For those of us old enough to remember the ‘Recession That We Had to Have’, and the employment climate of the time, this ‘Credit-Crunch’ seems to be the ‘Slow Down We Were Destined to Have’. As a graduate in the early 90’s, I can attest to the fact that there were no jobs, not for graduates, not for anyone and so ours was the generation of either conforming or reforming in the workplace.

As a gentle tip for those entering the workforce at this time, be it from school, trade qualifications or university, consider your best options and make the most of that which distinguishes you from the rest of the bunch, if you want that job. Most of all, if you don’t want that job, don’t apply: the industry is small and everyone knows everyone else – even if you don’t think so.

If your CV is full of colour and movement, in that you’ve had about five different jobs, possibly in the same industry, in the last five years, stay where you are and consolidate your effort. This may mean that you’ll be doing the same thing for this company for the next couple of years. Be happy about it -there are plenty of people world-wide who would love that security.

To those who’ve been consolidating for the last three to five years, you might be in a position to take a couple of measured risks, but make sure you can prove your worth. For those with more than a perfunctory level of competence, you can probably write your own ticket: you’ll be sought after, but don’t be greedy. Save some for the rest of us.

In all situations, make sure that you focus on performance: under promise and over deliver in all that you do and you’ll never be part of the ‘Credit Crunched’.