Is there any such thing as a 'safe' career any more? Current turbulence in the City is producing a steady stream of calls from employers and employees reeling from the fall-out from share price plunge.

Equally frequently we are hearing from clients in many former safe havens of business now struggling with the consequences of rapid re-structuring in their sector. When you add the constant re-organisation in the public sector, it can seem as if career stability is a distant memory for many of us.

If this is happening to you, what can you do?

1. Accept that you will feel bruised, angry, puzzled and worried, probably all at once. Remind yourself that it is not your personal fault that your organisation is re-structuring.
2. Banish the self-defeating myths from your mind. It is not actually true, for instance, that if you are over 35/45/55 (fill in the blanks yourself) you will not get another job. You may have to think laterally, but our experience is that people who really want work will find it whatever their age or apparent disadvantages.
3. Ask your current employer what help by way of coaching and re-training they will provide as part of your exit from the company.
4. Start thinking now about your whole life direction. What's going well? What's not going so well? Think here about health, money, core relationships, your home environment. Although it may not feel like it at the time, many of our clients certainly find that in practice, this forced re-think is a blessing in disguise.
5. What do you need from a new job? Think here beyond the obvious categories of money or autonomy. What were the best parts of the old job? What were the downsides? What does this tell you about what you must have?
6. Do a skills audit. Which skills do you enjoy using? Which do you dislike using? Which do you need to grow?
7. Now dig out your CV. We find that many of our clients have not touched their CV for many years. There are fashions in CV writing as in everything else. However, some core principles remain. If yours is written at War and Peace length reduce it to no more than three pages. The CV gets you on the shortlist, it doesn't get you the job. It's a marketing tool. How far does yours represent you, the 'brand'? Give it to a ruthlessly honest friend and ask them what sort of first impression it would make on them.
8. If you are looking for a senior job or a specialist post where your skills are in short supply, now is the time to phone a headhunter or two and gets yourself into their system. This isone way to tap into the so-called 'invisible' job market. Another is to phone opinion-formers in your network, letting them know what you want and asking their advice on how to get it. Never, ever, say 'Gie's a job', but few people can resist the invitation to give advice.
9. At the same time you need to start searching the 'visible' job market.
10. Apply sparingly. Don't shoot off applications all over the place. The result is inevitable disappointment and a crash in confidence. Target your efforts, including moulding your CV to suit each job.
11. Interview skills are vital. If you have not had a job interview for years, you need to be prepared for the way selection processes have changed. This means fairer but also more rigorous. First, research the organisation in as much depth as possible. Secondly, ask a friend to role play an interview with you. Ask for candid feedback on how you come across. Most of us are unaware of the mannerisms or habits that can get in the way at interviews.
12. Think about first impressions. Put on your interview suit and ask the same honest friend for feedback on whether or not you are creating an impression of authority. Also, do a practice handshake. What impression are you giving here?

Management Futures can provide coaching help on all these topics and also workshops for groups. Also order Jenny's book on Effective Interviews.