Case Studies & Testimonials

Many thanks for your help in guiding me through the redundancy process. I managed to find a temporary job with an agency the following week and the two page interview sheet you gave me was very useful in helping me gain employment with the organisation this agency has set me up with.

I have just completed the modules on the website and have found them extremely useful and your comments on updating my CV have also been very helpful.

Once again thank you for the help you have given me during this stressful time.

Oswin Taylor

Just wanted to thank you for all your help. From the one day course through to the CV and interview and presentation help, it has all been greatly appreciated and most importantly I thought you’d want to know I got the job! I won't forget the help you provided ... you are great at what you do!

Richard Hamlin

Thank you so much. You have been an absolute star since the first time we spoke. You have always been there to help. I really appreciated meeting you in Edinburgh and all your help with my CV; I will definitely be keeping it this way from now on. It has taken longer than I expected to find a new job but I am glad that I am there now. Your calls and encouraging emails have kept me motivated and positive.

I think you are just brilliant and I cannot thank you enough for all your help.

Hazel Stothard, Edinburgh

Thanks for your Good Wishes regarding the job; I'm sure everything is going to be fine with it. I've already done a couple of days last week and I'm sure that I will enjoy it. I spent two days in the gorgeous sunshine driving around visiting some beautiful gardens to give the owners estimates for the our services. I had to keep pinching myself that I was getting paid for it!

I'd just like to thank you for all the support and guidance that you gave to me during the last four and a half months. Without your help things would have been a lot tougher. Having never had to suffer the shock of redundancy previously, I would have been at a loss to know what to do, but your help was a godsend. Many thanks indeed.

Colin Wilkinson, Lancashire

As a HR professional I was quite doubtful about what value outplacement would have for me personally but am happy to report that I found it an extremely helpful and Kate an extremely important part of my search for a new career.

I had a lot of experience of self assessment and 360% feedback so some of the exercises and assessments on line were familiar but would recommend them to anybody going through the process.

For me the 1: 1 support provided by Kate was the invaluable part of the programme. She kept me on track, helped me retain my confidence through the whole time and was a great help in being objective and realistic about my previous experiences.

The support in making my CV as good as possible by continually pushing me (in a very tactful and diplomatic manner) was much appreciated - giving me examples to work with and questioning my choice of words all made for an excellent CV that was complimented by new employer.

I have always believed that outplacement was useful for 'other' people but now believe that done in the right way and matched to the person's needs that outplacement is useful to everbody.

Many thanks to Kate who managed to get the very difficult balance between pushing and pulling exactly right.

All in all redundancy, as it seems to be for many people, has ended up being a good experience. I now have a job in a very different culture which appears to meet my values much more and I have certainly learnt much about myself in the process.

Janet Sutcliffe, William Hill

In the nicest possible way, I think your job's done! Thank you very much for all your help and encouragement - I really appreciated having someone to talk to. Clearly, not giving up and remaining positive has paid off and I'm grateful for the support you gave me in this."

Richard Page, Lincoln Financial Group

What a superb session! Eddie was enthusiastic, informative and delivered the session at a steady pace. The session has left me feeling inspired and excited about the future.

Clare Moore, Legal & General

"Very informative and useful session. Well presented."

Richard Wilkins, Legal & General

Very informative and delivered at the right pace and got everyone involved. I feel more confident in being able to get a new job, and being fully prepared for interviews.

Laura Darrant, Legal & General

"I have been offered a job as a Field Service Engineer near Warrington. I start on Monday. This was the first company that I e-mailed with the new CV, and, whether by coincidence or good luck, I was granted an interview two days later. It lasted over two hours. I was confident, asked good, relevant questions and was very comfortable all through. Good preparation helps with confidence in interviews and this certainly helps.

They then had to interview two more candidates that afternoon. They rang me back at 5:30 the same evening and offered me the job! I had taken good heed of your advice and used it to my advantage, and it worked for me.
Many thanks for your useful course. Keep up the good work. I have learnt a lot and will use my new found knowledge in the future should the need arise again.

Again, many thanks for your great website and personal help.

I am looking forward to starting my new career on Monday, and I will be in touch in the near future to let you know how I am progressing."

David Powell

"Thank you so much for the time you spent with me working on my CV and Interview techniques, this has really helped me secure the position I've been holding out for, my CV now looks great and I'm sure that had a lot to do with me getting the interviews I wanted, thanks again".

Kim Buttress

I am currently doing some temp HR work for City & Guilds. I also start a 12 month contract in June (possibility of it going permanent) for Help the Aged as a HR Advisor. Thank you so much for your intial help. Arranging to meet up so soon after leaving work helped me feel positive and good about myself.

Sharmeela Pal

I got the job!

I did my little ‘pitch’ and he offered me the job there and then. I start 2 weeks Friday, I’m so excited!!!!

Thank you so much for all your advice and help over the last few weeks, it has obviously done the trick

Sam Wilks

The Connect Programme exercises certainly gave me direction in looking for a new position and I'm sure that without your wise counsel I would not be where I am today.

David Case

"Before I went for my interview last week, I logged on to your site for some very useful tips on staying calm at the interview and some of the questions that could be asked. I really found it helped me as I was then able to plan ahead for the questions that could be.....and were....asked."

Susan McCulloch - Cumbernauld

"At a time when your life is thrown into confusion The Connect Programme is a lifeline. You need good sound advice and you need it in a form that can be taken in and referenced. So much happens when you are made redundant and so many people give you advice - but of all the sources I used, The Connect Programme stood out as a complete source that can be rerefenced when you need it in a style and format that is easy to read and understand.

"Being delivered over the web was a real bonus. Many people spend some days or weeks at their employer's site before time at home. Using the web means that you can utilise facilities at work to start the process and then continue at home.

"The Connect Programme provides all of its information in a style that is easy to understand without any assumptions. The layout is straightforward and you progress through the advice and information in a logical way. Most of the information is presented as answers to a series of questions that are the ones that you would choose to ask.

"The programme ensures that you are driven along and involves you in agreeing a series of targets in a 'personal plan'. In addition it can provide information that will help you sit down and evaluate options for a change in skills if that is what you are considering or some of the more practical help - like how to sign on or how to go about writing your CV.

"In addition to the information directly available there are numerious links to off-site sources of information on a range of topics to help you. Those nice people at The Connect Programme even provide downloadable items that can be of real practical help - like a speadsheet to help you with your finances or a tick list of questions for you to consider at an interview.

"When you've been made redundant you want to talk to someone and conventional outplacement companies have advisors - but the key is access to the advisors - they need to be there when you want to talk to them. Using the Connect Programme takes away some of the pressing need to see someone straightaway because most of the questions you want to ask are right there. You are still assigned an advisor though and he or she is available in exactly the same way as any other company.

"Everything is there - it even takes you into your next job and helps you through the frustrations of the first month!

"For me, The Connect Programme worked; I am now back in work and still following some of the practical advice."

Mike Hyland

"I am pleased to say that as of 29th March I have taken on the job role of HR Project Manager, with my first project being a "Respect for All" policy with Disability Awareness being the predominant subject. The job role is permanent and full time. I am really looking forward to getting my teeth into this, but best of all I know I can be a benefit to the business. Thank you very much for your advice and support - you can now put me down as another one of your successes"

Brendan Fitzgerald

"Just wanted to say thank you once again for spending that afternoon with me going through the interview techniques. It certainly proved very useful. I have since started work on a 3 month contract, which has now led onto a permanent position. Thank you once more"

Dinesh Savjani

"I would like to thank you both personally and from a professional point of view. The help that you and Connect have given me has been immeasurable. I used your website on many occasions and found it very useful. I was able to take a lot from the info you have on there, and would recommend your service to anyone who finds themselves in the situation I was in."

Pete Kitson

"I was introduced to The Connect Team to assist me in my recent Redundancy. First impressions were of a team that were down to earth and fully understanding. My Consultant has helped me accept my situation in a positive way and has advised and assisted me in the preparation of an up-to-date C.V. He has supported me and provided me with information and advice to enable me to prepare for job interviews and renewed my confidence at a time of change."

Jo Letchford, BioFocus

"I felt The Connect Team were brilliant at making you feel at ease whilst talking about personal problems at my current work place and also allayed fears of finding a new work placement. Overall a excellent run system. Thank-you"

S. Miles

"During 3 meetings, backed up by email, telephone support and their excellent website, the Connect people quickly understood my situation and gave me clear advice, such that I felt confident to apply for jobs much sooner than I had planned. I felt the process was excellent - it certainly worked for me. I owe Connect a big thank you for everything!"

Christelle Lauret

"New job thanks to Connect"

C.Farrington

Candidate feedback from Connect Workshops

"Good advice given all day"
"Very good service - very pleased"
"Excellent"
"V. helpful workshop. Has eliminated many concerns I had. Content and coaching method excellent"

Executive coaching testimonials

My involvement with Connect coaching staff over an extended period gave me a whole new insight into the power of coaching as a management model to the extent that I am now rolling out coaching training to all of my direct reports. The appeal and impact of coaching as a development tool both for myself and for my team motivated me to pursue an ILM qualification in coaching which has given me the skills to effectively and sensitively deliver organisational change in very challenging times.

Jonathan Barrett
Assistant Director - Public Protection
Kirklees Council