| Career Development And Change Advice Blog |
| Career Advice, Job Search, Redundancy and Career Change |
A large number of the people who come to see me to discuss a career change express an interest in setting up their own business. Sometimes it is a driving passion, at other times it is just a thought. But given the actual number of people in this country who do run their own business, the proportion of the population who are interested in so doing strikes me as very high. I have often wondered why this should be. (more…)
There is nobody with a job in one sixth of all homes. That figure is likely to increase over the next few months. If you are one the many unemployed, what can you do short of waiting for things to improve? (more…)
Is this a good time to start a business? The Institute of Chartered Accountants thinks so. They point out that the Walt Disney Corporation, Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft all stasrted during an economic downturn, and it considers that the current recession is an opportunity for business growth. Which it may well be. But just because it was the right time for them, it does not necessarily mean that it is the right time for you! (more…)
There are reports that some companies who outsourced their manufacturing processes to China are thinking of moving their operations back to England. It may be more expensive, but it will allow companies to get products on sale quicker and to have greater control over quality and stock levels.
The line of taxis stretched half a mile back from Paddington Station to Edgware Road on Friday afternoon, much of it in double file. How many cabs is that? Empty taxis, along with silent restaurants and deeply discounted holiday packages are amongst the best instant indicators of the depth and likely duration of a recession; they are all luxury services which consumers can shun because there is a cheaper alternative. And judging by the Paddington taxi queue this recession is going to last far longer and go much deeper before it ends. So where does that leave the job market, and those hunting for work? (more…)
‘Not every good businessman is a good presenter’ was how the MC concluded the corporate fund raising event that Career Energy attended last night. It had been a carousel of small businessmen (I mean men, no women brought their companies along) who were piching to a group of investors for funds. As career professionals we often advise clients on how to start a business, and we thought that the event would be instructive for us. It was. (more…)
According to the BBC, Vauxhall are to offer staff at their Ellesmere Port plant a nine month sabbatical from work, at 30% of their salary. It is an interesting alternative to the standard motor industry response to depressed markets, which is to lay off people. It seems that Vauxhall’s rationale for this new approach is that they believe the new car market will pick up again, presumably within nine months, and when it does their workforce will be ready and waiting. But how does it feel from the worker’s point of view?
How do you get back into work when the job market has collapsed, the newspaper appointment pages are thin and the job boards contain nothing relevant? If nobody is going to give you the opportunity to earn money doing what you have always done then you have to earn money doing something else. The challenge is finding what it is. (more…)