The world of work has become quite a challenging place. Too busy for some, uncertainty and job losses for others.

Times are difficult, especially for some sectors. And sometimes high performers get particularly troubled when their employer single-handedly changes the way they are paid or rewarded. What should your first reaction be?

We speak to many who have walked out on their job because the earnings are just not there any longer. Perhaps they have been used to earning £65k to £70k, suddenly your new package will only yield £40k at best for the same level of performance. And look at the market, what chance have they got? No wonder they are upset.

But is walking out with nowhere to go the best strategy? One thing is for sure, the powers that be will not lose any sleep over it, they probably wanted to lose all of their high earners in any case.

But out of a job you will find a job much more difficult to come by, especially if everybody else is leaving in droves at the same time. It is not an easy job market.

So don’t make any hasty decisions. If you delay by a couple of months, at worse you will be only a few thousand pounds worse off, but you can use the time profitably to look for something else.

And there might be some good that comes of it – if your package has changed then so has that of your managers as well. Sometimes, for the ambitious and highly capable, there is a “last man standing” scenario. Rapid promotions in a chaotic environment.

You won’t change a boss’s mind, but you might just protect your own future, or be catapulted to the next level. So stop, think and do not act hurriedly. There will be plenty of opportunity even if it takes you a few months.

Well of course, losing a job at any time is never ideal. And for you personally clearly it could present short and long-term problems.

But the question is really aimed at jobseekers who feel that it is more difficult to find a new job when not working, as there will always be question marks over why they are on the market.

Whether times are good or bad, my reply to anyone is simple. If you think it is a problem, then it is.

What do I mean by that? Put simply, in an interview situation while the interviewer will try to remain as objective as possible, they will always pick up on lots of non-verbal cue cues.

The person who thinks their current situation is a problem, one that they wish they were never asked a question about, gives away that impression immediately. Any answer they give is unconvincing or seems evasive.

But the reality is that, providing you have done nothing criminal or grossly negligent, most recruiters recognise that these things happen. Sometimes you find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time. A change of manager, a change of company policy leaves you out in the cold.

So if you do not think it is a problem, and spend no time defending it or justifying your position, then it probably won’t be a problem in the interview.

If you have fallen out with your boss and agreed to part company then say so. One word of warning, never criticise a previous employer, merely say “Wrong place, wrong time. I don’t blame them, but we decided to call it a day.” Or “I am sure he (or she) had their reasons but I could not agree with the direction the company was taking. So I need to look elsewhere”

Providing it is the truth, it will ring true. And it is no big deal, it is simply a decision that you have made.

There are plenty of people out of work, in any case. Don’t beat yourself up badly because you find yourself in that position.

While the first secret of any covering letter, or in today’s market email, is that most of them don’t get read.

However, there are one or two real essentials. Few of us are as good at writing as Leo Tolstoy. So writing War and Peace is never a great strategy. If people don’t read short cover letters, then they most assuredly don’t read mammoth ones.

The second secret, certainly as far as emails go, is that the subject line must be clearly labelled so your recipient understands that this is an application for whatever job, department or division you are applying for.

The third secret is that people get really upset if you spell their name wrong. So take the time to get this piece of information exactly right, as well as the name of the company.

The fourth secret is to read the job advertisement or specification. The company might be using artificial intelligence, or perhaps resorting to a human in HR, to sift the replies. Make sure the reasons that you are applying for the job, and indeed your commentary about yourself, reflects the job description. Make sure it explains, if you don’t have quite the qualifications or experience they are looking for, why you have more than enough experience to make up for that.

The fifth secret is simply to get yourself a professional email address. johntheidiot@gmail.com or sexyjohn@gmail.com is hardly professional. And we have seen much worse.

But Gmail, like many others, will give you a free email address at any time to manage your job applications. Make sure you do so if your current email address is one that is very definitely not quite right for your professional life.

Cover letters are not nearly as important as they used to be. But avoid a couple of mistakes, make sure they are not too long and make yourself look and sound professional will be just fine. The CV is the important thing, make sure that is right to begin with.