It’s rare for people to work for one company all their working lives. People are switching jobs for all sorts of reasons.
Changing jobs can present a welcome challenge or a significant pay increase, provide opportunities to upskill or completely change career direction.
But when someone is forced to look for a new job, perhaps made redundant as a result of recession, restructuring or downsizing, or because a business has gone under, the situation can be hard to deal with. There’s likely to be a grieving process of some kind, including anger and uncertainty before there’s acceptance and a realisation that there are steps that can be taken to secure a brighter future.
The first thing to do is plan.
- Create a budget. Unemployment is likely to impact your finances so it will be necessary to tweak your budget. List your spending priorities and see where you can trim. Then, if you have an emergency fund stashed away it will last longer and might be spent in more useful ways as you search for a new job.
- Check to see if you’re eligible for any benefits.
- Update your social media accounts. Don’t be afraid to tell people what’s happened to you. (But don’t bag your previous employer(s) on social media channels.)
- Update your CV, and when applying for jobs, make sure it is tailored to the specific job you’re applying for. Write targeted cover letters that make a compelling case as to why you should be hired. Show the reader you’re the best person for the job.
- Update your LinkedIn Profile and make use of your professional and social networks. Your contacts may know of positions coming up that may suit you.
- Invest in personal development and learn new skills. It might seem counter-intuitive to spend money when you’re on a budget, but the benefits are plenty.
- You’re taking responsibility for your life and what comes next
- You’re upskilling which could lead to a better job and more money
- You’re being forced out of your comfort zone
- It will help your confidence
- Work on your telling your work history well – Employers will ask about your previous jobs and will usually empathise if you explain how you came to be looking for a new job.
- Make a list of jobs you’d like to do if you were given the chance.
Now, find out what you need to do to score your perfect job. If you want to run your own business, perhaps you need to take a business course, or study administration and technology. There’s huge demand for computing and IT and that demand is only going to grow, or perhaps you want to work in the creative or service industries.
But, it may be you can’t move towns to take a course of your choice, or full-time study doesn’t suit, and that makes online courses an excellent option. eCampus NZ works with a variety of New Zealand tertiary providers to offer a range of courses. The beauty of them is that students work in their own time and all they need is access to a computer or lap top and the internet and a desire to succeed.