To Debenham's employees... have hope, this could be the start of something good
With Debenham’s being the latest high street name in trouble the headlines can start to feel like a bleak picture. This follows House of Fraser and Poundland a few weeks ago. Big names who employ thousands of people.
So what happens to people affected? They start the hunt for another high street job, maybe in a retail park rather than high street, maybe in the local supermarket who are now ramping up for busy Christmas sales. They sign on at the local job centre and get recommendations for hotel and restaurant work. All of this is good news, and reassuring that there are jobs out there, your skill is needed. But what if there were even more options, in fact options that might change your life and the way you work?
So if you are in that situation what do you do?
There is work out there. That’s the first thing to remember. Have confidence you will find another job.
The second thing is, you have a choice. There is always choice.
Your job you have enjoyed, maybe, for the last few years maybe disappearing, it may feel out of your hands, but what happens next, has you firmly in the driving seat.
You have more options than you might know right now.
Taking inspiration from T-shaped thinking, a concept created in Silicon Valley to help techies broaden their career, this way of thinking encourages you to look at your interests and broader life experiences than just work. You maybe part of a choir, you maybe part of a sports club, you might be a regular runner. Whatever you are doing, as a hobby, right now is is almost guaranteed that someone is out there wishing they could start.
So begin that T-shaped thinking. Could you use your hobby, the skills and experience you’ve gained through it, to start a business? Could it influence your next career choice?
Or search for clues with your current job.
Thinking differently about who you are, what you have to offer the world can result in opportunities that might never have sprung to mind.
Take Debenham’s as an example. They employ about 3500 in the stores, including personal shoppers and stylists. A growing trend in online services is concierge services, people wanting advice on what to wear, people who want personal shoppers to go out and buy stuff for them - yes that is an actual (dream) job.
If you have spent a lot of time working for a department store then you probably know quite a bit about merchandising… can you start a business helping small businesses create a display that will sell their goods. Walk down your high street - quite a few people need your help. Start a blog or vblog sharing your ideas, the latest styles, your hints and tips.
You have probably been trained to up sell, not direct aggressive up selling, service based sales, with a smile, that make your customers feel great, even though they’ve spent more money with you. There are people out there that want to know how to do that. Get on Teachable, record a course, tell people you are doing it, start going to small business conferences and you are on your way.
Ok, I’m making this sound straight forward. But you can see the possibilities.
The world of work is changing, but its reshaping its not disappearing. We all understand that its in everybody’s interest that everybody is kept occupied with a job. We get it that for all the human interaction reducing tech, there is still a fundamental need for human involvement in our day to day existence. Without it, there is no life. Or without it we become a bleak JG Ballard book where the rich, AI using elite are having a ‘nice’ but guilt ridden life, and the rest (of us) are not.
That’s not really where the world wants to be?
Anyway, a bit of a ramble… would’ve probably been better as a Facebook Live, but reading the news today made me want to share my thoughts, pass on my optimism that there is a whole world out there for people to explore.
For those with jobs under threat, especially as nights start to draw in and Christmas looms, things can feel low.
But keep yourself in check… you have talents, you have things to offer that people will pay for and will support your business.
Keep that ‘hope’ candle burning and start to turn hope, into an idea into action…
A new you is just around the corner.
If your job is currently under threat of redundancy, get in touch at www.anotherdoor.co.uk.
Another Door has been creating to support redundancy and career change, you don’t have to feel alone, and you will find a way to creating your ‘other door’.
Good luck with your search.
Eleanor