Most career changes are made through choice, but people who have experienced going into work as usual only to be told their services are not needed, whether it’s due to redundancy, merger or business failure, know what a shock it can be.
The first thing is, don’t panic. It’s natural to feel a combination of anger, sadness and worry, but the situation is not that uncommon, and there is help out there that will get you back into work. Just because your employer didn’t – or couldn’t – keep you on it doesn’t follow that you are not highly valuable to another employer.
Start by taking control of the situation, simply taking some positive action will make you feel better.
1. Time for a change? Before you rush into job-hunting, take a long look at where you are and where you would like to be. Do you want to go out and get another, similar job or is this the ideal time for a change in direction, or even going freelance? Losing your job can often be a catalyst for a career change.
2. Blow the dust off your CV. If you need help, come in to Concept Personnel and get some free, professional CV advice from our experienced consultants. We specialise in permanent, freelance and temporary contract jobs in the digital, design, marketing and communications sector and as well as helping you put together a killer CV we’ll help you assess your skills and experience and decide exactly where your next move should be.
3. Fill any skills gaps. If you’ve got the funds, how about doing that refresher course you’ve been putting off, or signing up for some training in a new area that will make you more marketable?
4. Get ready for interview. If it’s been a while since you had an interview, we will give you some tips for success, including how to deal with tricky questions and we can even set up a mock interview for you. You might be in a role where pitching to clients was an enjoyable part of your job, but it’s a different ball game when you are being assessed on your skills and personality, rather than the agency’s capabilities.
5. Stay connected. It might be tempting to hide away, but that won’t help. As well as physically getting out and about to business networking meetings or joining in online discussions, update all your social media profiles. You would be surprised how many employers use LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook as their preferred research tools on candidates – make sure your profile makes the right impression.
6. And most importantly, choose the right recruitment partner. Here at Concept Personnel we pride ourselves on long term relationships with candidates and employers. We often guide people through several career moves because we’ve built up a two way level of trust and confidence, and they know we are not a run-of-the-mill recruitment agency interested in getting bums on seats, we genuinely have their interests at heart.
We’ve spent years building close relationships with employers across the North East and Scotland so we know which companies are in the market for your skills, before the jobs are even advertised. All of that gives you an edge over the thousands of other job-seekers.
Above all, stay positive and don’t let losing your job dent your confidence. It’s happened to almost all of us at one point or another. It’s not a badge of shame, it’s more likely to be economic circumstances or factors over which you have no control.
However grim it feels at the time, it’s not the end of the world. Your first step should be to make an appointment for a chat with one of our consultants – surrounding yourself with the right professional support is the quickest route back into work.
