It is surely grim out there. How many colleagues and friends have been impacted by this awful recession? And how many more are there to come?
I have become like a cross between an Agony Aunt and Outplacement Counsellor for dozens of professionals feeling vulnerable and fragile about the future.
And while every story is different - there are some remarkable similarities. People want challenging jobs where they can make a real contribution. They want to be part of an amazing team. They need - at least - a degree of security so that they can feed their bairns. Above all, they are concerned for their reputations - especially those who have been made redundant.
I have heard some hair-raising stories. Particularly from those unfortunates who have had to engage with Job Centre Plus, an inescapable destination for those needing to secure Job Seeker Allowance in order to trigger their mortgage protection policies.
The job centres now have to deal with escalating levels of unemployed people - many of whom have held senior roles or who have very specialist skills and who find themselves in this situation for the first time. It is clear that this vitally important agency just does not have the right resources with the right skills in place to deal with the hugely diverse range of job seekers they now have to deal with.
