Redundancy can be a horrible experience for any employee. When uncertainty looms over your future, it can cause much stress and worry. Redundancy doesn’t mean your career is over, but it does force you to re-evaluate your options and seek out new opportunities. With the right preparation and support, you can minimise the damage of redundancy and come out on top. So if you’ve been unfortunate enough to be affected by redundancy, take a look at StandOut CV’s guide on how to bounce back from redundancy and transition seamlessly into a new role.
1. Understand your entitlements
Once you receive the news of redundancy, the first step is to fully understand the process and what your rights as an employee are. Speak with your employer at length and study your contract in detail to ensure you how the event will unfold. You need to know are what your notice period will be so that you can plan your new job hunt accordingly. You should also find out if you are entitled to any redundancy pay and whether or not your company will provide any support for you such as an outplacement service to help you secure a new role.
2. Know your value
If you’re going to be back on the job market again, it’s important that you learn the value of your skills and experience, so that you know what you can expect from a new role. Search through the job boards and speak to recruitment consultants who cover your profession and get the low down on your job market value. Find out which of your skills are in high demand and which big employers are currently hiring for your roles. Do some research to find out what sort of remuneration package you can achieve and where opportunities can be found.
3. Update your CV
Your CV is your number one marketing tool, so it needs to make a big impression on recruiters to get your foot in the door of your target companies. Start by formatting and structuring your CV so that it looks professional and is easy to navigate and read. Highlight your most in-demand sills experience so that they catch recruiters’ attention quickly and prove your value with impressive achievements, backed up by facts and figures. Be sure to update your CV with all the skills you have gained in your current role.
4. Promote yourself
Once your CV is ready, you need to hit the job market and promote yourself relentlessly if you want to land the best opportunities. Apply for as many relevant jobs as you can and upload your CV to CV databases for maximum exposure. Get your LinkedIn profile updated and gather plenty of recommendations from your current employer, ready to start networking with hiring managers and recruiters. Meet recruitment consultants who specify in roles within your industry and try to build up strong relationships with a select few who have good reputations and suitable vacancies for you.
5. Get interview ready
The final hurdle in securing your new role will be a job interview, so prepare yourself well in advance so that you are ready to interview at a moment’s notice. Whilst your searching and applying for roles, understand why you are a good fit for them and prepare to sell yourself at interview stage based on those reasons. Take a look at some common interview questions and practice how you will answer them – the more you do this, the more confident you will become. And lastly, don’t forget to stock your wardrobe with a smart interview appropriate outfit.
About the author: Andrew is a writer for Standout CV.
