By James Innes

Copyright dailystar

Question: Dear James, Five years ago I was working as a manager in the building trade , specialising as an estimator and CAD technician. I’d worked my way up in the company after leaving school with no qualifications. I started out sweeping floors and going to evening classes at college to gain the skills I needed and become a valued, hardworking member of the team who kept getting promoted. Sadly the company went into liquidation and I lost the job I loved. I went back to college to train as a plumber and gas engineer and I’ve passed all my exams but I am still struggling to find work and keep getting rejected from every job I apply for. Right now I am working in demolition and as a building labourer earning a pittance a day with an agency. I can’t seem to find stable work. Where has it all gone wrong? Andy, Guildford Answer: This is clearly very bad luck, Andy. It’s always very hard on the staff when a business goes into liquidation. You did absolutely the right thing though, not sitting around feeling sorry for yourself but getting on with further training, as well as keeping up a job to pay the rent. Being out of work for a long period of time is a problem when it comes to applying for jobs – but so is doing the wrong type of work for too long. In your previous role you were a manager – and that’s definitely where you need to get back to. A lot, therefore, hinges on how you explain what you have been doing since you were made redundant… Focus very firmly on those new qualifications. The additional practical knowledge, experience and skills you have gained will stand you in very good stead when applying for management roles. Make a feature of this additional training. And do include a brief mention of the other work you have recently undertaken in the construction industry. Whilst poorly paid, you will again have gained in practical experience. You can simply say in your cover letter that this work is only temporary whilst you look for the ‘right’ role in management. Top Tip: If you keep getting your applications rejected then you need to know why. Not all recruiters will bother giving you feedback, even if you ask for it. But if you don’t ask then you don’t get! Spotlight On: Continuing Professional Development (CPD) I really can’t overemphasise the importance of further training. If you’re ever looking to move on to another job or another organisation then it can make all the difference to your chances of success if you can demonstrate that you have taken your continuing professional development seriously. CPD is perhaps mainly talked about in the context of the more ‘serious’ professions such as accountancy. But I am firmly of the belief that every working person should always be looking for opportunities to learn and to develop – and undertaking additional training is one of the very best ways to achieve this. Any decent employer should support their employees on this front – and they might well even offer to foot the bill! It certainly doesn’t hurt to ask. Our Jobs Guru James Innes is a best-selling careers author and founder of The CV Centre . He’s the man who can solve your work problems! For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters .