What To Do If Redundancy Comes Your Way

Christine Khor is a director of Carrera Partners; a team of recruitment and human resource consultants specialising in sales and marketing disciplines. Carrera Partners have links with many of the best known companies and most sought-after candidates in the country.

Is unemployment on the rise or is the employment market stabilising? 2009 has been a year of change and upheaval for some, with job cuts still anticipated in some industry sectors. So what do you do if redundancy comes your way?

1. TAKE SOME TIME OFF

This is the most important thing you can do for yourself. Give yourself time to work off that potential suitcase full of baggage. You may feel angry and resentful and these emotions can be so close to the surface that they bubble over in interviews. You only have one chance at a first impression and you need to perform at your best.

A common mistake is to jump straight back onto the treadmill.

A better idea is to give yourself a chance to view job seeking from a fresh perspective.

2. DEVELOP A CAREER PLAN

Many people use this unexpected break as an opportunity to decide what they really want from a job. The old cliché that when one door closes another door opens is true. What’s important in your next role? What kind of company do you want to work for? Do you want to launch your own business or change industry?

3. JOB SEARCHING IS A JOB

It helps to have structure in your day especially if you’re used to working ‘nine to five’. Get up at the same time every workday and ‘clock in’ at your home office. Have a list of tasks, prospective companies to call, recruiters to follow up and advertisements to answer. Only apply for suitable roles that fit your career goals. Don’t expect to get the first role you apply for and expect that it will take longer to find work than you imagined.

4. WRITE YOUR RESUME

Some senior employees have never written a resume. If you’ve been with the same company for longer than five years it could take time to pin down exactly when you were promoted or to identify your key achievements.

It’s worth spending as much time as possible making your resume shine. Make it concise and easy to read, list achievements that are measurable and make sure it’s no longer than five pages, even if you have 30 years’ experience.

5. WORK THE NETWORK

Even without realising it you will have collected a network of contacts throughout your career. Now is the time to call them.

It’s hard to ask for help but put your ego aside as most people are only too willing to assist.

Don’t just limit this to work colleagues and business associates. Think about personal contacts as well. Great job leads that may never be advertised come from this source of enquiry. It’s the hidden job market!

6. BE REALISTIC ABOUT YOUR EXPECTATIONS

Sometimes any job is better than no job. While you’re on the lookout for permanent work be prepared to look at contracting roles. Contracting is the way of the future and an excellent way to build networks. Contracting helps to show that your skills are transferable. Be realistic about your salary expectations. Part of the reason companies are reducing their head count is that they can’t afford to pay huge salary packages.

If your position has been made redundant you’re not alone. Unfortunately this is the norm rather than the exception in the current corporate climate of stretching every dollar and cutting costs. If you follow these simple steps, redundancy can be a great time for learning, new challenges and fresh opportunities. Above all stay positive . there is life after redundancy.