Edward - back to work !

Hello guys:
I shall be working an an auto–enrolment project manager. Initially a 4 month contract it is expected to be extended on a part-time basis which would suit well as longer term I wish to work as a consultant to employers as they implement the new legislative requirements, and am already talking to 2 potential clients. Maybe HR managers would like to contact me now or in the future to discuss possible co-operation?

My 11 month search has included 228 applications, 46 networking meetings or conversations, 11 interviews, attendance at 9 conferences and completing 1 training course (in Prince2). The position was the result of repeated contact with a previous associate there and required me to have Prince2 – the strategy worked!

Message to those still seeking success: stay focussed, stay positive, stay disciplined (I was on my computer at 9:00 most mornings and worked a 9-5 pattern on most days) and be as active as you can on as many fronts as you can- linked in, networking, job-sites, local press...

Thanks to Careers Springboard for the quality advice and support and good luck to everybody.

Tony writes:

I wanted to drop you a line to say that I have found a new job and am starting imminently.

I have found the experience of finding a job particularly challenging in these times but I have to say that Careers Springboard very much gave me a lift when my spirits were beginning to fail. I found the CV information exercise particularly useful in forcing me to think about my selling points and in realising I was in the same boat as many other was uplifting. A big thank you to you and your colleagues. If this role doesn't work out, I will be back!

Robert tells us:

I have secured an interim role as Insight Manager at a University. I got this through networking with someone who was working with them in a different capacity and then recommended. Networking strikes again! The role is to last two months.

Rudy - back to work after just one session

I attended one Monday night session after seven months out of work and received assistance with re-writing my CV and have now secured a new role which I start on Monday. It is not within the insurance sector as the market is very difficult but is a diversification into Property. After 600 application and only 9 interviews I felt I had to explore other avenues away from my traditional discipline.

Thank you for the help Springboard.

John - job success

Hi, I would just like to inform the members that I have been fortunate enough to secure a new position as Global Brand Director, based in Germany. I started this week.

A big thank you to the team at Careers Springboard for all their help and advice - you need a good network and quality support to keep the momentum and confidence going. It would have been much harder without Careers Springboard and I remain very grateful for all the voluntary help I received.

For information, it took approx 5 months since I left my previous employer.

Julie found Careers Springboard a great motivator

I took on an interim role and it has been pretty much 10 hr working days and 3 hr commute so not much chance to do any extra curricula activities however much I would have liked to.

I wish you all the best and do stay in touch. I found Careers Springboard a great motivator when I was starting up in business and I hope others are finding the same.

I will keep hold of the programme schedule and if I find I am free – I will come along – will this be ok to come on the spur of the moment if the opportunity arises?

News from Ossie - successful job search (IT)

I recently attended a couple of the Monday night sessions and found them really useful. I have now secured a full time role and started last Monday.

Just wanted to say thanks for the support (even though it was brief). It was useful for me and ensured I was doing the right things to find a new role. I was lucky this time. I was only out of work for two months, but during that time I applied for over 450 roles and had a dozen interviews so the IT market is busy at the moment and there are roles out there.

Wish everyone good luck and just keep going it will happen.

Terry - New Job

Just wanted to let you know that I have just accepted a job offer. Thanks for all your and your groups help getting me going e.g. vastly improving my CV, networking, etc. Your group does a great job. Thank you.

Neil - Job Search Success!

Just a short e-mail to report (finally!) ‘Job Search Success’ almost two years to the day after being told that my last role was under consultation.

I have been offered and accepted a suitable position as Facilities Manager with an engineering company based in xxxx. It does mean a longer commute than I had before but is a genuinely interesting role for which I am very enthusiastic. (In the same week as the interview I also had one for a pension company and wondered what I was doing there!).

I would like to thank everyone at Careers Springboard for offering an excellent forum and support network – I found the format of presenting oneself quite unnerving, but if you can’t present to a room full of sympathetic colleagues then what chance in an interview! I have also found the individual support with CV and Interview techniques invaluable – thank you all.

I would like to offer my help if I can in future, but obviously need to find out if they really want 8.30 to 5.30 and 2 hours commuting every day!

Thank you again and I look forward to catching up again soon.

Paul - Back in Work!

I wanted to let you know that I started a new job in London recently. The help you gave me with my CV and Interview Practice was invaluable.

Together with the regular Careers Springboard meetings, that helped with practical advice & practice as well as psychological motivation, I found the support very beneficial.

Thank you for your support, and please let me know if there is anything I can do to support Careers Springboard in the future.

News from Pete

Further to last week's meeting I wanted to take the opportunity to thank everyone at Career Springboard for their support, help and guidance during my spell out of work.

Being unemployed for me was such a daunting prospect, I had never previously out of employment after 30 years in the workplace. Further to which in my previous role I had been very successful rising to the position of Director, which had meant that I had not applied for a role for over 20 years. In this time the process for in applying for a new position had dramatically changed and without the help of CS it would have taken me much longer to learn the ropes.

I started attending Career Springboard in October 2011. I found the meeting programme excellent and really enjoyed the guest speakers on the different subject matters within this programme. Even if I new the subject matter well there was always a couple of nuggets of information or a different approach that I had not previously considered. I would also like to add that the various clinics, Interview Practice, CV help and Counselling are very professional and in speaking to various people most beneficial.

I was fortunate as part of my redundancy Compromise Agreement to have a significant amount of time booked with a major player in the Outsource market. It is testament to CS that I still have time available with this agency. I personally found the advice and guidance provided by Career Springboard more valuable.

As part of my signing off process I have also mentioned to Job Centre Plus in Uxbridge the excellent work that you do and have suggested that they send people along to CS who are in my position. Finally I would like to add that I am extremely grateful for your organisation’s help. There is no doubt in my mind that you played a major part in helping me find a new suitable position. I would like to offers my services to help out as a volunteer if required, whilst I cannot attend every meeting I would like to be able to give something back and maybe act in a mentoring role.

Many congratulations to all those who have found their way back into employment.