People are not stupid. The vast majority of those who are interested in running their own business know that it is not a passport to instant wealth, that it demands a huge amount of time, that there are serious risks of failure and that it can be very stressful. So why the interest?

I think that first and foremost it is about autonomy. The idea of being in control of one’s own destiny is attractive, and is reinforced by an educational and social system which places an emphasis on personal responsibility. Of course business owners are not wholly in control, they are subject to the demands of the market, they are generally answerable to customers, banks and the tax authorities, to name but a few. But underlying all this is the sense that we are doing something of our own making, that we are responsible for our own decisions, that success or failure will be the result of our own work and will benefit us, not someone else.

Of course most people ultimately decide not to set up their own business. But the appeal of being in control lingers and needs to be addressed. A desire to be in control which is not fulfilled can lead to serious disillusionment, or worse. Which is why it is so important for anyone smitten by the self-employment bug to make sure that whatever they do, they remain in control of their career.

It is perfectly possible to work in an employed role and yet be in control of one’s career. Indeed, this is the ideal state. It means being clear about our ambitions and goals, having a plan for achieving them and ensuring that the plan is put into practice. Taking control of one’s employed career is a realistic alternative for the majority of people who consider, but decide against, running their own business. It is not difficult, it just requires structured planning.

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Looking for a job is a lonely process. But you don’t need to go through it on you your own. Job clubs are becoming increasingly popular. You might want to join a local one, or start one if none exist in your area. A job club is basically a peer support group; people get together to network, share information on job opportunities or help each other with CVs and interview preparation. They are motivational and those who attend do seem to get jobs more easily.

Or you might think about generating some extra income through the internet. You won’t make a fortune but there are various affiliate and reseller schemes that you can join if you set up a website. Basically you become an advertiser for other people’s products; the key is to be able to promote your website at very low cost, so that you get traffic and people buy through you. It might even be the start of a whole new career for you.

Or you may consider giving your time voluntarily to a local company that you respect and would like to work for. The idea of working for a commercial organisation for nothing is probably not attractive, but it does increase your chances of them offering you a job once things pick up. It’s worth thinking about.

You should also seriously consider coming to Career Energy. All the evidence is that those who seek professional career support find better jobs, sooner. It is an investment, it will pay for itself over and over, both in terms of earnings and job satisfaction.

Finally, stay physically fit. Job hunting is competitive. It requires energy and you need to be at the top of your game. Staying physically fit will help you to feel better about yourself – and that will make you a far more credible and attractive candidate.

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Starting a business is a major undertaking. It is not just that you need to have the right business idea, although the lack of a good idea is what holds many potential entrepreneurs back. You also need to be sure that you are prepared for the risks that necessarily come with any new business including, but not limited to, financial uncertainties. You need to have done your market research, and quality testing. If you are planning to set up on your own you need to be sure that you will be happy working without any colleagues. You need most of all to have a business brain.

But the real impediment to starting a business in a recession is the lack of a vibrant market. How long will it take until your product sells at a level which can support you? Yes, recessions bring opportunities and it may well be the right time for you to get into the market. But you will almost certainly need more money behind you than you would have needed in a more healthy economic environment.

Walt Disney Corporation, Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft may all have started off in a recession. But the economic graveyard is packed with the corpses of other businesses which started during a downturn, and failed. Our advice at Career Energy is that if you are entrepreneurial, have the right idea and believe you can make a go of it, this is a great time to start a business. But make sure you you are adequately funded.

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From a UK employment perspective, the more new jobs that are created the better. But it is not just that. Recessions bring opportunities and the possibility of manufacturing, albeit on a small scale, growing in the UK should stimulate anyone with an entrepreneurial approach.

Too frequently we meet people at Career Energy who want to start their own business but have no idea what to do. Suddenly a whole new area of possibilities have opened up.

Of course, starting your own business requires a lot more than just a good idea. You need to have the right risk profile, to be adept at managing staff, handling finance, understanding marketing and making sales, to name just a few qualities. All this needs to be assessed before you move into any form of self employment.

But the opportunity is there, and it is just one example of what a post-recession employment scenario might look like. The real lesson for anyone looking for a new career right now (or even thinking of a move) is that things are changing and the recession may well have given you a wider range of options than previously. Get in touch, and let’s help you find out.

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In the forthcoming Career Energy book ‘How To Get A Job In A Recession’ I stress the need for job seekers to create opportunities for themselves, at least in the short term. To find some sort of self employment, until your normal sector recovers. Cab driving is just one of those areas which people turn to for a short term opportunity; there are few barriers to entry and the prospects of earning decent money depend to a large extent on the number of hours you spend on the road. But cab driving is no longer an option in this recession. Which will make creating opportunitis for yourself even harder; it was never going to be easy, very little is at present.

But perhaps I am being too pessimisitic. A separate survey of 11,000 manufacturing firms by BDO Stoy Hayward reports a slight rise in short- and mid-term confidence as many accept the realities of the recession. They said the growth in optimism suggested action was being taken to adapt to the economic climate. A partner at the firm, said: “Companies are now adapting their business models for an uncertain future.”

Is this good news? Perhaps, but we need more. Maybe the taxis were there for a good reason. 5,000 fares might have been waiting at the head of the queue.

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There were some good presentations. People with good ideas who effectively and concisely communicated what their businesses did, who knew what they wanted from the evening and set out their pitch in such a way that it was attractive to investors.

And there were some dire presentations. One bloke spent most of his allotted time trying to get his laptop to show the picture he wanted, instead of talking to us. Not that we understood the picture when he did get it up. Another described his competitors in great detail but didn’t tell us what he did. A third apologised for his co-director not being there, ‘due to work commitments’! And what we learnt most of all was that the MC’s comment that a great businessman is not necessarily a great presenter has to be wrong.

The whole challenge of starting a new business, particularly if you have been in paid employment all your life, is discovering how to earn money at it. Which means you have to sell the concept to interested parties. OK, you might not be a natural sales person and you might decide to employ someone to sell your product to customers for you. But businesses are not just about products, they are about adding value and growth. Businesses grow through contacts, reputation and networks, particularly in the early stages. And you do need to be able to present your business well, whether to investors, the bank manager, at events and around the dinner table. So if you are not a natural communicator, then think about getting some training.

Starting a business can be the most exciting and empowering thing you have ever done. It can also bring you headaches, nightmares and worse. Market conditions are only a small factor in determining whether you will sink or swim. What really matters is how you see the business and how you communicate about it. Sorry Mr MC. But every good businessman must be able to present his business well.

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Although a nine month sabbatical is bound to be an attractive offer from a lifestyle perspective, it is unlikely that very many Vauxhall workers will be able to survive on just three tenths of their usual salary. After all, most people find it tough enough to survive on a full salary, let alone to  take a cut as large as this. So although there may be a few people who have enough money saved up to take a nine month career break, and to use the reduced Vauxhall salary as little more than pocket money, most people will need to find some other sort of income to keep them going during their sabbatical.

However, the chances of finding another job on Merseyside during the depths of recession are slim. And state benefits will presumably be restricted because they are still employed. So the only realistic way that a worker without savings could accept Vauxhall’s offer is if they have some sort of self employment, or their own business, in mind. In which case the offer could become quite an opportunity. They would have nine months to see if they can make a go of their own business, hopefully earning at least something to supplement the small income they get from Vauxhall. If the business takes off during that time then they can leave their Vauxhall career. If it fails they have a job to go back to in due course.

Vauxhall’s offer is unlikely to appeal to many of their workers. But for a few it could present a real opportunity. And if nothing else, it demonstrates a creative approach to the economic downturn that other companies might feel sufficiently challenged to match.

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It comes down to confidence. Knowing that you have options, and putting them into play. Which is where Career Energy’s unique personal career support can really help you.

An immediate option is to work for yourself. If you have a talent or a hobby that might be useful to other people, is there an opportunity for you to develop it into a small business? At least till things pick up again. For example you might be good at fixing something, or explaining how things are done, or making or designing something useful.

Alternatively, do you have outside interests that might open up new career paths for you? Is there a club that you belong to, or a charity you support that might benefit from your experience- even if you have never worked in that field before?

Or can you reinvent yourself? Are you really clear what skills you have and where they are best applied? If not, our career advisors will help you to identify them. Contact us for a confidential discussion. Because the chances are that there are many things that you can do, and just because the conventional job market has collapsed it doesn’t mean you cannot earn a living.

It all comes down to you having confidence in your own skills and your abilities, the bravery to take the first step towards a solution, and Career Energy’s professional support to help you get there.

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