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If you’ve been made redundant and aren’t quite sure how or where to start looking for a new job, read on.
For most people, it's an uncertain time, so here are some of our thoughts on how you can dust yourself off and work towards securing your next dream job!
Be kind to yourself
First things first. It’s your role that’s no longer needed, not you.
While some people get an inkling that redundancy is on the cards, for others finding out comes like a bolt out of the blue.
Give yourself time to let it sink in. As disappointed, angry even and downright scared you might feel, being able to work through those emotions will let you approach the next steps with a clearer head.
Reinvent yourself?
Redundancy is a great time to consider your future and could be the perfect time to make some changes – whether you look into a qualification you’ve always been interested in, or consider a change of direction in terms of your job. This could be a good opportunity, or the push you need even, to make it happen.
Get your job seeking house in order
It might have been some time since you’ve dusted off your CV, so review and update it, especially as trends in CV writing may have changed since you last wrote yours. There are lots of free templates available for you to use online - one of our favourites is Canva - however don't feel you need to go all out on the design front. Hiring managers and recruiters are more than happy with a well written, simply formatted Word (or similar) document - unless you're applying for a creative role, we're normally more interested in the content vs how 'good looking' it is.
As well as your employment history – include anything that you’ve done or achieved outside of work too. It’s amazing what people get up to that they fail to mention that can really support their search for work.
Create an account on one or more job boards, so that hiring managers and recruiters can find your CV and talk to you about any potentially relevant jobs they have.
Know your rights
As well as any financial obligations your employer has, get to grips with the other rights you have. If you have a notice period that you're working through, you're entitled to reasonable time off to support your search for work. This includes time off to attend interviews, or to pursue any training you want to do, for example.
Where next?
Have a good think about the type of job and company you’d like to work for. Equally, identify any deal breakers – the salary or location for example. Brush up on your interview skills and practice answers to standard questions. Prepare to be asked about your most recent role and the circumstances surrounding your redundancy and try and talk about it positively - even if you might not feel that way!
LinkedIn/social media
Many companies and recruitment agencies search LinkedIn to find potential candidates.
If you don’t have a profile already – create one - you can use much of the information that you've already got on your CV. If it’s not up to date, give it a refresh. LinkedIn have a guide that will help you make sure your profile is as good as it can be.
You can also use LinkedIn to let recruiters know that you’re open to opportunities. You can change your status under the Privacy settings/Job Seeking Preferences so you’ll appear in searches that match your career interests.
(Whilst we’re on the subject of social media, tidy up your accounts so that you’d be happy for any of your posts to be read by a future employer or make your accounts private!).
Get connecting
Now your LinkedIn profile’s spot on – get connecting and following! Company pages can be a great place to start as are current and former colleagues. Any endorsements that you can get will also help you to stand out from the crowd.
Jump on any other opportunities you spot for networking. While face to face opportunities might be somewhat limited at the moment, many have successfully made the transition to online - Eventbrite’s a good place to start to see what's out there locally and further afield.
Call on the experts!
Get in touch with a recruitment agency. They are free to use and they’ll have jobs that you wouldn’t find otherwise as some organisations don't advertise their roles themselves. We're experts when it comes to a tailored/proactive search and will be on hand to offer support throughout your search for work. As well as support before any interviews – whether that's information about the process itself or advice on what wear for example - they'll also be able to give you feedback on your CV and comments from prospective employers, until you’ve secured your dream job!
A positive attitude
It's easier said than done sometimes however having a positive attitude towards your search will shine through and it'll certainly help if you’re able to put a positive spin on your redundancy experience when talking to prospective employers, or allowing that positivity to radiate through your CV and communication, in general.
It will work out and the Sarah West Recruitment team are good evidence of this! Our MD, Sarah was made redundant in 2005 which is how she ended up setting up her own agency and has never looked back. In fact she's often heard saying that it was one of the best things that ever happened to her, despite being terrifying at the time. Likewise Lisa was made redundant in 2014 which is how she ended up joining the Sarah West Recruitment and is still thoroughly enjoying it!
Give us a shout if you’re in this position and we’d be happy to see how we can help you start your search for work. Over the last few weeks, we've seen more new roles starting to come through and many of those that were paused as lockdown began, be reactivated. As a starter, take a look at the jobs we’re working on in and around the Exeter area.