Archive for the ‘recession’ Category

Do you want to survive redundancy? Of course you do. And you will. It’s just that when it happens, yes, when you lose your job you often feel that it’s the end of life as you know it. It’s not surprising really as most job losses are not handled that well. Even if they are sensitively dealt with, it is not unusual at some point to feel traumatised.

The mix of emotions are hardly unsurprising. Your daily structure has just been shattered, so it is more than likely that you will experience amongst other things anger, dismay, rejections, self-doubt and disbelief.

In fact redundancy has been compared to losing a loved one.

As with bereavement, there is often a flow of emotions that we experience and for some the sequence is easier than others, and for others the emotions are more of a challenge. The pattern might be severe at first but ease after a while.

The stages and typical feelings are:

Primary – Initial Phase

• Numbness
• Denial
• Confusion
• Unreal optimism

So this is the time when you get the news, you might be in shock and you can’t believe it’s happening to you. When the truth hits home you might begin to feel confused, or perhaps even think that it’s a mistake and it is not happening to you. You might even think it is a temporary blip and that it is not worth signing on or claiming benefit.

Beware: this is the time that many people spend their payout on a holiday or property alterations.

Secondary – Intermediate Phase

• Worry
• Panic
• Anger
• Grief
• Unreal pessimism

This is the stage when negative feelings set in, fantasising about revenge, worrying about your personal responsibilities and financial status. Anxiety and despair may set in preventing you taking practical steps. If you felt a lack of emotion in the first stage, you might now be feeling overloaded with emotions.

You begin to worry about finding another job, you might have been unsuccessful in your first job applications so your self-confidence has taken a knock. You might even be avoiding your friends and acquaintances.

Beware: this is the time that social isolation can set in.

Tertiary – Settling Down Phase

• Acceptance / resignation
• Realistic optimism / hopelessness
• Purposefulness / defeat

Now, you know you are unemployed and you can accept this in two ways. With resigned acceptance or constructive resignation.

• Resigned acceptance

This is the negative continuation of the last two stages – and your morale dips further; you might be bored, isolated, bitter and your rejection continues. Your aspirations reduce and depression could set in. You have lost hope, our job search is sporadic, purposeless and without hope and expectation.

• Constructive acceptance

You are practical. You have come to terms with your situation, accepting the mix of emotions and your current position. You make realistic future plans and are able to look forward clearly and confidently. You become focused and energetic. You consider your future direction and take stock of your working life.

Depending on your personal coping strategies also depends on whether you are resigned or constructive at the acceptance stage. You will survive redundancy and finding a positive outlook is one way to retain your readiness for work.

There are a few things that help in making a constructive outcome:

1. Structure your daily routine
2. Build your confidence and self-esteem
3. Rebuild your security
4. Plan for the future

Contact us for more information on surviving redundancy and achieving a smooth career transition.

Yes, officially we are in a recession, there’s a credit crunch and employers are feeling the pinch.

This news follows a gloomy report by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) earlier this month which predicted that up to 300,000 jobs would be axed by 2011 as the economy goes into reverse.

Employment lawyers and legal helplines are reporting a sharp rise in businesses seeking advice on how to sack staff, suggesting a further surge in redundancies may be on the way.

Allianz, the insurance group, says its legal helpline Lawphone last month received a record number of calls seeking advice on redundancy issues.

More than a third of calls received by the helpline were about employment issues, compared with just 2.4 per cent in the same month last year, it said. Employment lawyers are also reporting a rise in businesses seeking advice on redundancies as trading conditions have deteriorated over the summer.

So if you are in the unfortunate position of being redundant, and you’re looking for a new job, how are you going to go about it?

Getting your CV right first time is of prime importance, and understanding your personal strengths will be a necessity.

You can upload your CV to numerous websites, and with keywords, search for roles that are suitable.

At the end of the day, you mustn’t forget the ‘hidden job market’ [yes, that's still there] – and networking. Networking is the best way to meet new contacts who have contacts who may know of opportunities or of people who could open doors for you.

Look out for networking events wherever you live. Use our new widget on the right to find events near you!

There are many networking groups around including BNI, BRE, Breakfast for Business, First Friday, Success in Sussex, 1230, WNC and websites that encourage networking, eg: ecademy, Business Scene, Linked In. And if used discerningly, even Facebook can help.

Online networking can be fun, a useful way to share experiences and ask for support. It can make the job search a little easier and less of a lonely affair. Good luck!