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Monday, May 6th, 2013
What is Career Transition?
Career Transition is more often than not forced on individuals through the process of redundancy rather than making a conscious decision to make a change of career. No matter the reason, changing career should be seen positively because it can be a new beginning not only career wise but in life style as well.
How many of us actually sit down and plan our career? Many of us dream of what we would like to do but are uncertain about how we should go about it.
“Many people quit looking for a career once they find a job! However, if you find a career which you love, you will never have to work a day in your life”
Career transition is stimulating, challenging and rewarding, but it is also a journey. Arriving at the first goal is the starting point to another.
Public to Private Sector
“Career Transition” is a phrase that many people in the public sector will not have needed to use during their careers to date.
However over the next few years it will be a commonly used and understood by many as a description of a what they will be doing, whether that is due to voluntary or compulsory redundancy or driven by career ambition to change.
Career Transition to us at TCMO is an over arching process of moving jobs or careers from one clear area to another.
It’s a time of pitfalls and frustration, soul searching and challenges but for most, that plan well and are open minded, this leads to genuine and realistic results.
If, as the economic signals are telling us, the public sector continues to shrink and the private sector grows there will be a huge shift and need for career transition from one to the other.
The isn’t going to be an isolated activity and career transition should now be at the heart of all Change / HR / Organisational Development professionals agendas within the public sector. TCMO are Career Transition experts and can be used as facilitators, providers and advisors as individuals and teams map out their approach.
Career Transition from the Public to the Private isn’t something that should be left to the future, start planning know, take good advice and embrace it ….it may soon be a necessity.
How will professional career support help me?
People could handle their Career transitions themselves but unless carefully planned, it can be a very unsettling process. That is why an investment in your career is worth considering. Focus and planning are essential for a successful career transition along with perseverance. The road to successful transition is dotted with many tempting parking places, but with the support of companies such as TCMO, the door to opportunity will soon come along.
The key however, is the professional support which provides you with the confidence and motivation to go all the way. “Don’t be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated; you can’t cross a chasm in two small jumps” (David Lloyd George).
For career change to be successful firstly you need to look at your current working self i.e what you can do, how you do it, how it affects others and how you achieve your goals
Once you have worked this through think which of these areas are a ‘selling point’ to private sectors employers?
Compare your current role / job titles to private sector roles – what’s missing? You may find nothing; all you need is some quick professional advice and guidance in the right direction.
From experience the transition is tricky but very often successful, private sector employers now look for that ‘commercial’ edge in all their current or future employees.
Having the ‘commercial’ edge is something that historically has been badly presumed lacking in the public sector.
However, very simple to overcome, being confident in your professional abilities, knowing your transferring skills and being well researched is often all that’s needed. Getting professional Career advice is key to success.
Where do I find it and what do I look out for?
The definition of Outplacement is “The provision of assistance to laid off employees in finding new employment, either as a benefit provided by the employer directly or through a specialist source”
It may be found as well by searching for Career transition services.
Sounds simple enough, but shop around before selecting a provider and always make sure that the outplacement company follows a recognised Code of Practice such as that of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
So, what can you expect from an outplacement company? First of all, they should take you through a career assessment to identify your transferable skills with a view to exploring opportunities out with your current sector. Having done this, and with you in full agreement, attention should be given to creating a CV and covering letter which have an “impact”. The main purpose of the CV is to open the interview door, so this is a vital part of the service being provided. This also includes any other “marketing materials” which may be required.
Their Career consultants should be qualified and experienced.
Interview technique training is essential, especially for those who have not participated in an interview externally for quite some time. Mock interviews and video recorded interviews are all useful tools in preparing for the real thing. You only get one chance with the interview so preparation should be meticulous. “Fail to prepare – prepare to fail”
Job search campaigns need to be planned effectively. Use the “rifle and target opportunities” rather than using the “shotgun to blast everything in sight” A competent consultant will have a network of contacts and should be able to refer you to someone who may be able to identify suitable opportunities.
Networking is vital in any job search campaign. Beware of those outplacement companies who give little or no credence to this topic. The hidden job market or unadvertised job market emanates from networking.
Managing change which usually, but not always, leads to redundancy which in turn leads to outplacement, all very sensitive issues. It is also a time when personal emotions run high and the danger of the employee rejecting the offer of outplacement because of their anger at being laid off. Always accept the offer!
A reputable outplacement company, such as The Career Management Organisation Ltd, will provide solutions focused on the needs of the most affected, working sensitively to achieve a smooth transition into their next role.
Finally, a word of advice for those being laid off but not being offered support by an outplacement company. Approach your HR Dept and ask for career transition coaching. It can be part of a redundancy package or compromise agreement. The benefit to the company is in the public relations which it generates showing them as a caring employer. If the cost is invoiced to the company, they can recover the VAT something you as an individual can not do. Reputable outplacement companies, such as TCMO, will explore these options with you and if necessary approach HR on your behalf, which is another indication of the professional ethics associated with and indeed required when making your choice of outplacement companies.
Monday, May 6th, 2013
What is Outplacement?
Outplacement is the efforts made by a downsizing company to help former employees through the transition to new jobs and help them re-orient to the job market. A consultancy firm usually provides the outplacement services which are paid for by the former employer and are achieved through practical advice and psychological support.
Outplacement is either delivered through individual one-on-one sessions or in a group format by outplacement consultants.
Topics include career guidance, career evaluation, CV writing and interview preparation, developing networks, job search skills and targeting the job market. Individuals may be offered other services such as the use of an office and online tools.
The term outplacement was coined more than thirty years ago by the founder of a Chicago based career consultancy. With the increased rates of downsizing, rightsizing, redundancies and lay offs, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s, businesses increasingly found a need for some form of assistance in reducing the trauma of redundancy for both departing employees and those who remain. Indeed, research shows that losing one’s job is one of the most stressful experiences a person can face, ranked third behind death and divorce.
Outplacement companies can also provide counseling support for individuals who have not been offered those services through their employer, but choose, on their own, to pay an outplacement or “career management” service to provide the same assistance. Since the client of outplacement firms, is the individual or firm that pays the fee, the individual who elects to contract with an outplacement firm on their own, may often receive more one-on-one time, and more individualized attention, than is usually offered when the company hire the Outplacement providers
Outplacement Companies Coaching for Executives
Executive coachingis designed to help facilitate professional and personal development to the point of individual growth and improved performance. Coaches need to have a strong understanding of individual differences in a work place as well as the ability to adapt their coaching style or strategies. It is suggested that those coaches who are unable to acknowledge these differences will do more harm than good. Many executive coaches have a specific area of expertise: Executive outplacement;
Sports; business or psychology. Regardless of specific area of focus, coaches still need to be aware of motivational needs and cultural differences and may be provided as part of an Executive search plan.
Executive coaches work their clients towards specific professional goals. These include career transition, interpersonal and professional communication, performance management, organizational effectiveness, managing career and personal changes, developing executive presence, enhancing strategic thinking, dealing effectively with conflict, and building an effective team within an organization
Expat and global Executive coaching deals specifically with the unique set of challenges created from crossing cultures following an international or domestic relocation. This niche of coaching tends to center around adapting to a new culture, identity issues created within relocating families, difficulties attaining professional goals amidst a changing political and social structure, and other social and personal hurdles unique to each individual. This method of coaching is either individual, or group-based and helps the client gain fulfillment, success and a sense of identity in the areas that are coached.
Coaching for Businesses
Business coaching is a type of personal or human resource development. It provides positive support, feedback and advice to an individual or group basis to improve their personal effectiveness in the business setting. Business coaching includes executive coaching, corporate coaching and leadership coaching.
The Professional Business Coach Alliance, The International Coach Federation, the International Coaching Council and the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches provide a membership-based association for business coaching professionals. These and other organizations train professionals to offer business coaching to business owners. According to a US report, business coaching is one of the fastest growing industries in the world and business coaches of high quality are very sought after.
There are almost as many different ways of delivering business coaching as there are business coaches. Some offer personal support and feedback, others combine a coaching approach with practical and structured business planning and bring a disciplined accountability to the relationship. Particularly in the corporate coaching market ,business coaching is as much about driving profit as it is about developing the person.
Business coaching is not the same as mentoring. Mentoring involves a developmental relationship between a more experienced “mentor” and a less experienced partner, and typically involves sharing of advice. A business coach can act as a mentor given that he or she has adequate expertise and experience. However, mentoring is not a form of business coaching.
Outplacement for Businesses
Outplacement support is not a practice restricted to external experts or providers. Many organizations expect their HR teams to coach their team members by internally providing Outplacement services
If this is to be done effectively then business coaching for HR teams will need to take place prior to the Outplacement service starting internally.
The credibility of a business and its HR team is at risk by providing un credible coaching to already frustrated or disengaged staff.
TCMO provide support in all the areas discussed here and will provide case studies and testimonials to support this for both corporate and individual clients.
Monday, May 6th, 2013
It’s often been said that one of the most effective ways of grabbing someone’s attention is to ask for their advice; essentially, it appeals to their ego: “Mm, you need my advice, eh? Why of course, I’d be delighted to help.” And the topics upon which we’re prepared to admit that we do, actually, need the advice are endless: How do I make a good soufflé? Which tie do you think I should wear? What book would you recommend for my 12 year-old? What would you say is the best way to drive to Skye from Edinburgh? These are ordinary, everyday topics and we wouldn’t think twice about asking for someone’s help or guidance, simply because we want to perform these basic tasks to the best of our ability.
However when tasks become more complicated, possibly even life-changing, we’re unlikely to rely totally on friends or family. We go to the professionals. Indeed most major decisions in our lives are usually taken with the benefit of professional advice of some sort, and we start at an early age; even the most intellectually gifted child will need the advice and guidance of a qualified teacher in order to gain an education. But when it comes to anything in life with which we’re ill-equipped to deal or face head on, we’ll turn to others who we know can help: “I thought the wiring in the house may have been a bit dodgy, so I asked an electrician for his advice…” The electrics in a house are both essential and potentially hazardous, so it makes absolute sense to consult a professional on the subject. Doesn’t it?
Of course it’s the same with any form of financial advice, when we may well turn to an Independent Financial Advisor (IFA) who is, we trust, best placed to advise us on how to invest our money. Even a self-employed sole trader will, almost certainly, require a qualified accountant to keep their business and tax affairs in order; and very few people would attempt to handle any legal transactions without the help and guidance of a lawyer. These are practical and basic requirements that we all take for granted, and we’re even prepared to pay for the advice on offer. So why is it, when our career is probably one of the most important and influential aspects of our lives, are we so reluctant to seek professional career advice? Possibly because we’re unaware of its existence!
Career Advice – How can it help me?
The first time we’re presented with careers advice is at school when well-meaning but, essentially, ill-equipped teachers will probably cover the subject by offering myriad ‘safe options’ whilst being unable to establish the true ambitions of the individual concerned. (That said, advising a 16 year-old on a career path is rarely going to be straightforward.) Careers advice for adults, on the other hand, is a totally different concept which, not surprisingly, can offer a great deal more.
There can be any number of reasons why we might seek career advice, and not only as a result of a significant change of circumstance – e.g. redundancy. And just as we would be unlikely to seek (far less act upon) advice from a friend or family member on a legal matter, or how to complete our business tax return, so we might seek out a careers advice service in order to help us by, for example: examining whether our lifetime ambitions are being met; establishing what are the options for enhancing our career prospects and finding our true ‘niche’; guiding us through a tricky negotiation for promotion; investigating the possibilities of moving to another sector entirely; relocating – possibly even abroad. All of this might come under the heading of ‘career change advice’. And it’s in this area that most people seem unaware of the help available to them, not from well-meaning teachers (or even just as well-meaning friends and family who will can be hugely supportive but, sadly, rarely practical), but from professional career managers who will offer personal, focused, one-to-one counselling – which can often be surprising in its effectiveness.
But, as we said, the majority will tend to seek advice only when they feel forced to do so by circumstances outwith their control, such as redundancy, when they might now be looking desperately for help in finding ‘another job’. And whereas a professional careers advisor will certainly help with tasks such as: re-writing a CV; producing an effective cover letter; identifying opportunities; helping with interviews and salary negotiation – to name a few – to those seeking the advice this will nonetheless have been a reactive, rather than a pro-active, exercise. A lifeline.
But careers advice can do so much more!
So what now?
For most of us, a career will last between 40 and 45 years (and possibly longer as the State pension age increases!). People these days will, on average, change jobs between 6 and 8 times during that period – often more than this. The days of a ‘Job for Life’ – when we started as an apprentice and retired from the same firm with a gold watch – have long gone and the dynamic is now totally different. Many of us will not only change jobs, we’ll change sectors as we go through our careers; but rarely do we stop to take professional advice along the way.
Does it not, then, make absolute sense to at least take 30 minutes out of our 45 years and go to meet a professional career advice company, such as TCMO, if only to discuss our careers, our ambitions – and to be shown how we might achieve them?
We would have nothing to lose, and possibly a whole new career to gain….!
Monday, May 6th, 2013
Looking to change career? Looking for Career Ideas? Career Transition is not as easy as it sounds. In fact, many people quit looking for a career when they find a job! You could possibly start making a career change yourself but unless it is carefully planned, it can be an unsettling process. As an example, where do you start? How do you plan career changes? The key word here is “plan” because without careful planning, you could end up in a job that does not provide the enjoyment, stimulation and challenge that professional career management support can offer. How many of us actually sit down and plan our career ? Looking for a career change goes hand in hand with career change advice and that can be obtained by approaching a reputable career management company such as The Career Management Organisation Ltd (TCMO).
Where do you start? Many of us dream of the ideal career whilst others make it happen. Career success is a journey, not a destination, so careful planning comes in right at the front end. Career change ideas may not always be practicable, so take the advice offered by the leading career management companies. TCMO will offer two, in some cases three, free consultations at the front end before you even consider taking up the offer of their services. Career management is all about people and not the glossy brochures, technology or plush offices. You must have belief and trust in the people you retain to deliver on what will become “an investment in your career”.
So, what should happen during these free consultations? Career change ideas should be discussed but at the same time realism must come into play as some career aspirations may just be beyond the skills and capabilities of the individual. Career advice should be realistic, achievable and affordable. Affordability is important and must be discussed as there is no point in setting out on a journey to career success if the funds are not available to complete the journey
Once you have had your initial consultation(s), a proposal should be provided to you detailing precisely what is being offered including the total cost. At this stage, it is absolutely vital that the proposal matches your needs and career aspirations. Take time to consider before giving the go ahead. The whole career change advice should be completely transparent but it should also stimulate and challenge you from day one. The content and planning should travel through career assessment, diagnosis and focus thus identifying the routes to market. CVs, covering letters, marketing materials and social media should all fall into place. Like TCMO, your service provider should act as career managers, coaches, mentors, trainers with the ability to adapt and overcome the challenges encountered along your career path.
Career Change should be viewed as a “new beginning”. It can however, be what you want it to be. A new lifestyle or a path to prosperity; a means of stimulation and enjoyment or a means of achieving your full potential.
Wednesday, February 27th, 2013
The Career Management Organisation Ltd (TCMO) are delighted to announce the appointment of two new directors to their expanding business.
TCMO are Scotland’s most innovative Career Management and Outplacement Company assisting individuals achieve their potential and helping organisations navigate through change.
Whether unemployed, facing redundancy or just wishing to be in control of their own career, TCMO help people achieve challenging and rewarding career moves. Statistics indicate that people looking for a new career opportunity typically find work twice as fast as those who have no support. TCMO deliver their services on a 1:1 confidential basis backed up with their unique lifetime career support.
However, TCMO believe in “giving back to the community” and work with those less fortunate who may need assistance with CVs, Interview Techniques and Job Search Support. TCMO have formed a partnership with The Hibernian Community Foundation, working out of The Learning Centre based in the South Stand of Hibernian FC’s Stadium at Easter Road. http://www.hibernianinthecommunity.org.uk/
As a result of the increase in those needing support, the appointment of two new Directors is indicative of the vision and forward planning by TCMO to ensure they remain at the forefront of the Career Management and Outplacement sector not only in Scotland but throughout the UK.
Sandy Cullen has been appointed Director – Client Development with responsibility for further developing TCMO’s Private Client business acrossScotland.Sandyhas previously worked as an Associate for TCMO and brings a wealth of international career management experience and senior commercial business knowledge to the team.
Fiona MacDonald has been appointed Director – Client Services with responsibility for running the unique support service that TCMO provides as well as coordinating their team of Career Managers across theUK. Fiona has worked with TCMO since its inception and brings a unique blend of HR, recruitment and business management skills to the team and clients of TCMO. http://www.tcmo.co.uk/web/about.php
Rob Moore, Managing Director of TCMO said:
“Having both Sandy and Fiona as leaders within our business will further enhance our company profile, improve service levels to both private and corporate clients and ensure the continued growth of the business throughout 2013 and beyond.”
Rob Moore, Managing Director of TCMO can be reached on 07771 778187 or rob@tcmo.co.uk
Friday, February 1st, 2013
One of the myths perpetrated about outplacement is that it’s there purely to assist those whose jobs have become redundant; this is only half the truth. What a good outplacement company will do is to help anyone who will benefit from career management – and this will often include those who are currently in work, but who are looking for a career change or simply to enhance their career path and need help to do so.
Clearly, then, a vital requirement of any outplacement company is the ability of their consultants to immediately identify your specific and individual needs, and to provide credible advice and guidance based on their knowledge and extensive experience. Strong testimonials offered by both corporate and private clients whose requirements matched your own, and who subsequently benefited enormously from the career management advice given, will go a long way in convincing you to take advantage of their services.
For many people, who may be unused to career coaching and what an outplacement company may do for them, it is important that the company is able to answer their every question at the outset in an open and direct manner – from the identities of those who will provide the support and guidance to the experience of past and existing clients. Any form of dissembling or prevarication at this stage will, rightly, discourage a potential client, who will then turn to a company that is prepared to offer full transparency.
However outplacement companies vary in their ability to provide professional career advice and so those whose reputation is based on the experience of clients will offer the best benchmark. Being non sector-specific is important for an outplacement company as a holistic approach is often required, but the vital thing is the relationship that develops between the client and the consultant and which must be based on mutual respect. Very often a good consultant will become a client’s confidante in every sense and they will have to be able to guide and mentor them in a totally objective way in order to boost their confidence and self-belief, and so lead to success.
Ultimately, then, what marks out a good outplacement company is one where individuals are treated as such – from the moment they start and until beyond the time when they have successfully achieved their optimum role. In this way a good outplacement company will ensure that contact with their clients is maintained and advice and guidance on career management is provided long after that vital role has been achieved.
