Don’t Quit

“When things go wrong as they sometimes will
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill
When funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh.

When care is pressing you down a bit

Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit

Life is queer with its twists and turns
As every one of us sometimes learns
And many a failure turns about
When he (she) might have won had he stuck it out:
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow –
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out –
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you can never tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far:
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit –
It’s when things seem worst that you must not QUIT.”

“Author unknown”
Acknowledgement: Steve Hennel

Public Sector employees shout about how good you are!

I bet very few public sector workers shout about how good they are at doing their job, how conscientious they are, the loyalty they show and case load they carry and their professionalism?

The publicity always shows the negative side perhaps not helped by their often lame management and too strong unions which have had an undue influence on working practices.

But now the public sector is facing an half a million job losses those now seeking work in the private sector must come out from behind the defensive shield and demonstrate to the private employers the skills they have and how they too can be model employees in the private sector.

 

Adjustments will be required to working attitudes, over-sensitive management practices, working hour’s, annual leave. But it does not mean they cannot become new assets to the sector bringing skills, knowledge and attitude and respect for others sometimes missing in the commercial world.

 

How to start? – start with a clean sheet – create a new CV which promotes your skills to the private sector read, listen and learn a new language of commerce. Devise a marketing strategy that best fits your skills and the market place.

 

 

Can Public Servants get jobs in the Private Sector?

Can public servants get jobs in the private sector?

I was listening to a broadcast about the opportunities in the private sector for employees made redundant from the public sector. Nothing particularly new in the content, it basically confirmed the approach I have used with my Public Sector clients over the past 11 years.

I would be useful to restate them:

The C.V.

• Create a document that sells yours skills and achievements.
• Do not create a document which is a specification of the job or jobs you have undertaken.
• List your skills, either technical or management and relate to the successful application of these at work
• Paint a scenario for your achievements, what the problem was – how you dealt with it – and the outcome.
• Use everyday language if can put down measures of success, more people seen, more projects completed, money saved. Put it terms which a business could relate to.
• If your job has one of those titles which would only be understood in public service put down a market equivalent
• Brevity is more important when applying to the market, there will be less use of application forms and again this should be completed in style which matches the organisations style.

Where to apply.

• Research the market on the web, find the recruitment agencies with the best fit for your skill or profession.
• Devise an action plan of research, contact and marketing build in reward period you will burn out without them.
• Contact a career coach specialist or manager to improve your skills.
• Practice your CV and interview skills on friends and family
• Build your own strong contact network to exploit
• Devise methods that work with the web and email, the recruitment industry has probably change since you last used it.

At home

• Don’t get side tracked into too many domestic tasks getting the next job is a job!
• Plan your day a mixture of work and reward
• Keep or make contact with people, friends etc
• Create a marketing and contact plan

For you

• Keep a positive attitude think what skills you have to offer
• Realise it’s a middle distance race not a sprint, it will take time
• Be prepared for knock backs
• Look at ways to improve your skills.

I’d be interested to know if you use my advice, did it work for you? What are your thoughts?