Getting back on your feet
Redundancy can be a difficult experience. You might feel grief over the loss of your job, or you might be lacking in confidence. If you’ve been made redundant, these practical tips will help you to get moving and find your next job.
Remember that it is your job that has been made redundant, not you. Your job has come to an end, but your life goes on! Take a short break, talk with your partner, family or friends, allow yourself time to accept what has happened, and then start to make a plan of how you will move on. Instead of resigning yourself to low self worth and a difficult year, decide to be pro-active. To help keep depression at bay, be sure to exercise regularly. It really does work! If sport is not your thing, a half-hour walk every day is enough to make a real difference.
So, you’ve taken some time out and talked things through, you’ve accepted that you are more than your old job, and you’re ready to move on. What’s next?
How to find a new job
1. Make a plan for each day, and stick to it. Don’t get into the habit of getting up late and watching TV all day. You are unemployed and ‘actively seeking work’, so act like it! Treat looking for a job like a job in itself. Make a daily ‘to do’ list, and tick off the tasks as you complete them.
2. Go to your local job centre and register as unemployed. As long as you have paid enough Class 1 National Insurance contributions, you should be eligible to receive job seekers benefit. Use it!
3. Write down your goals. What would you really love to do? This will help you to be specific in your job hunting.
4. Take stock of your strengths and weaknesses. If your confidence has been knocked, ask a friend to help you with this. Write them down.
5. Update your CV. Use your list of strengths and weaknesses. Don’t just stick a new page on the end of your old CV – this is a new start! Include the skills you’ve picked up since you last updated it. Use these tips on writing a great CV to help.
6. Find out about training. Is there something you’ve always wanted to be able to do? Now is the time to pick up some new skills. You might be entitled to free training through your old employer. Many training centres offer discounts to people who are out of work.
7. Make the most of your contacts. Let people know you are available for work. Don’t stay at home – accept invitations to parties. While you are meeting new people, you might bump into your future employer!
8. Apply, apply, apply. Look in your local papers, your job centre, and online. Register with recruitment agencies. The more jobs you apply for, the more likely you are to get one. Don’t forget that a lot of jobs are not advertised, so if you are interested in working for a certain company, contact them, introduce yourself and ask if there are any jobs available.
9. Do your research, and check carefully that you fit the job description, so that you don’t waste your energy. Only apply to jobs that you are qualified for.
10. Don’t stop until you get a job! It might take a while, but every interview gives you valuable experience. Remember that being made redundant doesn’t change who you are. You are a competent worker, with valid qualifications and experience. Get back on your feet, get moving, and get your next job.
Want to find out more about your unique strengths? Check out the Birkman Express here.
Or have a look at our Checklist for Jobhunters here
Read this story from someone who saw redundancy as an opportunity to start her own business.
Written by Becky Matyus.
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