When 57-year-old Charles Muir was made redundant from his job after 30 years, he unsurprisingly felt despondent.

Uncertain of where his future lay and lacking confidence, the father-of-two from Toms Lane, Kings Langley, turned to his local job centre to find work.

He said: “When my job was made redundant in 2008, at the start of the credit crunch, it was a really difficult time. I had a family to support and for the first time in 30 years no work. My wife said it really knocked my confidence.

“You always think it’s not going to be me, but you just don’t know where that axe will fall.”

Despite scouring the internet and applying for work at every available opportunity, Mr Muir said he came up against a brick wall.

He explained: “As time went by, it didn’t matter how many interviews I attended, how many jobs I applied for, I just wasn’t getting work.

“It’s tough for people without jobs, particularly if you’ve just come out of university, college, or are 18 to 25 years old.

“Or like me, you’re a bit older and have a wealth of experience.

“For those fresh to the job market, they haven’t got the experience so are overlooked. For people like me, you tend to be just a bit too overqualified.

“In the end it’s the middle band, those that have just the right level of experience who are picked. It’s disheartening.”

Mr Muir ended up turning to Careers Springboard, a charity, run by volunteers, aimed at helping people back into work.

The organisation has branches in the Chilterns, South Bucks and Wycombe area, but according to volunteers, Watford residents tend to frequent the Gerrards Cross branch.

Mr Muir said: “I joined Careers Springboard at a time that I really needed help finding work.

“Not only do volunteers help you put your CV together, but they also have guest speakers, experts in the respective fields, giving lectures.

“You investigate areas where you could get a job, perhaps through the use of social media or through old contacts.

“You meet in a group, on a weekly basis, and you’re given a chance to share your progress. Not only is it great pooling ideas with others, but it spurs you on to do better.”

Thanks to advice given by volunteers from Careers Springboard, Mr Muir decided to get in contact with former colleagues – some he had worked alongside about 20 years ago. As a result he is set to start work in the next few days, for a Dutch company, in the financial information business.

He said: “I’ve a mixture of feelings about my first day. It’s daunting, but it’s exciting. It’s an environment I’m used to, having worked in the financial information business for such a long time, yet I’ll be surrounded by new people.

“It’s thanks to Careers Springboard that I’ve made headway and I would recommend them to anyone who is in a similar situation to me. The service is free and it’s supportive. The only bug-bear is the distance – but who knows; if enough people in Watford voiced a need, perhaps they could relocate closer.”

• Careers Springboard is hosting a programme of events in the coming months.

To view the meeting programme visit www.careersspringboard.info/Meeting_Programme.html.