Hayley Taylor (Fairy Jobmother) text interview

20 May 2011

The following interview is available free for reproduction in full or in part.  Please credit The Fairy Jobmother, Tuesdays from 7th June, 9pm, Channel 4.

 

Fairy Jobmother Hayley Taylor is a woman with a mission: To get Britain working again, one person at a time.  Life for Britain's unemployed is about to get tougher, with welfare cuts set to drastically change life for millions of people. In her new series, Hayley will visit four unemployment hotspots across the UK to help show individuals that long-term unemployment is not an incurable condition. Here, she reveals how redundancy took a toll on her life, why she's passionate about what she does, and what tips people can use to help secure work.

 

For those who have never seen the programme, describe your series and the role you play in it.

The Fairy Jobmother is a series that explores the difficulties faced by individuals who, for whatever reason, have found themselves seeking employment. It addresses the barriers that cause individuals to become dependant upon a system, that to some extent traps them, and stops them from moving forward. It is my role to help them identify the underlying causes that hold them back, to identify their personal skill set, to identify their transferable skills, to show them how important it is to have a good C.V, and the highest standards of marketability in order to gain sustainable employment.

 

Why are you the right person to help people find work? How are you qualified to help them?

 I think that I am just one small cog in a huge wheel of individuals who are in the Welfare to Work industry, I don't see myself as the only person to be able to help the unemployed. There are some fantastic people who do what I do day in, day out, many of whom I have worked with, it just happened to be that I was in the right place at the right time, so to speak.

I am qualified to help the unemployed not for just academic reasons but for the fact I have many life experiences that I can use to relate to the individuals that I work with. I feel that life experiences teach you far more than you can ever imagine, and using them gives you a clearer level of understanding as to the situations faced by the unemployed. You can't help someone move forward, or change their mindset or attitude if you have no clear understanding or compassion as to the difficulties life presents. I use every personal experience I have encountered, and adapt it into my working life so it enables me to handle situations in the most appropriate way for all the individuals that I work with.

 

What do you make of the argument that there simply aren't enough Jobs out there?

There are jobs out there, just less of them, due to the economic climate the competition for the positions on offer is much stiffer now and candidates need to have that edge on their competitors, that's where I come in. Things that most people take for granted, such as shaking hands and introducing themselves to a prospective employer, is alien to an individual who has never found themselves in a position whereby they have had to do that.

 

Do you think people are too selective? Should they end up doing jobs even if they hate them?

Yes I do think individuals are too selective when it comes to gaining employment, everyone wants a job where they can earn a great hourly rate and enjoy getting up on a morning and going to work. Unfortunately those jobs require skills and qualifications that the majority of individuals seeking employment don't possess, so therefore realism plays a huge part in an individual seeking and finding work. I would never say take a job that you know you are going to hate, that is down to personal choice and circumstance, but a rule of thumb is "it's easier to find a job when you are in a job".

 

Do you think some people simply choose to be on the dole?

Who would choose to be trapped in a system that enables you to become dependant upon it? I don't think it's a conscious choice for the majority, it's a choice that individuals should only have to make in circumstances that are out of their control, desperate circumstances. Unfortunately the system has been abused by the minority and there is little or no going back for them, circumstances make people go to desperate measures, and do what they feel is right at that moment in time, it's only afterwards they discover it's almost impossible to be weaned off it.

 

How will government cuts change things for the unemployed?

The proposed cuts are going to be a radical change for the unemployed, sanctions will be put in place and Job Centre Advisors will be given far more power to take control over what is the best course of action for claimants. Change can sometimes be a good thing, but it's how individuals adapt to that change that concerns me, but we will have to wait and see.

 

Have you ever had a period of unemployment? If so how did it affect you?

I took seven years out of my working life to be a stay at home parent, that was by choice, but difficult, as my husband was made redundant from a job that he had held for ten years and had to take a very low paid job. We struggled financially for many years, it was a huge setback. I helped him find another job that he has held for 10 years currently, but will never forget the devastation that redundancy caused. It was hard to survive at times, but you have to keep looking forward knowing it won't be forever.

 

What are the most common problems you encounter with people who are unable to get jobs?

I would say low self-esteem, lack of confidence, being unable to identify their skill set, not being realistic about what they can achieve, and not dealing with the underlying issues that have led them to find themselves unemployed.

 

What advice would you give to anyone out there searching for work?

 Persistence pays, it really does, combined with an excellent C.V, and if you treat "finding a job as a job in itself" you will eventually succeed.

 

What are your top tips for C.Vs and Interviews?

A good C.V should be clear and concise, no fancy fonts or boxes, and not produced via a template, it should be produced by the person to whom it belongs as it is a personal document and a selling tool. C.Vs are the first thing an employer sees before they see the person behind that document, it's the first impression.

Interviews, like C.Vs, give the chance to make that first impression, marketing yourself in the right way is essential, as is doing research on the company...know your stuff.

 

Which have been the best and worst results you have had as Fairy Jobmother?

There has never been a worst result, Fairy Jobmother is not just about helping someone to move into employment although that is the desired end goal, if it does happen that's amazing and I am overjoyed that they have moved forward in the most positive way imaginable, but the programme is also about equipping individuals with the tools to help them move forward into sustainable employment at a point when they are ready to do so. I do whatever is the right thing for that individual, and if they are not job ready I will say so, as it will only lead to them losing that position in the near future which does defeat the premise of what I am setting out to help them achieve in the first place.

 

Do people ever get hostile towards you when making this show?

Yes of course, it's actually not the individuals I am working with directly, but more the viewing public. I think they are hostile because they don't fully understand that I am supporting these unemployed individuals and want to help them move forward, some view me as bullying people back into work and of being in collaboration with the powers that be to reduce the unemployment figures. They couldn't be further from the truth.

 

Have you got any particularly hard nuts to crack in the new series?

Individuals can only become a hard nut to crack if you let them, and I don't. I show them respect and expect the same in return; I am there to help them, not to deal with their anger at something or someone. I prove to them that they can trust me and that I wouldn't betray that, I invest in them in everyway I can and they know that.

 

Why do you do what you do?

Because I am passionate about removing the stereotyping and stigma that being unemployed holds, I love to help people explore who they are and what they have to offer, to see them grow in confidence and self-esteem. I love listening to them and sharing their experiences, and seeing them move forward towards a better future, not only for themselves but their families also. It's important for me to know I have helped make a difference, I will only live the once so I want to make my mark in some way. Rather than sitting back and complaining it's better to be proactive, and I feel I am.