Facing redundancy
Being forced into a job change can be a difficult and stressful time. At Purpose. Career planning and support we can guide you through this process by providing one-on-one career counselling sessions to assist you with:
- Identifying alternative job options
- Recognising your transferable skills and experience
- Job search, CV Development, application, and interview skills
Redundancy doesn't have to be a disaster!
Not many years ago redundancy carried a stigma with it, but this has changed dramatically in recent years - there is no longer any need to feel that you are somehow any the less for being made redundant. Businesses fail, and that's now a fact of life.
Handling a redundancy can be difficult at first, and the feelings of shock, rejection, low self-esteem and lowered confidence are hardly conducive to efforts to re-enter the workforce.
If you've been in your job for some years your job has has become part of who you are, so there is often a grieving process people need to go through, which is often not recognised by you, or others. This grieving is a completely valid and understandable process.
A support network of family and friends is incredibly important . However, family members generally share in some of your negative feelings and find it difficult to be constructive. And friends will be sympathetic, but not necessarily helpful in a practical sense. They will often tell you what you "should" do, which doesn't always help.
If you're an older worker you might think think you have nothing to offer when you lose the job you've had for many years, and feel hugely disadvantaged in the labour market. This perception is often not warranted, as employers value the life skills and work ethic of the those no longer in their youth. Older people understand the dynamics of the workplace and the importance of interaction. You've gained knowledge and an understanding of people, and employers like that they can entrust you to get on and get a job done, using initiative and a practical can-do attitude.
Many people are actually unaware of the knowledge they have acquired in their employment, taking for granted the skills they've obtained. These skills are often transferable to other types of jobs and industries. We can help you assess what you can take forward and how to promote yourself to prospective employers.
We can help you recognise the skills you have, show you how to write a modern, targeted CV, and how to make written and online applications. We can also teach you how to cold call and hone your interview skills.
It can be really useful to talk it over with somebody impartial, someone with the skills and knowledge to lead you through to a position where you can take stock of your situation and make the best decisions for yourself. Working with your own consultant, who's independent and there just for you can be incredibly motivating, especially when the going gets tough.
