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Coping with Unemployment; Part 2/3 Success in the job market

31/7/2020

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As a result of the past few months, many will have lost their jobs or facing job uncertainty. Having worked in the mental health and employment industries for many years now, I would like to offer some thoughts to consider.

Should you treat your job search like a job?
I must be honest, having worked in the employment industry for over 20 years, I cringe when I hear people say this. I understand they are trying to be helpful, but it always sounds patronising. There are aspects of job search that take a lot of hours, there are other parts where there is a lot of initial work and then it is a case of ticking over.

Email address
Your email address should only reflect your name, not the team you support or your life view. Do not add your date of birth for security. Create another email for job search only if necessary. It does not take that long.

Social Media
LinkedIn is useful to register and promote yourself if you are a professional. There are also lots of jobs on there. However, an employer will search for you on social media websites to see what type of person you are like in real life, so be careful of what you upload; don’t slag off your former employer.

CV
Takes a lot of initial effort and is what one might call a living document; it should be tailored to every job one applies for. If an employer is not hooked within five seconds of reading, it will be discarded:
  • Don’t pay for a CV. There are plenty of excellent free websites
  • It is what the employer wants to read, not what you want to tell them
  • Never lie, you can get sacked at any time subsequently for misconduct
  • Never more than two pages unless your industry expects different (most don’t)
  • Do not put your date of birth, bank details or National Insurance number on it
  • Do not offer a photo, unless required by law
  • Make the layout as symmetrical as possible; studies show it is more pleasing to the eye, eg fully justify your text and centre your headings
  • Bullet points are best
  • Breakdown what you do in a job, get a colleague to help if necessary
  • If possible, ask a trusted colleague or friend to give honest feedback
  • Always add a cover letter that demonstrates how your CV reflects that particular job
  • Upload your CV to recruitment websites

Recruitment Websites
  • Sign up with the big recruitment sites and identify smaller sites which reflect your industry
  • First week, take your time going through the websites. Subsequent weeks, it will take you less than 30 minutes each day
  • Upload your CV onto the websites
  • The CV you have on the website is for employers to see, not to apply with
  • Do not simply click and apply with your CV. Tailor your CV to every job before you upload and submit

Application Forms
Large institutions use application forms because they have to demonstrate to shareholders or tax payers they adhere to certain corporate values. Application forms take a lot of time and effort; eg, an application form for a junior manager in the civil service should take 10 – 20 hours plus, over four to five days:
  • Read thoroughly all documents with the application form
  • Continually go back to the original documents
  • Use the buzz words in the literature that goes with the application
  • Competency based applications usually want a story for each competency with a readable start, middle and end
  • Make sure the story includes every marker (point) within the organisation’s competency framework
  • If possible, ask a trusted colleague or friend to give honest feedback

Useful websites
www.youtube.com
A wonderful resource for job interview techniques etc. It is very "American" at times but you will learn to sell yourself properly, which can be difficult for us Scots.

www.myworldofwork.co.uk
A fabulous resource for job interview techniques, creating your first ever CV etc. May feel a bit patronising because it is designed for 15 year olds, but I recommend it very much.

www.TED.com
Not for everyone, but like YouTube offers speeches in confidence and lifestyle.

www.indeed.com                        
The biggest recruitment website  
          
www.s1jobs.com                        
Hugely popular in Scotland

www.myjobscotland.gov.uk         
Public sector jobs in Scotland

www.goodmoves.com       
Third sector (charity & social enterprise) jobs in Scotland
           Third sector jobs in Scotland
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Coping with Unemployment; Part 1/3 Your emotional & psychological health

27/7/2020

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As a result of the past few months, many will have lost their jobs or be facing job uncertainty. Having worked in the mental health and employment industries for many years now, I would like to offer some thoughts to consider.

Why me?
There are many things in life which we can control; this is not one of them. There is nothing you can do about this. Yet many will feel a sense of responsibility, and anxiety. This is natural, but if allowed to fester can cause long-term issues.

There is always a part of us that feels anxious and scared, like a child. This may come to the fore in these circumstances. Be kind to yourself. Regularly talk with yourself, a trusted family member or friend. A client once told me she writes down negative statements about herself. I suggested that for every negative statement, she then writes a positive statement underneath. It can be about your skills, your achievements, or if you enjoyed a chat with a friend. It does not have to be written at the same moment. This helps balance the inevitable negative feelings you may be experiencing.

Keeping to a routine.
Keeping to a routine will help keep track of the day and your goals, and reflects the working day of your industry. Get up at your normal time for work, lunch at the same time etc. Try not to drink on a “school night”. Keep to a normal routine. If you have lapses, then that is okay. Start the next day with your original intention.

You may find it difficult to sleep. Mindfulness techniques can help. Go to bed fifteen minutes earlier than usual and listen to a mindfulness app. Do this at least four times per week. You can download free mindfulness apps on Google Play or Apple App Store.

Goals & confidence
Make your goals achievable and believe in your abilities. Do not set yourself up to fail. Confidence will be understandably low or at least brittle. Prepare for success but understand there may be rejection. Recruitment relies on more people losing out on an opportunity than being successful. This is not your fault.

If you feel your anxieties or bouts of low mood are too strong and for too long, contact your GP for support. It is not failure; it is taking care of yourself.

Many therapists will offer compelling reasons to invest in their type of therapy. Choose the therapy and therapist you feel speaks to you.

Useful Websites

NHS Scotland                 
https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/mental-health-services/how-to-access-mental-health-services/
Brothers in Arms
https://www.brothersinarmsscotland.co.uk/
LGBT Helpline Scotland                                
https://www.lgbthealth.org.uk/services-support/lgbt-mental-health/lgbt-helpline-scotland/
Maternal Mental Health Scotland
https://maternalmentalhealthscotland.org.uk/
Breathing Space                                            
https://breathingspace.scot/

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Back to life. Or at least back on a bus. Part 2 - Children

20/7/2020

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As we move towards the latter phases of social rules for quarantine, most of us are considering how we are going to get back to work and our children back to school. Here are some thoughts for supporting your children.
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Children up to and around the age of 12
It is reassuring to believe that children are resilient and get over things quickly. However, children are more complicated than this. They are intimately aware of what is going on around them, especially the reactions and feelings of their loved ones. They internalise and process this information before developing their own responses. These responses are the building blocks of a developing personality. Some therapists call this Attachment theory.
​
It may be helpful to regularly discuss what is going on without using alarming language. Be honest but reassuring; acknowledge the feelings they may have and do not dismiss them. Find out from the school, nursery and childcare the proposed process of how it plans to open and discuss this with your children so they can visualise what will happen. Include their travel arrangements. Humans need to feel safe and supported. Nothing gives greater reassurance than hugging your children.

Teenage children
Psychologists suggest that teenagers continue their psychological and emotional development but are not yet fully developed. They have the capacity to understand but perhaps not yet the life experience to support their considerations. Their behaviours can seem extreme or disengaged because their brains are developing at an accelerated pace. There are excellent websites to support teenagers understand anxiety, stress and depression and offer appropriate and safe support. Humans are family based social creatures. To be physically near is to feel safe.

Check in with your teenage children regularly even if they do not want to talk. Ask how they are feeling. Be honest about how you feel while remembering they are still children and emotionally vulnerable. They may not show it; however, their developing personalities will be exposed to a positive and secure environment. Offer and be willing to listen at any time in a non-judgemental way. Non-judgement does not mean non-boundaried. And of course, nothing gives greater reassurance than hugging your children. Teenagers can make this difficult, but at an important emotional level they will internalise and appreciate this display of love and safety.  
Many therapists will offer compelling reasons to invest in their type of therapy. Choose the therapy and therapist you feel speaks to you.
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Back to life. Or at least back on a bus. Part 1 - You

16/7/2020

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As we move towards the latter phases of quarantine, many of us are considering how we are going to feel safe outside. Here are some thoughts you may find helpful.

A Secure Base

For most, our home represents a place of safety, where we feel most comfortable. Unfortunately, this is not the case for all of us. However, even for those who feel unsafe, it takes an enormous amount of emotional and psychological energy to make a change especially if it feels dangerous. Some therapists call this our Secure Base; for better or worse it is the place we know and understand. The past few months have been emotionally traumatic. As a result, we may hold onto our secure base a little too tightly.

Most of us are creatures of habit. Once we have internalised beliefs and behaviours it becomes very difficult to change, even if we understand it may be for the better.

Life outside your home

Here are some thoughts for preparation:
  • Confirm with your employer what has changed in your workplace eg, there may no longer be communal items such as plates, cutlery etc
  • For shops, restaurants etc check their website to read about any changes to rules and layout
  • Plan your journey, especially if you are using public transport. Check your provider’s website for updates. You have made this journey many times before but this will be different
  • Pack for your journey and workday/shopping trip the night before. Make a list if it helps. It is okay to take too much. You will get used to what you need over the coming weeks, eg several face masks
  • Emotionally prepare that your journey may not go as planned. This is no-one’s fault, simply the nature of life for the foreseeable future
  • People may act ignorant and rude, and will ignore rules. Prepare to not get drawn into their drama
  • The organisation you work for may have an employee assistance programme with practical support
  • Seek advice from your union


There are excellent websites that can help. For long-term support, consider appropriate therapy. If you feel your anxieties or bouts of low mood are too strong and for too long, contact your GP for support. It is not failure; it is taking care of yourself.

Many therapists will offer compelling reasons to invest in their type of therapy. Choose the therapy and therapist you feel speaks to you.

Useful Websites
​

NHS Scotland
https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/mental-health
The Counselling Directory
www.counselling-directory.org.uk
LGBT Helpline Scotland                                  
https://www.lgbthealth.org.uk/services-support/lgbt-mental-health/lgbt-helpline-scotland/
Give Us a Shout     
www.giveusashout.org
Maternal Mental Health     
https://maternalmentalhealthscotland.org.uk/
LGBT Helpline Scotland                                  
https://www.lgbthealth.org.uk/services-support/lgbt-mental-health/lgbt-helpline-scotland/
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    Musings of a therapist.



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