Getting jobs after redundancy: your questions answered

The huge rise in unemployment since the recession started has made it much harder for people to get a new job.

In the latest of our "ask the expert" series, Rebecca Clake of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development answers your questions about getting a new job after redundancy.

Q1. How should I lay out and present my CV?From Ian Gerard from Chesterfield, David Davies from Llandudno, Rajeev from Warrington, and Jenny in London.

I would suggest that you need to devote equal attention to your covering letter as you do the CV itself.

It is important that you are able to demonstrate quickly that you are an appropriate candidate - with the skills and experience that the organisation is looking for.

Look at the advert for the job and highlight key words and phrases.

If possible, contact the business and the recruiting manager or personnel and see if you can get hold of a more detailed job description - if you have not been sent one already.

Try and use these key words and phrases in your covering letter and describe quickly how you fit the bill for the job.

In the CV itself, aim to be succinct and have a clear presentation and writing style.

It is still best to keep your CV to under two A4 pages as people have even less time these days to trawl through long documents.

Use sensible headings to divide your CV up and draw attention to different sections of your CV.

There is no one ideal format, but think about how you can convey the most relevant material upfront.

For example, if you have some decent experience in the workplace, do not start by listing your GCSEs.

Put your most recent work experience at the top of the page, and I would suggest highlighting achievements rather than just duties or responsibilities.

What are you most proud of? Where have you helped company performance? When have you lead a team? Has the business been able to make cost savings as a result of changes you implemented?

Even if you are making a lot of applications, do remember to check thoroughly anything you submit for spelling and grammatical errors.

When it comes to sifting through CVs, first impressions do count.

Do not rely on the computer's spell check as errors will still creep through.

Q2. Should I use professional advice to put my CV together? Joel Goldman.

It may be that this is something you are offered as part of outplacement support if you are being made redundant.

In this case, as with all the support offered, I think it would be very sensible to take advantage of this offer.

You can ask friends and current and former colleagues for advice - particularly any who work in the industry you are applying to, or who are involved in recruitment decisions themselves.

Where possible, if you are not offered an interview, or indeed are interviewed but are not offered the job, then ask for feedback.

It may not always be possible to get this when employers are inundated with applications.

But, if you can, then you might get some valuable learning points which you can bear in mind when making future applications.

Q3. Should I register with lots of recruitment agencies? Christopher Chadwick, Durham.

If you go for a blanket approach, with very similar wording on every application form - yours is unlikely to be the one which stands out to the recruiter.

You need to personalise each application to the job you are going for.

If you sign up with dozens of recruitment agencies, you will not be able to maintain a relationship with all of them - so they know who you are and what your skills are.

Remember, do not rely on just one means of finding a job.

To give yourself the best chance, you are likely to need to use a number of methods, such as looking at the trade press, looking online at job vacancies or registering with a recruitment agency.

Many jobs are not formally advertised, but filled by word of mouth - so use contacts that you have, and keep your ear to the ground.

Q4. What should I do about gaps in my employment record?Srinivas from Coventry and James from Bristol.

There are many people in the same situation and when organisations restructure as frequently as they do now, redundancy does not have the stigma it may have done in the past.

What would be useful to show is what you have been doing in the time you have been out of work. Have you been able to develop a new skill?

Have you been able to do some volunteering to broaden your experience? Have you perhaps been working with your local community in some way?

Anything that displays a degree of initiative or drive can make a difference.

Q5. What is the best way to get back into the labour market?Chris Crabtree from Barnsley, Christina Lyttle from Newcastle upon Tyne, Paul Street from Bath.

We received quite a few emails from people asking for advice on getting back after having time out from the labour market.

Some of these were from people who had been on maternity leave; others had been on long-term sick leave or incapacity benefit.

Here are some tips if you are in this kind of situation:

• Make sure you stay up-to-date with the latest developments in your industry - look at trade press, read relevant journals and try and keep in touch with colleagues who can keep you posted on what is going on.

• If you are on maternity leave with a job to return to, then you can ask your employer about any 'keeping in touch days' you can use.

• Think about the skills you have developed in the time you have been away - and how you might apply them in the workplace.

• If you have been unable to work for health reasons, then you might want to think about the best way to stage your return to work.

Would it be helpful to look for some volunteering opportunities to help build your confidence and add to your CV in the first instance?

Would it be useful to look for part-time work initially, if you felt better able to cope with this?

Remember, people with some conditions will be protected from discrimination by the Disability Discrimination Act.

Q6. What advice do you have for older workers? Alan Palmer from South Ruislip, Ged from Liverpool.

First of all, remember that there is age discrimination legislation in place to prevent employers from discriminating against older workers.

It is illegal to discriminate against on grounds of age under the Age Equality Regulations of 2006.

To find out more information, or if you suspect that you have been, or are being, discriminated against because of your age, we would advise that you contact the arbitration service Acas. However, if it is more a case that you are concerned about age being an obstacle to getting a job, it is important to remember that older workers have a lot to offer a prospective employer.

For starters, experience is invaluable to employers - not only a wealth of technical experience but interpersonal skills, which our research shows that employers value a great deal.

Older workers are often very reliable, loyal, dedicated employees and employers are increasingly recognising this and what it can mean for their business.

Organisations such as B&Q and McDonalds, for example, have often acknowledged the positive impact that their older workers have had for their organisations and productivity.

The government also offers help for people over 50 who are trying to get back into the workplace.

One scheme is called New Deal for 50 Plus and there is more information on this in on the redundancy expert website www.redundancyexpert.co.uk

Q7. What should I do if employers think I am over-qualified?James Ratcliffe from Bristol.

You may be applying for a non-managerial job even though you have managerial experience.

It is important to make your willingness to carry out the level of work for the job clear in your covering letter, in order to avoid any assumptions being made.

You can do this by focusing on your skills that match the job description that you have been given - this is the job you are applying for and, therefore, relevance is critical.

That is not to suggest that you lie about, or ignore outright, your management skills but if they are not required then it is best to pay most attention to what is.

This can also be reflected in your CV which you can tweak to include more details of your technical ability.

Q8. What help is there for people with disabilities?Dave from Birmingham wrote in with this question about his son who is autistic.

I understand the concerns you have that in today's job market it will be tougher for job candidates with disabilities to find employment.

My advice would be to arm yourself with as much information as you can about what kind of support is available out there.

If you look on the Mencap website, for example there is information about services they provide to help people with learning disabilities in the workplace.

There is also information about the Workright scheme for UK employers - and an endorsement from Justin King, chief executive at Sainsburys.

I would also make sure that you contact the National Autistic Society to see if they have any advice or guidance they can offer.

Use the contacts you already have to ask about opportunities they have come across in the past which might be suitable for your son.

It maybe that families who have been through a similar experience (for example through a group or social networking website) could have some valuable advice for you.

Also, make sure you think about how an employer will have all the information they need about your son, in order to make any adjustments they need to, as required by the Disability Discrimination Act, and to retain his loyalty and skills.

Q9. Should I try to change career or retrain?Yianni Matthioudakis from Newbury, Jenny from London, AR from London, Paul Hghes from London and Jenny from London.

Many people who have been made redundant have decided to change career totally, both their profession and sector.

They see this as an opportunity to go and finally do what they have been thinking about for some time.

First off, research is crucial. You need to dedicate a lot of time researching the job itself.

Consider if would you enjoy doing it. Are you genuinely interested? Do you think you would be good at it? How easy a transition would it be in practical terms - for example, would you have to move in order to pursue this career?

Another thing that would be really useful to do is to speak to someone already in that career.

Ask them about their day-to-day work - what is involved, what are the high points, what are the pitfalls and challenges?

Having an honest conversation like this can be really useful and give you a better insight into the job than hours spent online.

If at all possible, see if you can secure some work experience in this area. This would really help you to make up your mind about whether this is the right career for you.

Consider also what your career path would be. If you entered at a certain level, where would you hope to be in five years time?

Another major question when considering a career change concerns training and qualifications.

You need to find out how long it would take to qualify and what costs are involved. Are there any grants available?

There is a government Adult Learning Grant, for example, which you may qualify for - more information can found here: www.redundancyexpert.co.uk/government-grants-for-retraining

Also consider how you would retrain: full-time, part-time, or via distant learning?

There's a lot of good information on the learn direct website - there is also a useful funder checker there to see if you would qualify for any funding.

You also need to think about the volume and types of opportunities in the profession that you are planning to enter.

If you have been made redundant in a sector that has been badly hit by the recession, it is probably not a good idea to go into another profession where there is also a surplus of labour with little demand.

Try and have the end goal very much at the forefront of your mind, and work back - this job is the one that I want, now how do I get it?

Q10. What face and mindset should I present?

When we are made unemployed, we experience feelings equivalent to grief and despair.

It is easy to sink into despondency, and when you think the economy has gone to hell in a hand basket, it is easy for your attitude, your state of mind and even your posture to betray your state of mind.

Employers recruit increasingly on attitude so a lot of the secret of job hunting success is about optimism and frame of mind.

It is also about resilience; sometimes it is even about whistling in the dark.

If you seem downbeat and downcast - and you may have justification - then you will compromise a key factor in the selection process.

Likeability is a key factor in job selection.

Lots of experiments have been done on why people are hired and when people have got the same broad skills, the people who stand out are those who have the right attitude and approach.

They smile, they research the company and they look as though they would be good people to work with.

It is important to think about how you connect with potential employers and it is necessary to a step back and to think about how you come across.

The opinions expressed are those of the author and are not held by the BBC unless specifically stated. The material is for general information only and does not constitute investment, tax, legal or other form of advice. You should not rely on this information to make (or refrain from making) any decisions. Always obtain independent, professional advice for your own particular situation.

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