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CV preparedness in a downturn – don’t worry you can still achieve your goals.

Regrettably, lost your job during this current pandemic. That dream job you craved has now gone, or coldly taken away. All I would immediately say is don’t despair as you are not alone. These are undoubtedly sad and challenging times, but try to maintain your positive aura, and avoid feelings of despondency. Most of all, ensure that your CV is ready to go. Don’t wait until the downturn to take hold, prepare and up-to-date your working copy of your CV that can be tweaked or adapted when the need arises.

No job, no furlough, no recruitment, no opportunities, there are many who fall into this position at the moment, so remember that you are not alone. The current situation is not of your doing, nor can this momentous change last forever. It will be how we embrace the middle ground, and ready ourselves for next venture that will help us. Remember out of an economic downturn new opportunities will arise and ideas that could ultimately suit your own skill set in pastures new. That said, set against a background of closures and business administrations it is hard to see when your income stream will arrive, you still have bills to pay and this can become an immense worry, particularly if your savings are limited. (Let people know early if things are going to be difficult, avoid the ostrich syndrome with your head deep in the sand, communicate effectively so that plans can be put in place)

Tell yourself that I am the best at what I do., I can and I will succeed. There will be numerous people chasing a small job supply. So ensure that your CV stands out from the crowd, and has been tailored to your strengths. Don’t allow a gap in your CV to become a problem, as there are many in the same situation, and continuity will not be possible if the vacancies are not there to be filled, and anyway you have the answers.

Be yourself, be proud, focus on your goals, know your subject and most of present yourself with confidence. If you keep trying you will succeed. Although difficult as we all have emotions, please don’t take rejection heart, accept that opening wasn’t for you. Also keep pursing opportunities, don’t wait for application responses.

You can do it. But foremost get that CV updated before you relax.

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Which watch do I buy: Traditional vs Smartwatch?

With a significant birthday on the horizon I am looking to buy another watch for everyday use to celebrate. But what type of watch should I buy? There are so many brands that stretch from traditional to new technology based solutions with their digital visual interfaces to the rise of the smartwatch.

Personally, I have always been taken with simple design and clear function and purpose . Currently, I use a Seiko Kinetic for good wear and weekends, and a Casio HD for daily rough wear and gardening. Also, I have a Omega Seamaster in the drawer from my merchant navy days, but it is not one of the timepieces that could be worth thousands and would be sought after by a collector.

For a number of years I had an inclination that I would like a third watch/timepiece, an in-between model. I certainly cannot today afford a luxury timepiece, so price point is also key. Actually, for a number of years I have been taken with the simplicity and ruggedness of the Nite MX10 watch with its tritium luminous technology that enables extremely good night-time vision – I have a tendency to wake up in the ‘wee’ hours these days. Coincidentally, I pass the Nite offices in Christchurch on the way to Sainsburys when visiting my mother. I know there are other brands but the price point changes significantly upwards, as with the good-looking C60 Lmypstone from Christopher Ward.

So with a leaning towards traditional options and look, I have also been introduced to the increasing availability of smartwatches in the run-up to making a decision. My immediate neighbour and London friends all use Apple products. I have also taken a look at the Samsung Galaxy series. And it is also well documented that also even some of the niche brands have developed smartwatch variants. However, I start to think , even though you can recreate the visual look of a traditional watch and add a ticking sound, as to why? We all buy smartphones, then to have a device to interface between your pocket and wrist in everyday life seems a nonsense. For sure there are some specialist jobs where such technology I can see as being useful, ie a steeplejack when 200′ up a chimney. But really is there a need otherwise? The constant buzzing of notifications on your wrist and selection of data to absorb is to me a distraction. The continual need to recharge a smartwatch every 3-4 days is a hassle, when a traditional timepiece can go on forever, or until the next battery change between 5-10 years. All in the name of telling the time.

So much is down to personal choice and inclination. Personally, I want a watch to be able to give me the time foremost . Like cameras , the smartphone revolution has made it all to easy to capture images by the thousands on a daily basis, but do we ever review, like when we took a film to developers in the past, and shared our photographs and slides. Smartwatches have their place, but to me offer too many distractions, and very soon the technology/interface itself is out of date. So it is likely every 3-4 years you would need to re-purchase a new smartwatch which is not really environmentally friendly. A simple traditional watch can last a lifetime and seldom goes out of fashion, though fun, tactile and engaging smartwatches to me have their limitations, and maybe a fad of the decade yet to be replaced by a new unseen innovation.

In my case , though tempted, I have convinced myself that I just want a traditional looking timepiece that tells the time, and in the meantime, I will take my smartphone out of my pocket rather than insanely shout at my wrist!

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Remember Me

So today is the 11th November 2020, and on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month each year in the UK we come together in community spirit, stand-still and remember those who died during WW1 with a 2 minute silence. The whole nation as on Remembrance Sunday stops to reflect. This moment in our time commemorates each year the signing of the armistice for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front between the Allie forces and Germany in 1918.

Actually, at this time, I feel moved to celebrate all those who have died during conflict and served around the World in all nations, not just on Remembrance Sunday . It is also a time contemplate about all those who affect our lives, family and friends, and remember everyone.

The haunting sound of a bugler playing ‘the Last Post’ resonates in my head long after its completion, driving a myriad of thoughts and emotions. It never fails to amaze me how this sombre tune makes you stop and think.

Today, I even took time to light a virtual candle and send a prayer at the church of St Stephen Walbrook, City of London. The advent of the internet has given us all the opportunity to share are thoughts, wisdom and prayers, and take action . None more so pertinent during this challenging Covid 19 lockdown – we can visit a church, or a place of meaningful solitude, virtually, without ever leaving the house, keeping all around us safe, but at the same time share our emotional feelings openly.

It is at these times of reflection that I personally further think about all the atrocities that have happened in the World and unnecessary deaths caused by conflict and beliefs. Even this week the senseless and upsetting killings of many in Mozambique by a few with radical beliefs/ideology. What has been achieved except further pain for the families of those killed?

So stop and remember all at these times, and say a prayer for those who we love. Just then maybe one day we can all live in harmony. But perhaps that is a being too idealistic, but let’s pray and think anything is possible.

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Entering Dreamland – what would you do?

In a moment of quiet, I sometimes enter dreamland, as I am sure a few of us do, what would you do if you had a significant lottery win, or had made a sizable bitcoin investment back in 2010 ? In both instances you could be sitting on millions. But only if you had taken the plunge, had the insight, and were not risk adverse to taking a punt with some spare cash. Of course it is not for everyone, and certainly making a long term investment doesn’t suit all, we tend to look at the immediate, which is certainly the case during this current pandemic.

Then having made yourself comfortable for life, both in ‘games of chance’ one could argue, what would yo do with any excess? I have always felt that I would explore my philanthropic nature, it burns within me. Yes I want a enough for myself and my family, but then to help others would be rewarding and bring unimaginable satisfaction. Helping those neighbours and friends who have always partaken in your life would be a joy.

Dreams are one thing, but entering opportunities of chance are available to many of us, even entry level investments are accessible with a bit of spare cash. Sensibly the majority of us work hard to survive and have the odd flutter, few of us are hardened gamblers or risk takers. But then what if…. you can only look back in hindsight.

Remember the guy who in 2010 bought two pizzas from Papa Johns for 10,000 bitcoin, it meant nothing at the time as it was an experiment, but today the very same 10,000 bitcoin are worth $150 000 000 USD (or equivalent to £122 Million GBP) in November 2020 – wow, what an investment return. But as with ‘the Big Bang Theory story-line’ about a bitcoin purchase, have you still got the files/wallet safely stored, or the PC, or flash-key, where the files were originally saved. Also, monetizing large sums of bitcoin can be complicated, even with the available crypto currency exchanges, and don’t forget to pay your tax on any capital gains, it isn’t the Lottery. Importantly can you remember that essential password!!!

So if you had the bank balance where would you start? Perhaps dabble with a spreadsheet and see where monies could go? I always think that after initial family and friends I would support local and personal organisations that I have been involved. For example, schools that my children have attended, universities where they thrived, and charities close to my heart.

Of course giving cash or security away is not for everyone. But on reflection there are only so many assets you can own. Having sizable wealth gives you an opportunity to grow and share opportunity with others. Surprise can be wonderful. This week our neighbour has a leaking flat roof to their house, being able to offer a solution to their seasonal woes would be immense.

So, what would you do?

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Micro-financing: good or bad?

For the past 3 years I have actively engaged in supporting selected entrepreneurs through the charity website Lendwithcare with micro-financing. Actually this morning, I received notification that my latest entrepreneur, a peanut farmer in Ecuador was now fully funded – fabulous news. Lendwithcare is an initiative of CARE International UK, and one such micro-financing platform available via internet searches. Their target client-base are primarily small businesses run by entrepreneurs who are introduced generally through in-country micro-finance institutions in their local region to available low-cost finance opportunities, which would be in most cases unavailable to them. The Lendwithcare website delivery is easy to follow, and to use, to identify entrepreneurs in need of assistance. Thereafter, the Lendwithcare team provide regular updates and monthly account information. Indeed, to me, I consider that this platform does not increase hardship on those who take loans to underpin business growth , expansion or temporary support – the majority of the loans taken are of a relatively low in amount in greater business terms.

“Lendwithcare is a revolutionary way to help people in low income countries to work their way out of poverty with dignity. Lendwithcare allows you to lend as little as £15 to fund a small business and once your money is repaid you can choose to recycle your loan to support another entrepreneur, or withdraw your money.” From the Lendwithcare website.

My interest in micro-financing was significantly driven by my daughter who had spent time in Honduras working for Project Trust, an international volunteering charity for young people based on the Isle of Coll in Scotland, at a linked sponsored school. During her time on the ground in Honduras she got to know about micro-financing through a friend who worked for another charitable organisation. She brought this idea/programme to my attention. Thereafter, I conducted further research on the internet. This is when I came across Lendwithcare, and became interested in their mission – http://www.lendwithcare.org -. I therefore registered with them and started funding with an initial £15 loan payment. As I said previously, their website provides an overview of individual entrepreneurs/business owners, or groups, in their own country with photos and background stories, their vision, and how much they would like to loan, along with how the money will be spent. Then collectively the offered individual loans are added to the total until the amount requested is 100% fulfilled – you can see how much is left to fund on each promoted application. Then an email will sent to say that all has been funded. Thereafter, each month repayments are made to your account until the all monthly payments have been met.

Of note, during the pandemic Covid-19 period Lendwithcare have acted responsibly and not taken loan repayments allowing the entrepreneurs to take a funding holiday.

That said, I have also read a viewpoint that micro-financing actually is not a good programme for helping those in poorer countries and does not help to alleviate poverty. This may have been specifically targeted more at individuals, rather small businesses. Much of course in my view will be the T&Cs of the loans taken , and by whom they are offered. For instance some listed micro-finance operations will want a percentage return on its investment, which might not be the case with all charity offerings.

Further whist reviewing I came across the following excerpt:

“When micro-loans are used to fund new businesses, budding entrepreneurs tend to encounter a lack of consumer demand. After all, their potential customers are poor and low on cash, and what little money they do have gets spent on basic goods that tend already to be available. In this context, new businesses end up displacing already-existing ones, yielding no net increase in employment and incomes. And that’s the best of the likely outcomes. The worst – and much more likely – is that the new businesses fail, which then leads, once again, to vicious cycles of over-indebtedness that drive borrowers even further into poverty.” Jason Hickel, The micro-finance delusion: who really wins?, The Guardian 2015

So the on-going question is whether micro-financing is good or bad idea, and this will depend much on your own viewpoint. The answer I am sure sits firmly with the entrepreneurs who receive this funding they would otherwise be unable to source. In my my mind any negative stance is outweighed my own experience so far. I personally feel that together my fellow Lendwithcare funders that we are helping entrepreneurs and business owners, and not facilitating further hardship and misery.

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I’ve become a converted Yogi…..try it!

I have always tried to keep myself physically and mentally fit. As I approach 60 and having developed asthma these past few years, and I can feel increasingly my body tighten with the aches and pains of age, workouts have become important to me. Having played many sports in the past, and enjoyed swimming and running, I was finding that activities like gardening alone and daily walking were not suffice. So here we come to the present with Covid-19 in our community and ‘Lockdown’. My daughter who enjoys yoga suggested to my wife that she ought to try, so she forwarded her some online links to yoga lessons. Not being a natural fitness queen, my wife forwarded those links onward to me. Being willing, I engaged with some example sessions and found them to my liking, and soon I felt that I was physically able to address some of those age related stiffness issues within the confines of my own home. Moreover, I quickly found that I enjoyed the online routines and tutorials and once again the self-discipline to commit again to some structured daily exercise. There are many Yoga teachers, sessions and programmes to be found on You Tube for example. Though I know that engaging in a paid local group will be beneficial too. For now, and for 5 days a week I have entered into daily yoga routine, and at the moment I particularly use Adrienne, a renowned Yoga teacher from Austin, Texas, who my daughter favours – but there are many teachers out there, each with their own style and focus, and also offer alternative methods for completing more advance moves. There are also a number of evolved yoga classes/styles from Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Hot Yoga et al. For me, unknowingly I started with Hatha, following programmes from yoga stretch, to flow, to a particular focus on part of the body -hamstrings, lower back etc. These sessions can be as long as you like, I tend to plan my day around a 20-35 min session, but also I engage in other stretching exercises, to on the spot running, and using weights to further tone. So yoga is complimentary to other exercise programs. Yoga has also made me think and be far more conscious about the movement of my body, particularly my back where I do suffer with some occasional lower back pain. Equally, I have become more aware of my breathing and moved into short mediation, allowing me to think less about what is happening in our World, and more about myself and conscious well-being. Exercising and stretching the muscles and ligatures of my body is enjoyable, and achieving some of the more advanced yoga exercises/positions both a challenge and joy. My favorite position at the moment is the arm balance Bakasana – the crow pose, but equally I have been working on various headstands. That said, my body these-days doesn’t seem to want to throw itself into a handstand, not so nimble these days. However, I know at home, I can work at my own pace, as long as I warm up first, relax the body, and learn/enjoy the benefits of each session. My only advice to any budding ‘Yogis’ is invest in a good mat, it makes a difference, and check-out a yoga teacher who puts you at ease, it is not a race! So find some relaxing clothing, a bit of space in your front room, and I recommend you give it a go, you’ll be quietly surprised.

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Living through a pandemic in 2020, what next?

So much has changed in this past year from one day to the next. Depending where we live, depends on how we have be affected by this dreadful Covid-19 pandemic. I have heard it even said, that ‘World War 3’ has happened without a shot be fired, which is dramatic in itself. Certainly, there has been been many sad events around the World in this fast-changing environment. In the main, for the majority, recent technology advancements has meant that our digital community/media has been our saviour and kept us informed, and equally many of us have been able to visualize the devastation across communities and sectors, and the immediate fall of our vibrant economies as countries try to firefight situations and finance decisions . ‘Lockdown’ and imposed restrictions on our daily lives have become the norm. The wearing of a face mask is a point of continual discussion. Fake news, real news, local news, You Tube views and opinions et al, but who do we believe? We are bombarded with these thoughts, frenzied government output and rules, but equally we all hope this dreadful period in our history changes for the better. But change as we know it might continue with perhaps Covid-21, 22, 23 etc in years to come, each with its own difficulties, troubles and nuances. In the future, perhaps even a microbe from the moon, or further still from Mars – see science fiction film from 2017 ‘Life’, or as I see in the news today in a rock sample from the asteroid ‘Bennu’ will be returned all in the name of science to our precious World, to equally test our resolve, togetherness and fortitude. What the current pandemic has shown is that none of us, it does not matter what country you live, we are immune to such events and times of crisis, and clearly there are no boundaries to spread/transmission of this type of virus in a modern interdependent co-connected World. Even history has recorded such transmissions like the Black Death, plague and numerous fevers/coughs, some of which are more fatal than others. Naming and shaming countries for spreading this virus in the immediate does neither help combat the problem, nor stop its impact. There can always be an inquest in the aftermath. Yes the modern World has the capacity to develop vaccines to protect ourselves, but there is no quick or guaranteed fix in this instance, but even then the process of vaccination is selective, if born into a poor society with little or no help, who will pay for its delivery? That said, I believe that the human race is resilient, as is our planet and home, and we will eventually overcome this period in our history until the next virus challenge arises. In the meantime, let us all be kind and help each other, respect each others personal space, as we look for solutions to overcome this current pandemic.

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Which ocean are you focused on?

Last week I bumped into an old colleague who was previously a member of the Board of a local charity that I support as a Trustee. Himself, a retired school teacher, but now a counselor and active Life Coach. He asked “How I was doing, and whether I had got back into work?” During our conversation he said that I ought to read a book on on ‘Red Ocean, Blue Ocean’ strategy, which could help me to rediscover myself.

Generally, the premise of the strategy is as follows:

“Red oceans represent all the industries in existence today – the known market space. …Blue oceans, in contrast, denote all the industries not in existence today – the unknown market space, untainted by competition. In blue oceans, demand is created rather than fought over.

Original Author: W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne”

However, this can equally be applied to our working environment and education. This might offer a source of positive outlet and realization during this current Worldwide pandemic. We can all say in hindsight that I wish I had invested in Bitcoin in 2010 buying $1000 at 0.08 per BTC (valued in 2020 at approximately $8,800 per BTC), or I wish I had won the lottery, as then money would not be an issue. In reality 99% of us are in the what next chapter, and hope that it is not me being made redundant next week.

So what I need to review is how do I get from the here using my transferable skill-set, identify new opportunity and the work sectors of tomorrow. Having foresight and self- belief, along with confidence, are going to be key attributes in moving from the ‘red to the blue’. Indeed, we have to decide whether we a risk taker, or are we risk adverse, which will without doubt influence our ability succeed a successful transition.

………..

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Losing your job during a pandemic

I feel a great deal of sympathy and empathy towards those losing their jobs/occupation/profession and career during the current 2020 pandemic. Who’d seen the impact that such event would have happened in our times. We were side-swiped and oblivious, and ill-prepared, and as time has shown none of us are immune to the knock-on effects of the virus and change. During this past week I have seen increasingly that a number of my past acquaintances, or those in my related industries, start to lose their jobs – this is the power of social media and platforms like LinkedIn, making news immediate and personal. If anything the majority of these colleagues have been positive about their outcomes, I am sure in the hope that things will change and a recruitment drive will recover. That said, some companies seem to have been more reactive to their immediate Covid-19 downsizing, focusing clearly on the immediate salary bill, shareholders and payouts, and potentially renegading on agreed hard fought settlements, rather objectively using this process to positively restructure the core business and set new priorities. Indeed, I am sure some businesses have used the pandemic as a tool/mechanism to restructure with a previously hidden agenda that was unpalatable to be originally implemented. That said, for example, stopping all ab-initio training can be shortsighted and in-build a business age imbalance overtime, and terminating the contracts of recent newcomers (just because) and the bottom starters seems at times unfair, and does not actively remove the layers of business maturity/expertise equitably. Of course no system is perfect, or will it be fair, but equally more thought should be given to those actions and responses taken. We all understand that steps need to be taken. Why me? But in the long term the integrity of a business will still need to be maintained. Adopting a fire, rehire, fire culture/strategy is not a good way to operate. Also at the early stages, contractors (often those specialist self-employed staff) are easy targets to be amongst the first to be let go. However, companies/organisations should think why they hired these people, what programmes still need to maintained and developed before reacting. But businesses tend to react, soon forgetting that actually their expertise in certain areas is watered down, at times these actions can leave key functions exposed. Fundamentally it more expensive to get rid of long-term staff, so immediate budgets and cash-flows are protected. So, all I would ask is for those in power to think first because downstream there could be consequences to any rash decision-making. At these pandemic times, unless I am mistaken, or not reported, there does not seem to be openly many Directors/Heads of Departments, falling on their swords again impacting on the shape of the business and making it perhaps unwieldy and top heavy in the short term – yes a business has to function foremost, but key skill sets can be lost forever, along with youth and a business manpower imbalance arising if not managed appropriately, your people matter.

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Is 57 a Magic Number

It is now 12 months since I left my last job to regain some control in my life.  I never thought that I would lose a basic grasp of the situation and allow matters to overtake me.  After all, I have lots of experience and I am suitably qualified, but have moved across 3 career-paths.  Though these last few years I have held some self-doubt on my own choice not to continually update my skill-set. Shall I do this course, should I have taken an MBA etc?  Education shouldn’t be taken lightly, but it is a gamble, as is changing careers instead of becoming and expert in one field, there are no guarantees of success.

As with many jobs, my last job did not have a company pension and we as family had little opportunity to save, using our monies to live now, pay the mortgage and support our kids through university.

Today, I received another job application rejection, perhaps I am punching above my weight, as it was for a CEO position with a community volunteer organisation.  I have lots to offer and my friends all believe in me, telling me I philanthropic ideas.  But none of this can be impressed on a selection-board if they do not get the chance to meet you first-hand.  Hey, I am no more important than the next guy, but it would be nice to know someone sees that this guy has some of what we looking for.

So I am over 50, I am qualified and experienced in many facets of business yet moving forward is difficult.  Perhaps the only choice is start my own small operation.  But being an entrepreneur is a young persons world isn’t ?  So what do I like? Well that’s a good question, and so the circular voices inside my head begin ie open a Cafe, sell antiques, start making craft gin …..and so on. All of  which maybe sound ideas, but you have to be brave to step forward and take a risk.  Combined with thoughts of everyday life of managing bills and supporting family………

Therefore, I seek the solace of securing a paid work position, but no one is recognising me at this time.  So I resort to the daily trudge of searching websites, maybe too frequently. Then make the fatal mistake of checking how X and Y might be doing – on the social media profile or internet search – drops into despondency!  So don’t compare, as it doesn’t help!  We all make our life choices, and yes, not all goes to plan in our minds, but that is  life for us all.  So I am left looking for that next lucky break/excitement, in the interim volunteering work gives me positive feedback where my skill-set is recognised and rewarded with lasting impressions.