Dear Counsellor:

Q I am in my late 30s and was recently made redundant. I often wonder why I lost my job when others less qualified and less experienced were retained.

Was it because I am a shy person and hate public speaking on the job? In fact, I dread interviews and wonder if I would be successful in getting a job through an interview. What can I do to overcome my fear of public speaking and job interviews?

MD, St Andrew

A It is traumatic for a qualified professional to undergo a redundancy. It can affect one's confidence and sense of worth. It is not unusual to want to compare one's self with those who were not affected and feel cheated when the expertise and experience of others seem inadequate compared to yours. However, there might be many reasons for you being severed from your job. It could be that your not being confident to speak in public placed you at a disadvantage. Or, it could be due to your fear of interviews that prevented you from articulating your contribution well enough at the time of your performance appraisals, or you were not assertive enough to challenge any perceived performance misjudgement by your supervisor. It could also be that your skills and knowledge were no longer required or relevant to the efficient operation of the company, or those skills and knowledge could be acquired at a reduced cost.

It is obvious that you need to get some training in public speaking. In the meantime, you can practise speaking in front of a mirror and also recording your speeches and evaluate them with a competent and objective friend. Even experienced public speakers get the jitters. There are also organisations that are dedicated to helping its members in public speaking.

Public speaking

Concerning your fear of job interviews, it is important to have a confident demeanour. You need to sell yourself and recognise that you have four minutes to make a good and lasting impression. State your accomplishments and what value you think you can add to the company. In addition, try to anticipate what questions the interviewers might ask. Definitely get to know as much about the company in which you are seeking to work. It is important that you do not take any negative feelings from the old job into the interview.

Learn from that redundancy and move on. There is no job security in this new economic order and it is best to be flexible and to learn new skills; get work experience in diverse areas to make you more marketable and less dispensable.

All the best in your next job interview.

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