"My Job is under Review, I could be made Redundant!" 5 Smart Strategies to Stay Ahead.
First the shock, followed by the uncertainty and the very real realisation that if you lose your job how are you going to pay the rent or mortgage, the bills and your annual summer holiday to the South of France. To put it lightly, this situation is far from ideal. Organisations constantly restructure in the attempt to stay ‘lean’, make savings, improve efficiency and profitability. It’s one of the realities of the modern job market, where no one’s job is 100% guaranteed.
However once accepting the possibility of your fate, it’s important to be proactive. From my experience, individuals who are the least proactive and are unprepared, both practically and mentally, are the ones who suffer the most. For this reason I have developed 5 Smart Strategies. If redundancy does take place, you’ll already be in a position to move in to a new job and importantly a job which meets your professional ambition and fulfils your financial expectations.
- Test your current CV/ Résumé in the Market. Do this to see the type of response you receive. Are agencies contacting you? How many jobs are you applying for before you are invited to interview? This will give you a clearer idea of market conditions. If you find that the response isn’t reflective of your expectations, which from my experience is usually the case, you can use that period to improve your CV/Résumé ahead of time. For guidance in this area I’d recommend you subscribe to the jobinterviewology mailing list and get your very own free copy of my CV & Résumé Writing book “10 Simple Steps to CV & Résumé Success: Increase your Response by up to 50%”. By having a better understanding of the market and already having an effective CV/Résumé will put you one step ahead of the competition.
- Have a clear idea of what type of job you’re willing and unwilling to do. Due to financial circumstances many people are forced in to accepting a job that they wouldn’t normally consider. Despite providing the stability needed in the short term, it can sometimes have a detrimental impact on your long term career progression. The realities of this situation only come to light once you’re in the job and the anxiety of how you’re going to pay the bills are no longer an issue. By having a clearer understanding of market conditions and the types of jobs you are willing and unwilling to do will give you greater control of the process. This will allow you to make more informed decisions. Furthermore, make it clear to recruitment agencies the type of positions you are looking for.
- If you’re invited for an interview; attend. Whether you want the job or not, you have to remember that interviews are a two way process and there is no compulsion for you to take the job (just like there is no compulsion them to offer you the job). This is a great way to familiarise yourself with the interviews process, as well as polishing your interview skills. If you find that your interview performances are not reflective of your true ability, than I would recommend getting some professional help. Subscribe to our mailing list to access 3 introductory training videos, as well as a 20% discount off the complete interview training course.
- Increase your network. If you’re not on LinkedIn; sign up and start increasing your network. Focus on connecting with people that could potentially be valuable when it comes to hitting the job market, such as HR Managers & Advisors, and potential Line Managers. So if you are told that you’re going to be made redundant, you already have a wide network of people that you can contact instantly about possible opportunities.
- Draw up a list of pros and cons of your current job. Think about where you see yourself in the next 5 years, and whether realistically you will be able to achieve that target within your current organisation. This applies especially if you’ve been at the company for a short time and you know that your redundancy package is going to be an insignificant amount. Therefore if you receive a job offer, you can accept it knowing that it’s a job you want and for a company that can progress your career.
By being proactive and following these Smart Steps you can approach the pending possibility of redundancy with less anxiety, more belief in yourself and confidence in overcoming the challenges that lie ahead.
“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty”- Winston Churchill
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