Having given up a glamorous highly-paid career in the Caribbean to move to Haywards Heath to be with her partner, Meredith Wood has found it difficult to get work in the UK.

As the winner of our career makeover competition, we got a career coach, a top psychologist and celebrity stylist to meet her and pass on some crucial tips for how to land that great new job. Ruth Addicott asked how it all went

Meredith's story
Living in the sunny Caribbean managing a spa resort and a multimillion dollar butterfly farm, Meredith Wood appeared to have it all - a gorgeous home, a laid-back lifestyle, a job she loved and friends and family close by she could rely on. Recently divorced, the last thing she was looking for was romance.

However, after falling in love with her current partner Rob three years ago she gave it all up last July to come back and live with him in Haywards Heath, with her son, 12, and daughter, nine. Since then, her life has come to a standstill.

"Life was good," recalls Meredith, 45.

"I lived in Saint Martin in the Caribbean, I was manager of a butterfly farm and a freelance massage therapist - two jobs I loved. I maintained a balance between divorce, work and children. Everything was going in the right direction and then the cherry on the top - I fell in love."

Although she maintained a long distance relationship with Rob for two years, Meredith decided to make the move in 2007.

"I sold my house and my car, waved goodbye to butterflies, friends and clients and, clutching my fabulous references, plonked my family down in Haywards Heath," she says. "At the time I was really excited about the move.

I didn't realise how much of a wrench it would be."

Apart from missing the blue skies, white sands and laid-back lifestyle, as much as she enjoys living in Sussex, Meredith has struggled to settle in. To make matters worse, Rob has lost his job and, spending a large amount of time setting up his own business, the strain is beginning to show in their relationship.

"I feel completely lost," she says.

"Living in Haywards Heath, everyone seems to have their own lives and families and I'm finding it incredibly hard to get a job."

Meredith isn't short of initiative and is certainly not one to give up easily as she has already proved, surviving seven hurricanes in St Martin.

The first, in 1995, devastated the island as well as her home - she lost the roof off her house along with her job.

"My little boy was only eight weeks old,"

she recalls. "There was no water, no electricity, it was just a mess. But when you're faced with a situation like that, you go into survival mode."

While there is little likelihood of a Force 4 hurricane hitting Haywards Heath, she is finding life here surprisingly tougher than she'd ever imagined.

Meredith was managing director of a luxury spa resort in St Martin for five years, before becoming part-time manager of the butterfly farm. But despite having the skills, experience and making countless attempts to get a job in Sussex, all she has had is rejections. Even a carefully worded ad in the paper advertising her services as a massage therapist, only prompted 50 calls from the "dirty mac" brigade.

Meredith says she is flexible and just wants to feel inspired but the jobhunting has left her with a growing sense of alienation, frustration and self-doubt.

"Agencies tend to ask questions like Are you prepared to work for minimum wage?' and suggest, as I haven't worked for the past six months, I should accept a low-paid job to show prospective employers I am using my skills."

She believes her biggest problem is being a "Jill of all trades" and difficult for employers to pigeonhole. "It's a case of trying to find a focus," she says.

"I've found myself really scattered, frozen with fear, unable to move forwards or backwards - me, who cruised through seven hurricanes.

I need help to find my feet so I can seek interesting opportunites. I need direction, information and inspiration - indeed a makeover."



The stylist

Zoe Lem has worked on What Not To Wear and has styled celebrities such as Robbie Williams

"Following her move back to the UK, Meredith has not quite got to grips with dressing for the cold.

"Life in the Caribbean requires nothing more than a pair of shorts and flip-flops, so it was important to teach her the art of layering within the context of a smart work wardrobe.

Meredith has been wearing looser clothing in the sun and was actually a smaller size than she thought so it was crucial to add some shape and curve."

Colour and style
"Colourwise, Meredith needed warm colours to brighten and soften her skin and face.

"Gold was a good shade to lift her eyes and the funky shape of the gold jacket added a modernity to the look as well as being flattering. It's a versatile look that can be worn for work but with different accessories carried through for evening.

"The length of the jacket also made her legs look longer. Red is difficult to wear for many people but with Meredith's dark hair it adds vibrancy as long as the right make-up is worn to even the skin tone. The trench coat is also very on trend this season.

"As she has a bust, she must be careful to keep the neckline open - double breasted can make you look wider if buttoned to the top."

Accessories
"The chunky jewellery is again in proportion with her height and shape.

Very small, delicate jewellery will make her look bigger, while bolder pieces add youth."

Shoes
"Heels are great for leg shape and give you confidence going into a meeting as long as you can walk in them. These are comfy and great for work as they are a wedge but still maintain the height.

They are only £39.50, too ,which is great for building up a work wardrobe without spending a fortune."

(All clothes from M&S)

MEREDITH'S VERDICT
"Zoe gave me advice on what colours and styles would be flattering and professional and how to make a good first impression. She also gave me two looks within an hour - impressive!

"Zoe said most women are thinner under their chest so an empire line would help balance my boobs. She also suggested buying trousers which kick out at the knee because they'd balance my hips. She really opened my eyes to different shapes.

"I'd never wear bronze wedges normally but when I tried them on, they went really well with the outfit.

"I tend to wear tailored black trousers and a lot of blue, black and red, but Zoe steered me into unchartered waters with chocolate brown, bronze and a red trench coat.

"I felt a bit of an idiot at first and nearly backed out, then I thought Life's too short'. The final outfit was a much younger, fresher look than I'd normally go for but I felt it really upped the ante."

Top style tips

  • If you have a part of your body you don't like, don't add bright colour or detail to the area as this will attract attention to it.
  • In any work situation, it's better to lead the eye to the face and eyes rather than the cleavage so stick to block colour.
  • Wide-leg trousers or an A-line skirt can add shape to legs
  • Avoid a chunky, heavy coat as this will add width.
  • If you have a large bust, keep the neckline open. A double-breasted coat or jacket will make you look wider if your wear it buttoned up to the top.

THE CAREERS COACH

Tony Rous is Learndirect's resident careers advice coach
"Meredith felt that since moving to the UK last year she had achieved very little compared with the previous 12 months.

I told her she had actually achieved a great deal - getting her family settled, helping her partner start his new business, applying for jobs, making new contacts.

"Meredith had had the results of one job interview and was awaiting the results of another. So we agreed she had made good progress."

Skills and CV
"I asked Meredith about her skills and interests and she talked about what she could bring to a job. I also suggested she has come to the right area to utilise her tourist industry skills and experience.

"We discussed ways of finding employment and Meredith said she was prepared to take further qualifications so I emailed her details of local and self-study accounting and computer courses.

"Meredith also asked me to review her CV and agreed she needed to say more about herself and less about her previous employment."

MEREDITH'S VERDICT
"Tony Rous was very practical. He told me how to tweak my CV so it focuses more on me and how to transfer' my skills to the UK.

"He also suggested following up letters with a phone call. He said there's nothing wrong with calling up the employer and asking them what skills they are looking for."

THE PSYCHOLOGIST

Donna Dawson has appeared on This Morning and Radio 5 Live

"Meredith struck me as a woman with many talents.

"She had been brave enough to leave a successful job and a settled life on a West Indian island to accompany her partner and children back to England. She is now trying to fit in and find a job that would recognise both her managerial talents and her skill as a massage therapist."

Focus exercises
"I asked Meredith to write down a healthy belief' she wished to strengthen such as I am capable of finding the job I want'.

"I had her rate her present level of conviction in that statement as a percentage and she put down 70 per cent.

I then asked her to attack' her own statement, by writing down arguments against it and to respond to this attack by writing down the counter arguments to the ones she'd already stated. We continued until all her attacks had been answered and countered. I then asked her to rate her level of conviction in her original statement again and it had risen to 80 per cent.

"The second written exercise was titled Where I want to be a year from now'. On the left side of the paper she listed all the things which might hinder her and down the right, all the things which could help her. The bottom of the paper was reserved for writing down solutions.

"We then spent half an hour on a relaxation exercise. I felt Meredith benefited from having this time to herself in which to concentrate and focus on what she wanted - this gives her control back over her own life and puts her in the driver's seat."

MEREDITH'S VERDICT:
"It was really interesting. Donna made me focus on my strengths and I found it reassuring to know I am looking in the right direction. We did some written work to underscore that and also a meditation which will hopefully harness my focus and self confidence."

More information

  • Learndirect Careers Advice offers free, confidential advice for people looking to get back to work or retrain.

Call 0800 100 900 or visit www.learndirect-advice.co.uk

Look out for Meredith's job-hunting blog, starting soon on this website.

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