through a period of adaptation and change often involving a new vision, values, and strategies. You need to assess how you will fit in with this new management.

Re-organisation 

This can involve combining roles, changing job responsibilities or removing positions to improve efficiency, reduce costs or adapting to changing market conditions.

Hiring Freeze or Reduced Hiring Plans 

This is when an organisation stops hiring new employees. It is usually a temporary hold on recruitment. It can include freezing any new positions and not replacing any employees leaving the organisation.

A hiring freeze can be a full freeze, (no hiring at all) a partial freeze (usually no new positions but business essential roles will be filled) or department specific.

How long a hiring freeze lasts will depend on the reasons behind it.

Earnings Reports

These offer a snapshot of the company‘s current financial health.

Debt and Cash Flow Issues 

Cash flow problems occur when a business does not have enough cash to cover its liabilities. With cash outflows, businesses may struggle to pay debts and other expenses.

More frequent meetings/ communications from the leadership team.

Do any of these signs apply to you in your organisation?

If so, your job could be in danger.

What should you do now?

• Think about your career options
• Prepare an up-to-date CV and LinkedIn profile
• Start to put a job search plan together.

Would you like help for your next career move?

Then why not contact me, Alistair Stirling, an experienced, impartial, registered and qualified freelance careers adviser with a long history of working with many clients who want help with their careers. Alternatively you can book a Free 20 minute Discovery Call.

Alistair Stirling is a registered careers adviser with over 20 years’ experience of supporting people back into employment.

Book onlineCall  07904 614946Get in touch

A key document when job hunting is a Curriculum Vitae. This  will sell you in the best possible light to potential employers. 

What is the purpose of a CV?

The purpose of the CV is to get you an interview.  This then gives you the  chance to sell yourself to a prospective employer.

CV Top Tips

Employers can receive hundreds of CVs. They have to make quick decisions  about who to interview. Here are some tips to help you ensure your CV will stand out for all the right reasons.

• Research the company thoroughly before writing your CV. Read the job advertisement, job description and person specification carefully.
• Choose a CV style that is appropriate for your application.
• Ensure there are no spelling or grammatical errors and be clear and concise.
• Use headings, bullet points and white spacing to make it is easy for the reader.
• Use a clear font such as  Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri no smaller than size 11.
• Keep your CV to 2 sides of A4 unless you are applying for an academic, medical or creative role.
• Use keywords that have been used in the advertisement, job description and person specification
• Ask a friend or family member to  read through your finished CV.
• Always tailor your CV to the role for which you are applying.
• Always keep a backup copy
• Always send your CV with a covering email/letter.

What should your CV include?

Contact information

• Contact information should be at the top of your CV. It is also a good idea to have it on every page of your CV.
• Put your name at the top of the page - there is no need to add 'CV' or 'curriculum vitae',
• Telephone number which employers can reach you on during the working day. Have a professional voice message on your phone
• Email address - always use a professional sounding email address

Personal Profile

• This is about 80-100 words that sums up who you are and what you hope to do.  Think about the job you want and what the employer is looking for.

Key Skills

• We recommend that you have one master CV. For every job for which you wish to apply you need to tailor your CV to suit the job description/job advertisement and the company/organisation to which you are applying . If you are unsure then research different job profiles on the Internet to understand the skills you will need and the tasks you will be asked to undertake.  You will need to list 4 - 5 skills.

Education history

• Names of your qualifications, school, college or university where you studied, dates you attended
• Any recent training you have undertaken giving name of course, name of provider and dates you undertook the training

Work History Skills

This should be in reverse chronological order.

I.E. Begin with your most recent job first.  

You need to include:

• The employer details
• The job title
• Location
• The dates you worked there
• What you did there. Your achievements too and it is good to quantify these.
• It is important to include any work placements and volunteering.

When writing your work history, highlight your strengths and skills when describing things you have done. You should use active words for example:

• Organised
• Created
• Achieved
• Managed
• Planned

Hobbies and Interests

You need to show that you have interests outside of work. You can demonstrate the skills you have gained from your hobbies and interests.

This section of  your CV is particularly useful if you do not have much work experience.

References (you can just write available on request)

Layout

There are different CV styles. Use one that is going to match the jobs for which you are applying and stage you are at in your life or your career.

• Reverse Chronological or traditional CV. This lists your work and education history, starting with the most recent first
• Targeted or Skills-based CV. This focuses on your job-related skills and personal qualities
• Technical CV  This is used in professions like IT and engineering. It highlights the skills you have that are important in your industry/profession
• Creative CV  This is used in creative and digital arts and it can link to an online portfolio which contains video or info-graphics, or include digital tools that make you stand out from the crowd
• Academic CV  This CV is generally much longer than a chronological or targeted CV and is often used for teaching, research careers and those working in the medical field

Your CV should be no more than two pages long  unless it is an academic CV, medical CV or if it is a creative CV.

Stirling Careers Consultancy can help you with writing your CV.

For an initial free telephone consultation, please phone Alistair Stirling on

0790 461 4946 or e-mail  info@stirlingcareersconsultancy.co.uk

We look forward to hearing from you.

Alistair Stirling is a registered careers adviser with over 20 years’ experience of supporting people back into employment.

Book onlineCall  07904 614946Get in touch