How to Recover From Redundancy: Job Search After Being Made Redundant

Regardless of the time, redundancy is not an easy thing to cope with. It’s even worse when you find yourself in a global pandemic that shows no signs of disappearing

yet. The Government has extended the furlough scheme but despite this companies are struggling to pay their overheads and are making their employees redundant reluctantly. Letting employees go is usually the last resort when there is not enough business for the company to keep those staff.

Big employers with thousands of employees offer outplacements which offer support and help with job search and career advice.

It may not sound like it but being redundant is not the end of the story. One company goes down and another rises to take its place. The biggest opportunities usually develop through the biggest crisis.

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Once you are out of your employment, the first thing you should do is to let family and friends know about the situation. Facing this alone is not fair on you and suffering in silence just leaves you and family with less trust. People around you can give useful advice about what to do or may even know of opportunities that might suit you.

It is sad news for sure but don’t dwell on it forever. Come out of this drama and start planning your future. Socialising can be a key to start focusing on your career rather than worrying about the situation. Talking to the people who also have been made redundant can also help you feel not alone.

CV: Update your CV to modernise it for the new job opportunities

Your CV must be the first thing you should give attention to. Refresh it as much as you can. Add new skills and maybe a new personal profile to match with the current trends. Visit career advice blogs to learn more about latest CV trends.

Quick CV tips:

Each job application is a different story so you should update your CV every time you apply for a job.

• Your CV should be relevant to the job you are applying to.
• Make sure that there are no spelling or grammatical mistakes.
• Keep it short and positive. No one has time to read long career documents.
• Get it proof read by trusted family members or friends.
• Hiring a professional CV writer is not necessary however it would give you an advantage among other candidates.

Social Media: It’s no longer a profile, it’s your CV

Your social media profile is no longer only a social media profile. It can be a new CV or form part of a background check for employers. Recruiters know that candidates’ CVs wouldn’t always tell the truth about them. They are static and show no emotion and the real you. More and more recruiters check applicants’ social media profiles to see who you actually are rather than going through Curriculum Vitaes.

Quick social media tips:

Would you like potential employers to see your profile? If your answer is yes then you are already careful about what you have and post there. If your answer is no then it’s time to take time and make it suitable for professional eyes.

• Make sure your privacy settings are up to date and anything you don’t want an employer to see is ticked as private.
• Make sure that you don’t put any inappropriate content on your profile such as: inappropriate photos and comments.
• Be respectful to others
• Do not post harsh comments about your current or former employers. It is not really the right place to moan about your employer.
• Create a profile that you wouldn’t mind anyone to see.

Cover Letters: A great application tool when it’s done right

Job application covering letters are the best tools to explain the redundancy. Employers will want to know the reason why you have been made redundant. Be transparent about it and don’t hide anything.

Quick cover letter tips:

• Keep it relevant. Write down your relevant work history and skills.
• Don’t be negative. mention things that you have achieved rather than failed.
• Get it proof read by a trusted friend or family members
• Keep it spelling and grammatical errors free.

There are still hundreds thousands of jobs on the job board online. Try visiting indeed, CV-Library, TotalJobs, Reed and jobvacancies.net to search and apply for the latest jobs that are suitable for you.

Being redundant is not easy to take but it’s not an end, it’s a new beginning.