At a time of rising redundancies, the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) has launched a free support package to help unemployed managers get back to work.
Managers experiencing redundancy will be eligible for six months free professional membership of ILM, giving them access to an extensive range of resources to upskill themselves and to help find a job.
Managers have been hard hit by this recession with unemployment rising by 37% - from 80,000 unemployed managers in December 2007 to well over 100,000 a year later.
The ILM - with a community of over 30,000 managers - has launched its new free membership package to support the growing number of managers being made redundant.
The package is free to out of work managers in the UK and includes:
- Access to current vacancies through Jobs Boards
- Practical help with getting a job through CV support, letter writing and interview techniques
- Networking and professional development events
- An online resource (Harvard Manage Mentor) of 42 learning modules on skills such as budgeting, negotiation, strategic thinking and innovation
- A series of discounts on lifestyle products from parking and insurance to hotels and holidays
- And a free subscription to Edge magazine, packed full of information and advice for managers
ILM’s chief executive, Penny de Valk, said: “We are experiencing one of the most difficult economic situations in living memory and it is affecting managers in a way we haven’t experienced before. ILM is here to support managers and leaders – in the good times and the bad so we are providing a range of practical resources that will help improve their future employment prospects. Good leadership and management is what will help take this country out of a recession, let’s not squander those skills.”
ILM recommends a number of key things for managers if they find themselves out of work:
First take stock. Managers need to think about what is really important to them and what they are really good at. Redundancy could be an opportunity to retrain or take a new direction.
Second, keep working even if this means voluntary work as research shows this has a positive impact on an individual’s employability.
Third, stay networked. This is the time for people to talk to their contacts and look for opportunities in areas they might not have considered previously.
Finally, being made redundant is a stressful experience, managers should use whatever resources they have to keep motivated, keep their skills up to date and their CV fresh.
Registration is a simple one-step process via the ILM website
