Life and change

A lot of my work is about helping people deal with change and today was no exception. I am currently working with about 30 people who are being made redundant from a local factory, most of whom have spent the majority of their working lives in this one job. Most of them have enjoyed their work and are rather fearful about what will happen next. The biggest concerns are around the unknown; questions like 'What will they want to know at the dole office?' (even after so many years of rebranding, the local Job centre is still known as the Dole Office to many, with all the accompanying stigma.) 'What can I do; all I have ever known is how to do X.' 'How will someone of my age ever get another job?'

My role is to do some practical stuff like writing a CV which represents in a positive light all the great things they have achieved in their working life, help them with Job Search, access local jobs and employers and do some training in Interview skills...but it is so much more. A lot of it is around building confidence and encouraging people to try something different with an open mind. After many years in this business, I know that many of them will get jobs that actually bring out other facets that they may never have been aware of, and give satisfaction in ways never dreamed. But it is a very scary time and my main job now is to help make the feared more acceptable and less challenging.

Change comes to us all in different guises and even when we apparently choose change, for instance, when we marry someone we dearly love, or move to a beautiful new home or have a much longed for baby, we are never really prepared for the impact of that change. We can search out many different ways to minimise the impact of change, but we can never truly escape its effects.

So my thoughts today are around acceptance of this phase of life and trying to help others to develop a positive outlook, whilst facing the realities of their situation. Something I too strive for and sometimes achieve!