Siobhan Beatty had spent 22 years working for a financial services company. She had set up the HR department and then achieve ground breaking work in the area of CSR. However the difficult economic climate meant that her role was made redundant. This left Siobhan, aged 52, wondering what she could do that would give her the creativity and satisfaction of her previous job. She wanted to do something completely different but wasn’t sure if she was brave enough. “I found it incredibly empowering working with Personal Career Management. I had a vision of becoming a teacher but I needed someone to interrogate me to see whether I was being practical. I was over 50, with three children and other responsibilities so I knew it was a big lifestyle change and a risk. My career coach really helped me to think this through and make sure it was right for me. I’m now teaching English and loving it.”
Siobhan Beatty
Nigel Best was made redundant after six years as a Director of Business Development in the Defence Sector. His redundancy came out of the blue. He spent months looking for a job and was beginning to despair as he’d got down to the last stage of interview three times in a row and failed to get the job each time. He researched a number of companies and decided to work with Personal Career Management. “It was brilliant for giving me back my confidence, making sure my CV was making the most of my relevant expertise and that my interview technique wasn’t letting me down. Within a few weeks I had three job offers and actually had to choose between them all. My new job is in Business Development as before with a comparable salary and package. Considering the position I’d been in before Christmas it was an amazing turnaround in a very quick time.”
Nigel Best
Sharon Collins was in senior management working in social housing. She had an excellent salary and a large team of people working for her but unfortunately found herself being made redundant. Despite the success Sharon gained in her career, she had been toying with the idea of working for herself. The challenge was to have a stimulating career which paid the bills, but enabled her to spend the quality time she really wanted to spend with her children. “My coach was invaluable in helping me to make that transition between self employment and my previous career. He helped with the change process and played devil’s advocate around the business planning and without his input, I think it would have been very difficult to make the transition.”
Sharon Collins
Following the huge success of her role as Director of Human Resources at the British Library, Mary could have gone on to an even bigger job. But all big jobs require you to work 24/7, and give your heart and soul to your organisation. She decided that she had been on the hamster’s wheel long enough and wanted to have a really good look at the opportunities open to her. “I wanted a job which excited and challenged me but fitted in with my value base. Personal Career Management played a really significant role in this process. My coach spent a lot of time working with me to identify my skills and the areas I wanted to work in. When you are made redundant, however valued you feel at your organisation, you do find your confidence is dented. I was concerned about being over 50 and how people would perceive me in a new role. My coach helped me to look inside myself and see how much I had to offer another organisation.“
Mary
“We appointed Personal Career Management to carry out outplacement workshops for employees who were at risk of redundancy. The level of service, flexibility and professionalism was exceptional and we received nothing but positive feedback from the attendees. I would have no hesitation in recommending Personal Career Management and look forward to working with them in the future whether with outplacement, coaching or career workshops.”
Gemma Bicknell, HR Manager - Avnet
“Thank you for your assistance during what has been a very stressful and difficult time for the company. Your willingness to come alongside and assist in supporting members of staff who had become increasingly frustrated and worried about re-entering the job market has been incredibly beneficial to us as a company. I would highly recommend your services to any other company facing a similar redundancy situation and will certainly consider using any additional services your company provides in the future.”
Rachel Swift, HR Manager - Lansdowne
“Personal Career Management provided us with a very high level of expertise; an understanding of the various issues associated with the individual aspects of redundancy, professionalism in their approach and undertook the administrative aspects themselves. We used a two pronged approach with them which included an ‘open’ workshop looking at the external marketplace and an overview of CV writing and interviews, coupled with a one to one meeting afterwards to address individual concerns and issues. The feedback on these sessions was highly positive and uplifting which is to their credit in such difficult circumstances. I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Personal Career Management to anyone.”
Alison Heaney, HR Director - Travelex Currency Services
“We have been very pleased with the level of service we have received and more importantly our employees report back that they too have been very impressed. One thing that has been really valued is the quality of coaching which has been to a depth people hadn’t expected and people have felt well supported in this space. This has been a critical factor in the success of our people. As a Company we have also felt well supported with the quick response to pick up some very individual and specific requests we have made and feel that the service has been flexible enough to meet our needs.”
Jo Cochrane, HR Business Partner - Capital One
“The feedback from everyone who participated in the programmes was uniformly excellent, including those who had initially been cynical about how outplacement services could be of help. Their high levels of expertise and knowledge enabled them to quickly establish their credibility. They were very skilled at handling people sensitively and had an approach that was positive, pragmatic and helpful. This was of great benefit to the staff. As a result, I would highly recommend Personal Career Management”.
Peter Andrews, former Chief Executive - LTGTC
“The Royal College of Psychiatrists brought in Corinne and her colleagues from Personal Career Management to deliver a series of 1:1 coaching sessions to our staff. Slots were quickly oversubscribed and feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Staff received preparatory materials in advance which allowed them to get the most out of their sessions, and reported being given a broad range of tailored advice that really helped shape plans for the future. We have gone on subsequently to book further sessions and are looking forward to another couple of batches this year. Would thoroughly recommend.”
Hannah Lucas - Royal College of Psychiatrists
“We wanted to help staff with their career development. The training and 1:1 personal coaching sessions delivered by Personal Career Management have helped staff take stock and assess their options, where they are heading and how they can get there. Personal Career Management are skillful, wise, flexible and understanding facilitators and I fully recommend them.”
Val Ward, L&D Manager - Historic Royal Palaces
“After 25 years of working for the same company, finding a new job was never going to be easy. I was aware that I could be quite negative and this was not helping. I wanted a sounding board to help me evaluate my options and put in place some form of process and discipline to move my career forward. Personal Career Management helped me approach the market with renewed confidence. I found the process cathartic. They helped reinforce my key skills and assets which really helped me believe in myself much more and this undoubtedly made a difference with employers. I have been able to obtain some well-paid contracting roles which are perfect for me!”
Malcolm Hall, Retail Services Manager
“Following voluntary redundancy, I chose Personal Career Management as my outplacement company. They helped me achieve greater clarity, confidence and focus. As a result, I received a number of job offers but chose a role that has a Board Director career path, stock holding potential and a real opportunity to contribute to the direction and success of the company. I have recommended Personal Career Management to others, many times”
Peter Miller, Sales Director
“After 12 years in the same organisation I had no idea what my next step should be and after toying with opening a bar abroad, or finding a new role in a completely different industry I eventually called Personal Career Management. They helped me flush out my ideas and identify that what I really wanted to do was start my own business. It was an opportunity that was right under my nose but I had missed it. Personal Career Management has been a great investment, their advice and resources have been invaluable and their help has saved me a huge amount of time. A year later, I am director of my own business, which I find infinitely more rewarding than my previous role. The business is growing from strength to strength and financially it has also been very successful. I will be taking on new employees over the coming months and really feel that there is an exciting future”
Trevor Cullen, Managing Director - Trevor Cullen, Managing Director
“I undertook a programme with Personal Career Management, at the time when I desperately needed to take stock and consider what I wanted to do with my career. I found the course took me gently down a path of self realisation of what was important to me, what my skills are, what I enjoy and dislike. I was able to not only determine what I wanted to do next in my working life but was able to develop a strategy to make this happen. The process enabled me to jump to a new confidence level. I am pleased to say that I was able to immediately obtain a new position local to me, in a role that I find really rewarding and for an improved remuneration package. In fact, Personal Career Management gave me the confidence to ask for and receive an increased remuneration package. I owe them an enormous debt and can’t thank them enough, for all the support and advice they gave me”
Andrew Kordecki, Financial Controller - Andrew Kordecki, Financial Controller
“I was unhappy at work and it filtered through from the office into my home life. I felt comfortable right from the start in working with Personal Career Management. My coach helped me process what was happening at work and gave the practical support and advice I needed to move from what was a stressful situation. I am now working in a new role that I enjoy and I feel so much happier and less stressed. I feel much more in control and confident about the future. Working with Personal Career Management helped me look objectively at myself, gave me a future plan – and quite simply I would never have come this far without them”
Jane Harris, Events Manager - Jane Harris, Events Manager
“I’d got stuck in a non-productive rut with job applications and interviews – Personal Career Management’s professional and sympathetic approach faciltated a ‘reset’ and showed me how to ‘play the game’ to win. I’ve successfully managed to move out of a collapsing industry into a growing industry with lots of opportunities. I now have a career plan and understand what I need to do to maximise my potential. Their service offers much more than just finding jobs to apply for – we covered interview skills and in particular those difficult to answer questions. In comparison with some of the other services you see advertised Personal Career Management is also very good value. I’d highly recommend them to anyone who wants to move from having a series of jobs to having a career”
John Pearce, IT Architect - John Pearce, IT Architect
“Personal Career Management have a challenging and structured process designed to get you into the right role for your future. My coach was a great balance of support and push back to make sure I thought deeply and widely enough about the opportunities now available to me. Armed with a rewritten cv that really was “me” I got through the system and in front of the right people. I landed a great role and wholeheartedly recommend Personal Career Management to all”
Gillian White, Head of Learning & Development - Gillian White, Head of Learning & Development
“By turning to Personal Career Management I have jumped at least two steps on my chosen career path. I’d probably have become a consultant without them but it would have taken a long, long time. I would recommend Personal Career Management to friends and colleagues. Everybody spends a lot of time and money on investments, houses and cars…but very few people spend money or invest time on structuring their career and what they want to be doing. To me it has been money and time very well invested – particularly having been in a career which I was not finding very fulfilling”
Diarmid Lee, Former lawyer now a Business Consultant - Diarmid Lee, Former lawyer now a Business Consultant
“I feel they had a genuine interest in the person, an eagerness to see you succeed coupled with a process that worked makes them trustworthy leaders in career transformation”
Eimear D’Arcy, Senior HR Manager - Eimear D’Arcy, Senior HR Manager
“Within three months, I had found the perfect job online marketing for a golf company. It taps into skills I have already, requires me to learn skills which I really want to have in the future and relates to what I do in my spare time”. It’s just the kind of job I wouldn’t have applied for previously because I thought the competition was too fierce. I would never have got the job I wanted without the help of Personal Career Management”
Rory Anderson, Graduate - Rory Anderson, Graduate
“My company provided outplacement support to me and I feel I have come a long way since being made redundant in December. I could not have done that without the help and mentoring I received from Personal Career Management. I learnt a lot from my career coach and found the online resources really helpful”
Afshin Dastafshan, Project Support Officer - Afshin Dastafshan, Project Support Officer
“Personal career management helped me to identify and secure my ideal new role. Their expertise and guidance are essential to succeed in today’s competitive recruitment market”
Brian Walder, Managing Director - Brian Walder, Managing Director
“If it hadn’t been for the advice from Personal Career Management I would not have my dream career”
Tom Vicary, Copywriter - Tom Vicary, Copywriter
“Personal Career Management helped me to look inside myself and see how much I had to offer another organisation“
Mary Canavan, Director - Mary Canavan, Director
“Personal Career Management were invaluable in helping me to make that transition between my previous career and self-employment”
Sharon Collins, Self-Employed - Sharon Collins, Self-Employed
“Personal Career Management have exceeded my expectations of working with them. The coaches are very good and the service really isn’t what people might expect. They’ll be surprised with what they can achieve and the direction that it’ll take them”
Lucy Haire, Head of Sales & Marketing - Lucy Haire, Head of Sales & Marketing
“Personal Career Management has provided me with first class effective and practical career coaching and management for over 18 months. Perceptive and insightful I have found them to be empathetic in their coaching whilst not being afraid to be forthright and constructive in how to manage specific scenarios when the need arises. I have been able to use their recommended techniques and strategies to optimum effect to enhance my professional performance as well as benefiting my workplace”
Iain Bailey, HR Manager - Iain Bailey, HR Manager
“After being made redundant, Karen was a calming voice and influencer in my search for a new job. I went very quickly from getting no interviews to getting opportunities. She mentored me in writing my CV, application letter, interview technique, plus how to answer those tricky little questions. More than that, she recognised something in me and was able to tease out my skills and knowledge that my English reserve kept suppressed. She gave me back confidence in my abilities and I fully recommend Karen and the work she does.”
Colin Bennett, Sports Development Manager - Colin Bennett, Sports Development Manager
“Personal Career Management helped me reflect on how much I had to offer organisations. Within three months, they helped me identify and secure my ideal role. My coach offered invaluable support and encouragment to achieve clarity, confidence and focus. Thank you very much for furthering my professional development”
Bilwa Iyer, HR Professional - Bilwa Iyer, HR Professional
“Thank you so much for pairing me with Jo! Her advice and support has been incredibly helpful during what was a difficult time at the end of last year. I am thrilled to announce that this had all led to a successful point. I’ve been offered an exciting job in a really interesting space – with a 30%+ salary boost – all thanks to Jo’s guidance and coaching”
David Norman, Business Manager - David Norman, Business Manager
“I have personally found the Personal Career Management team skilled and extremely professional, and their career coaching programme is effective, truly niche and high quality. Their programme exceeded my expectations as it is an agile offer with a wide array of specialised resources and my coach was just amazing”
Suzanne Lopez-Barillas - Suzanne Lopez-Barillas, Senior HR Generalist
“From my first interaction with Personal Career Management, I was impressed by the very personal service they offered. Having been made redundant, they focused on me and what I needed to secure a new role. The personal coaching, advice and gentle persuasion allowed me to think about what I wanted to do and really helped me to secure the right role. The support from Personal Career Management has exceeded my expectations from the start of the process. I would highly recommend Personal Career Management.”
David Barrett - David Barrett, Commercial Director
“Working with Personal Career Management has helped me to focus on key areas including, those that I did not even recognise needed attention, which helped me see possibilities and options that I did not know existed. I cannot under-estimate how critical this will be for my future. My coach championed me by giving just the right balance of challenge and support, which made me feel like I can take on the world. My confidence is still sky-high because she helped me find a way to believe in myself. In short, my coach was a gift to me. I feel so privileged to have worked with someone with such deep insight and I truly think I have found ways to make the rest of my life more fulfilling than I ever could have believed.”
Julie Bond - Julie Bond, Head of Data, Digital and Change
“I was at a crossroads in my career – both in terms of direction and success in applying for new roles. I felt I needed some career guidance on how and where to apply my skills and experience. The career coaching helped me to realise the possibilities and sharpen up my act in approaching the job market. Since working with Personal Career Management I set up a freelance consultancy. I received a lot of support from my coach on business development, boosting my morale and confidence. Several months into this, a consultancy firm invited me to apply for a director’s role which I secured successfully. I am now benefiting from an increase in salary and a better work life balance. My investment in Personal Career Management is the most profitable financial investment I have made in my career to date.”
Joseph Carr - Joseph Carr, Director
“I had tried so hard to get a job as I wanted a change but there was no clear way forward and I felt like I was stuck. I was looking for a career coach rather than general advice, and I scoured the internet for what and who could help. Personal Career Management particularly stood out due to its strong online presence on the BBC and the Guardian sites. Personal Career Management really made me think about what I really wanted or needed to feel successful, and what I really wanted out of a career. This involved a long and hard look back over my life and something clicked leading me to firmer decisions about everything. The whole coaching experience has been a worthwhile investment in ways I hadn’t expected.”
Michael Ward, Operations Support Officer
“I approached Personal Career Management to help with my lack of direction and personal fulfilment in my current role. I recognised I needed help in realising my professional value, understanding and finding opportunities in the current job market and ultimately finding a new role. What I got from my experience with Personal Career Management was so much more. I found the clarity I wanted, built my self-confidence and secured a new and more rewarding role. Personal Career Management were approachable, trust worthy and friendly. I am glad I took a positive step to invest in and realise my professional and personal value.”
Martha Koukidou, Senior Project Manager - Martha Koukidou, Senior Project Manager
“Personal Career Management helped me to align my CV, LinkedIn profile and strategies to the market. The process was both cathartic and re-enforced my self-belief and determination to take my career in a specific direction. After only a few weeks I had attained an interview for a perfectly matched position, and I was offered the role at second interview. I now realise the benefit of outplacement support, it is not just about the right CV or interview technique, but about understanding myself and regaining my belief, confidence and a direction of travel following an enforced career change”
David Walker - David Walker, Regional Finance Manager
“I had the pleasure of working with Jo while researching and interviewing for a new opportunity. At every stage of the process, from preparation of my CV, introduction/covering letters and interview strategies, Jo was always able to add enormous value to what I was doing. I enjoyed debating with her the small but often critical issues surrounding recruitment and selection in todays very different environment compared to even a few short years ago. I would have no hesitation in recommending Jo to anyone looking for a career change or new opportunity – her insight, thoughtfulness and experience in recruitment were hugely beneficial and made a real difference. Thanks Jo!!”
Mike Rust
