My Thoughts
With this COVID19 situation rising its head again we will undoubtedly see a lot more job losses with many employees being put in very difficult situations. In September 2020 I was in this situation and I want to pass on my thoughts/feelings to help others.
So how does redundancy make you feel…. lost, unloved, down hearted, failure, angry, afraid, scared, unknowledgeable, let down, frustrated, lonely and at times completely lost in your own self doubt.
Redundancy recovery will be a staged process and can bring a huge array of emotions. I personally felt hurt, confused and down right angry. My poor family, saw me go through it all and how if affected me! I constantly wondered how could this happen to me? Then I started questioning why, and being a fairly anxious person, this was not a good stage for me! I was bombarded with thoughts trying to work this out. I bent the ear of loads of people trying to make sense of this situation. This for me was how I would learn to accept and move forward, some will rant, some will make rushed job decisions, some will become confused but none of this is right or wrong. Within time I came to realise this is accepting and moving on!
I have worked in recruitment for 15 years, have advised thousands of people on job prospects but when it came to me I was lost! When I sent my CV to people, I wondered, how do I do it? Was a LinkedIn CV enough, I found myself doing the fastest thing I could do but admittedly probably not the best. Did I need to send a cover letter? Do I attach anything else? Do I change my LinkedIn profile to reflect new skills, do I reach out to people I know in those companies? Do I seek more testimonials…., ahhh a new job!?!?!?
So what do I suggest you do? Take your time, understand this is going to hurt, do not make rash decisions, acceptance is the stage you must get too before I would suggest trying the next thing. There is always a desperation to earn money again but I was lucky enough to be have a little buffer money that allowed me to assess my options. If you like me have this luxury, then take your time, research your market and most importantly decide what you want and more importantly would LOVE to do next. Without this passion why would someone employ you, if your heart isn’t in it, it will show! I am a strong believer in ‘things happen for a reason’ and have been proved right many times in my life so when the emotions die down (and they will!) start to imagine what could be next, what opportunities this may bring, can you do something you’ve always wanted too? Your family and friends will support you, advise you and be with you in whatever you choose. Update your CV, read job descriptions in detail, align experience/requirements and be confident when applying. Linkedin is ok but I found that my responses werent great. If there is a role that you are really keen on I would suggest replying to an advert/website and following up with the company within 3 days if you haven’t had any correspondence prior. The days of 10 year+ careers in one job, seem to have gone with the newer risk free, opportunity savvy, less regimented view of the millennial – so does it matter if you’ve only been in the job a couple of years and the CV seems job hoppy .. damn no! Some industries only get that out of most employees anyway!!! I was once told that ‘variety on a CV is a good thing and says something about the person’. My CV is exactly that too structured, 3 companies in 15 years, it was time and IS time for a change! Look I am even thankful for it now…
So here we go, a pandemic, an apparent lack of jobs but this isn’t going to stop me. I am nearly 40, I have a plethora of experiences and now feels right. So here goes, wish me well in my new venture Sadler Recruitment Ltd!
If you like me decide it’s a new company route then I wish you well, if you choose to move to a new company then make the most of it, if you choose to change career, well done you, go make something big! If your still not sure, need money to support the family and take a temp job short term then I applaud you.
If you like me decide it’s a new company route then I wish you well, if you choose to move to a new company then make the most of it, if you choose to change career, well done you, go make something big! If your still not sure, need money to support the family and take a temp job short term then I applaud you.
If anybody needs any guidance on what’s next for them please do contact me!
Stay safe
Dave x