We at Park are well placed to offer our experience and advice and whilst it is a painful time we do have many encouraging stories about how individuals have turned a perceived negative event into a positive outcome.
How you respond to redundancy and the action you take will dictate the outcome. This event does not control your future – you do!! The first thing to remember is that redundancies are about the position, not the person.
I have been made redundant…..what do I do now?
You may have been aware for some time that your position was at risk or you could be in total shock, either way, it’s important to try and keep calm and give yourself time.
Your organisation may work with experts like Park to support you in looking for new opportunities, reviewing your CV, skills and experience but if they do not we have some tips and advice that may help.
A step by step plan
Start the process by taking a step back. You could use this time to really analyse yourself and your requirements. Searching for the right role is important in securing your long term happiness.
Think about what you’d like to do
What industries interest you? Look through the jobs pages, newspapers and websites.
Think about yourself
If you can’t think of what you like, think of what you don’t like. If you aren’t numerate then rule out accountancy! Make a list of the things you are good at and enjoy.
Be realistic
There is no point in considering joining the police force if you are vertically challenged, or considering nursing if you are squeamish!
Research
There’s no substitute for hard work. If you don’t have a clue what you want to do, look around. Use the Internet to research jobs and careers, read newspapers, magazines, books - find out what’s out there.
Remember – you are an individual
The only way to find a career that’s right for you is to think about it for yourself. No one can tell you what to do.
What Are Your Unique Transferable Skills?
Job Skills is a very broad term as it covers the generic abilities and skills you have built up. Making a complete list is a worthwhile task.
- Make a list of your past jobs (going right back to your first job) and activities (including volunteer work, secular training, and even hobbies). Make sure this list is complete.
- Write down the tasks associated with each job and activity. Again, you want this to go into great detail so don't rush it.
- Tasks lead to skills. What did you learn by doing those tasks? What abilities have you gained? Skills range from such definable things as IT skills, presentation skills, and foreign languages, to characteristics like leadership, emotional intelligence, and reliability.
You should now have a complete list of your skills. This is very useful when you are applying for several jobs, as you will be able to compare the person specification with your job skills list and choose relevant items.
Self - Assessment
Once you have identified your transferable skills it is important to take time to think about what you want from your next role. What do you really like doing when you're at work/at home/in your spare time?
What excites and energizes you?
During a self - assessment you gather information about yourself in order to make an informed career decision. A self - assessment should include a look at the following:
Values: The things that are important to you, like achievement, status, and autonomy.
Interests: What you enjoy doing.
Personality: A person's individual traits, motivational drives, needs, and attitudes.
Skills: Activities you are good at, such as writing, computer programming, teaching, influencing, negotiating, selling or creative thinking.
Once you've discovered (or rediscovered) your passion, spend some time researching the types of careers that centre around these. Don't worry if you're feeling a bit unsure or insecure it’s a natural part of the process. How much research you do also partly depends on how much of a change you're making. A period of self-reflection can help you.
But my confidence is at rock bottom?
When you're feeling really low in confidence, self-doubt and poor self-esteem can impact every aspect of your life. Nobody can make you feel bad about yourself the way you can and it's in your power to change.
The good news is that being confident is a skill you can learn.
It’s rather like building a muscle - it takes exercise. When regularly practiced, confidence-building exercises can be an effective method of raising self-esteem and confidence.