CHAPTER TWO
Handling redundancy
The previous chapter is targeted for managers and CEOs, whereas this chapter concerns a subject which can affect anyone, at any level of employment.
Redundancy is always a shock when it comes around. But it’s now a fact of life. Layoffs are all too common in competitive economies in which companies are under constant pressure to cut costs and increase profitability. Competition, financial distress, mergers, acquisitions, outsourcing, or automation could eliminate your job sooner or later.
Indeed, if you haven’t been made redundant at some stage, some might see that as unusual. The big problem is how many are surprised when it happens to them.
You may hear clichés from well-meaning peers, such as, “Maybe it was for the best,” or, “When one door closes, another one opens.” You may feel slightly nauseated as you manage a faint smile. Don’t worry, this is normal. Even if you hated your job, it’s frightening to lose a steady source of income.
Although no company will admit to age discrimination (which is illegal in many countries), older workers are often targeted for redundancy. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 45 to 64 year olds typically take longer to find new work than younger job seekers, and therefore more likely to be unemployed long-term. But if you’re over 45, you don’t have to be typical. You could even come out ahead with a severance package and a new position elsewhere, as an employee, a contractor, or even a new business owner.
Regardless of your age, losing a job doesn’t spell the end of your career. It might be exactly what you need to get out of a rut and into a better situation. When I was 50, I took a package after eighteen years at the same company. Although the experience was not what I’d call fun, it worked out well. Very well. It didn’t take long to create comparable income with far more freedom, doing what I love: writing and speaking to help people make informed business and financial decisions.
As an older survivor of redundancy, I’ve written this chapter to help you get through this and thrive. The collective wisdom of friends, current and former colleagues, people I’ve interviewed, and my own experience is here to help you move onward and upward. I hope you’ll look back on a short period of uncertainty that set you on a better path.
Maybe you are reading this because you’ve heard whispers about layoffs, or you’re sensing something’s NQR (Not Quite Right) in your work environment. Perhaps you’ve heard an announcement of a pending merger or ‘restructure’, which is often a management euphemism for ‘layoffs’.
Even if you’ve already been blindsided by a layoff, there’s no need to panic. Most people go through it at least once in their career, and many of us have gone through a few. If it’s your first time, you’re probably new to the workforce, or unusually lucky. The good news is that you’re travelling a well-worn path as your own boss: as of now, your job is to find new employment.
Things to do
1. Free your mind.
If you’ve just been retrenched, I’d suggest that you do something fun, that has absolutely nothing to do with work. Ideally this something should not involve spending large quantities of money. Giving yourself a break will better prepare you for a fresh start.
Is there something from your ‘not enough time’ list that could fit into a day or two? If you have a family, is there something you can do together that’s out of the ordinary? Is there something you’ve been wanting to do or finish, that would give you a sense of accomplishment?
The goal is to experience joy, to remind yourself what’s really important, and to switch gears. If your mind drifts to work, bring yourself back to the activity and enjoy it to the fullest. Doing these things will help put you in the right frame of mind for what comes next.
2. Start your new job
You already have a new job. You work for yourself, and your business goal is to find a new position. Finding a full-time job is a full-time job, so treat it as such. Plan to spend your normal working hours dedicated to tasks that serve your goal.
Being your own boss sounds great on paper, but those of us who have done it know the downside: your new boss may let you slack off work, or the opposite: make you work relentlessly at all hours. To minimise distractions, maximise productivity and find new work fast (even in industry or economic recessions), here’s what’s worked for us.
3. Create an office
If you’ve got fast broadband at home and a space that’s conducive to work, designate a space for your new office. If you don’t have suitable space or fast internet, or you’re pulled toward household tasks, TV, or checking the fridge, you’ll need to find another place to call ‘office’.
Physically going to an office helps keep you in the routine of work. If your former employer has offered ‘outplacement services’, they may include free use of office space. Outplacement companies exist to help you find a new job at no cost to you: the employer has picked up the tab. If you’ve not been offered outplacement services, your local unemployment office may have information on temporary office space for job seekers.
If you can get free office space, take advantage of it. Chances are it’s a quiet work environment with everything including computers.
Otherwise your options depend on whether you have your own laptop with Wi-Fi. If you’ve got a laptop, your options extend to co-working offices, or businesses that offer free Wi-Fi to paying customers. Co-working offices are communities that started appearing in most major cities in the early 2000s. They offer all the amenities of an office: broadband, desks, printers, reception, meeting rooms, a kitchen area, recreation areas, and relaxation areas with sofas or even bean bag chairs. They’re popular with start-ups and entrepreneurs, small businesses, the self-employed, and those who travel for work.
Most co-working spaces have permanent desks for full-time members, and ‘hot desks’ for everyone else. Part-time members and drop-ins just show up and work at any hot desk that’s available. Some offer trial periods and most offer pay-per-day options, as well as part-time and full-time memberships. It’s usually BYO computer.
Co-working spaces are not the same as corporate offices. They’re run more like a cooperative, and their clientele consists largely of energetic entrepreneurs on a budget. Members generally dress casually unless they’re meeting with clients. They’re often flexible with their policies – if you can’t afford even a part-time membership, ask if they’ll consider exchanging use of the space for your help.
Corporate offices have been around for much longer. They’re run by corporations, and tend to be austere and expensive. Their clientele, usually larger companies, are paying for a high-end street address and impressive meeting rooms. Expected dress code is generally a suit. Corporate offices used to be the only option for a small business or satellite office to have a business address and a place for meetings. They usually charge a monthly fee, plus pay-per-use meeting rooms and hot offices. If you absolutely need your own closed-door office away from home and you’re seeking an executive-level position, it’s worth considering.
If you don’t have your own laptop, you may have to settle for the local public library (free) or internet cafés where you pay-per-hour for use of their computers. As long as you can be efficient and devote normal work hours to your job search, it doesn’t matter where you work.
4. Make your CV outstanding
After you’ve set up your office, your first task is to make your CV stand out from the rest. First, add your most recent position and reflect on what you accomplished for your previous employer. Then, edit the entire thing using use these three outstanding tactics.
On your CV, every position description should demonstrate your value to that employer. Don’t just list what you did in your routine work; highlight what you did for the company. Be specific. Wherever possible, quantify how your manager, department, or company benefitted from what you did. Indicate (or estimate) what the business gained or saved. You can express it in dollars, percentages, ratings, or any other measure appropriate for the product or industry.
For example, let’s say you “identified and eliminated common customer complaints.” It would be far more powerful if you “Identified and eliminated 80 per cent of customer complaints, halving the average issue resolution time and increasing the service rating from 3 to to 4.5 on Google Plus.” After you’ve finished, read the document as if you’re a hiring manager considering the person whose CV is in front of you. For each past position, ask, “What could this person do for me, my department, or this company?” If you struggle with the answer, consider re-wording it.
It’s a safe assumption that any electronic version of your CV will be scanned by software before a human ever sees it. To get through the automated gatekeepers, you need to apply the principles of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to your CV. This does not require technical skill – you just need to read job descriptions very carefully, and where applicable use the same keywords in your CV.
To make your CV more findable, do your homework on what employers are looking for. Industry buzzwords change all the time – so you may need to read many job descriptions to find today’s keywords that match your skills and experience.
Consider using colour to make your CV visually stand out. If you’re sending printed copies, subtly coloured paper makes it easy to spot on a messy desk. Anything that looks a bit different from the usual white will do. Alternatively, you could use a template that incorporates colour in a logo, monogram or section headings — all of which work equally well in printed or electronic format. Unless you’re in a particularly edgy industry, avoid multiple fonts, patterns, large areas of intense colour, or insufficient contrast between the text and background. Keep it professional, readable, and uncluttered, yet different enough to stand out. Ask a few peers for their opinions: print your CV on a few sample designs, and ask each one to choose their favourite.
You can find general tips on résumé writing and editing through a Google search using the terms ‘résumé examples’ or ‘CV tips’. (For example, the Dummies series of how-to guides has résumé tips.) There’s a lot of information out there, and remember that CV etiquette varies from country to country. Multiple-page resumes are the norm in the US, whereas Australians stick to the 2-page format.
Use career sites
Search for open positions using career sites such as monster and careerbuilder (USA), careerOne (Australia), and SEEK (Australia, New Zealand, UK, Ireland, and worldwide by region). On most sites, you can start by posting a generic version of your CV - the electronically ‘findable’ version that incorporates the right keywords for your skill set. If you’ve never used a career site before, ask peers which one they’d recommend to find job listings in your industry. Then, start searching for specific job openings. Use keywords that match your skills and the kind of position you want. Narrow the search based on location(s) you’re willing to work. The goal is to end up with a small list of highly relevant positions in convenient locations, not a giant list of not-quite-suitable positions. For those experienced with searching, most sites offer an advanced search option.
If you’ve been out of the job-seeking game for years, be patient with yourself. It takes time to learn how to use the search tools on career sites. If you continue to struggle with narrowing and broadening searches, enlist the help of a digital native – someone who’s grown up with technology. If you have kids, they can probably help you find what you’re looking for.
When you apply for a specific position (whether through a career site, via email or in person), create a custom version of your CV for this position. To do this you must understand exactly what the employer is looking for, then emphasise your skills and experience that match their requirements.
This is the most important thing you can do: read the job description very carefully. Make sure you understand it. Then create a copy of your CV for that job and customise it using words and phrases from the employer’s job description.
For example, if the employer is looking for a “motivated self-starter”, it’s best to use that phrase rather than “hardworking and independent”. Matching job description keywords in your CV will give it a better ranking by the software, so it’s more likely to make it through to a human being. Remember: you need to get past the automated gatekeepers to be offered an interview.
If you have all the skills, experience, and traits they’re looking for, don’t hesitate to say so. But if you don’t have a particular skill, tell them you wish to learn it. When candidates pretend they tick every box, hiring managers usually call bluff in the interview process (if not before). Don’t waste their time, or your own.
If you admit you don’t tick every box, they’ll know you’ve read the job description and that you’re probably an honest candidate. Understanding the job and being honest will put you miles ahead of the bluffers. You’ll be calmer before interviews knowing you’ve got nothing to hide, and more at ease with your prospective future employer.
Don’t spam employers. You wouldn’t believe how many overseas applications come in for positions that state the candidate “must hold a permanent residency visa”. When responses are requested “via email only” a few go-getters inevitably Google the main phone number and leave several messages per day, demonstrating their total inability to read or follow instructions.
Don’t try to apply for jobs en masse if you’re serious about finding one. Target your efforts at suitable positions you really want, do the research and craft your communications with care.
If you don’t already have a LinkedIn profile, create one and start making connections. The entry-level version is free. Find a good photo of yourself (a head shot in business attire is the norm, but not required). As you start entering companies and schools in your LinkedIn history, the system will suggest people you may know. Invite people you actually know to connect with you. Start with friends and family, former colleagues, and your alumni network. Personalise each note and ask the person how they’re doing, rather than use the generic invitation text.
Once you’re connected with someone, you can endorse them for skills they have. Be generous with your endorsements and people will return the favour. Someone may even endorse you for a skill you didn’t think of listing – so pay attention when that happens.
If a connection works at a company that interests you, you can send them a message asking whether they need help with any areas you’ve proven yourself useful. There’s nothing like having an insider who can not only help you get in the door, but also let you know whether it’s worth your effort to try.
Networking is an essential skill. It’s generally accepted that about 80 per cent of recruitment results from in-person networking introductions. Most people know this but hate networking. They lack confidence.
If you’re a digital native (someone who’s grown up with technology) don’t completely rely on the internet for networking, unless it’s your only option. Meeting people face to face will increase your chances of finding a new position.
Attend events in your industry such as trade shows, courses, seminars or networking lunches. If the event is free, the organiser may be selling something. This doesn’t mean free events are a waste of time. If they’re selling something that could support your job search, the event may be worth attending.
So what do you do it you feel awkward and hate asking for help? First of all, you’re not asking for help, you’re offering your help and trying to discover who needs it. Remembering this one simple fact will make it less awkward.
If you respect someone’s opinion and think they might know of a suitable job opening, start by telling them you respect their opinion, then ask them whether they know of any good people who could use your skills. Yeah, it’s that simple. As Oscar Wilde said, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
You’re not needy, so don’t act like it. The previous example qualifies who you’re willing to work for – good people, not just anyone. You’re asking whether your skills could benefit the person, rather than asking whether someone has a job for you. Don’t start conversations with the topic of your redundancy, but there’s no need to hide it. It’s so common, the stigma has all but disappeared.
This applies to everyone — even those who are still employed. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by interviewing for other positions while you’re still employed. Just don’t tell your current colleagues or list them as references: office gossip could jeopardise your job.
If you’ve been steadily employed for years, now is always the time to brush up your interviewing and networking skills. The game constantly changes, so you need to see the field. In the process, you might get an offer and the luxury of choice between your current job and a new one.
At very least, you’ll get out of your comfort zone and become better prepared for a future job hunt.
If you’re having trouble getting interviews for the kind of job you want, you still need to practice. Try getting an interview for a job you don’t really want — a position for which you’re overqualified. To get to the interview stage, you may need to dumb-down your CV a bit — hiring managers often avoid overqualified candidates. Either they fear you’ll take their place, or they assume you’ll move on as soon as something better comes up. Of course, both of these fears are valid, so try to avoid triggering them.
If you need the income while you look for something more suitable, present yourself as qualified, but not too qualified. If you get an offer, don’t feel bad about taking the job and looking for a higher level position. You may be able to move up within the company, and if not, you can keep up the search outside work hours. If you don’t get an offer, that’s good too. Desensitising yourself to rejection improves your game.
Year ago a friend of mine began interviewing as soon as her company announced a merger and mentioned a possible restructure. She heard it as ‘probable layoffs’. So she started job-hunting. Two months later she secured an offer and asked for a little extra time to consider it. (By then, layoffs were about to be announced and she was hoping to get severance pay and start the new job immediately. No, this isn’t cheating —it’s smart.) Unfortunately, she wasn’t let go, so she resigned to accept the new position. At the old company, one in three jobs were eliminated and her former colleagues ended up competing for jobs elsewhere. The ‘lucky’ ones who remained were overloaded with work and it went downhill from there.
Get ahead of the crowd and be the first in, best dressed. If you suspect layoffs are imminent, an offer from another company is an ace up your sleeve. Don’t delay accepting the offer unless you know the date layoffs will be announced. If you’re not sure about the timing, or if you find an opportunity you can’t pass up, just take the offer and leave your retrenchment worries behind.
Stay psychologically fit
Let’s face it, losing a job can be traumatic, and it can be hard to stay self-motivated during a job search. Don’t underestimate the importance of your psychological fitness. Although you may appear to have it all under control, what goes on in your head is powerful stuff. You’ll have to learn a few Jedi mind tricks to avoid letting your worst enemy undermine your future.
What happens to most of us: after a retrenchment, the mind creates stories about your ‘failure’, inventing reasons it’s your fault, and imagining what you should have done to prevent being laid off or to prepare better for the situation. It may even fantasise about revenge on the jerks who treated you unfairly. During a prolonged job search, the mind may trick you into believing you’re unemployable, or that the competition is far better than you are.
Practise ignoring these stories. They drain your energy and waste your time, and they’ll cost you job opportunities. If your mind keeps up the chimera, then start actively challenging the stories.
I’ve asked a lot of people how they avoid despair after losing a job. Someone told me that the Monday after his retrenchment, he felt absolutely awful. To get through the day, he kept repeating to himself: “Don’t allow this to mean anything about you.” Challenging the idea that he’d somehow failed was his key to avoiding prolonged misery — he felt fine from the next day onward, and found a great opportunity within a couple of weeks. What I find interesting is that his phrase reveals he already knew he had the choice to disbelieve the story of his failure.
Negative stories distract you from your job (finding a job), and believing them creates a negative view of yourself that will be obvious to interviewers through non-verbal cues. If you believe you’re a failure, you’re more likely to remain unemployed for longer. Worse, your personal relationships, long-term mental health, and even physical health could suffer. No job (or lack thereof) is worth sacrificing everything else that’s important to you. You are free to choose — you can believe in your employability and future success, and disregard anything that gets in the way of that.
When you’re confident, you’re more likely to find a great job. Your family, friends, and business network will pick up on your confidence, making it more likely that someone will recommend you for a position.
Redeployment
Redundancy does not necessarily close off internal opportunities. If you’re in a large organisation, be proactive and find out whether you can be ‘redeployed’ to another position. If you don’t have the requisite skill-set for a redeployment role, the organisation may help you develop your ‘aspirational competencies’ to fill the role. They’ve already invested in you as an employee, and you’re probably a safer bet than a new outside hire.
Unemployment and income protection
It should go without saying that if you’re eligible to collect government unemployment benefits (Centrelink in Australia) you should apply for it. It’s surprising how many people don’t collect unemployment benefits because they think the amount isn’t worth it, or the whole concept is beneath them.
In the US, some misuse the term ‘welfare’ for unemployment pay, and in Australia I’ve heard ‘dole bludger’. This is a bit silly — considering that the taxes you’ve been paying are used to help residents who are honestly searching for a new job.
If you have any kind of income protection insurance, now’s the time to see if and when you can claim. Usually there’s a waiting period before you can collect — but if your job search ends up taking longer than you’d like, it will come in handy. In Australia, many superannuation funds provide an automatic (or default) level of income protection insurance cover, so you may have income protection and not even realise it.
Career change
Paul Gauguin was a stockbroker before he decided to move to Tahiti and paint, Sigmund Freud was a neurobiologist before becoming a key influencer in psychology. Regular people who have changed careers have fulfilled their dreams, and they have plenty of stories about rejection, false starts, false promises, anxiety, and even going backwards financially. Think of career change as an opportunity, not a crisis. Decide which is more frightening: trying something new, or staying in an industry you hate, in a role where your talents are going to waste. The former gives you far more options.
Redundancy gives you chance to re-evaluate your career goals. Are you in the industry you want to remain in? Have you gone as far as you possibly can, or do you need new skills to move up? A job that sounds mediocre on paper can be great if you report to a good manager. A job that sounds important and pays well can stress you to the point of shortening your life. So decide what your priorities are, and go for it. Look for other possible career paths with the skills you have.
Employers often make a deliberate effort to hire candidates from diverse industries and from diverse backgrounds. If you get to the interview stage in a new industry, you’ve already demonstrated that you’re motivated and willing to try new things. Some employers place less emphasis on skills and qualifications and more on a candidate’s adaptability.
Before taking the plunge, there are some obvious questions to answer. How much income do you need for the lifestyle you want? Do you prefer security or are you energised by some level of risk with a potentially higher reward? Is money the most important thing, or are you more motivated by achieving something you believe in? What kind of work environment suits you best?
What industry do you want to work in? Technology? Fashion? Fast moving consumer goods? Media? Retail? Government? Hospitality? Transport? Nonprofits? Real estate? For each possibility, reflect on your skills that could bring something to the table, and talk to people in the industry who can help you match your skill set to a position.
Training, certification and tertiary education
If you’ve been wanting to skill up for a career change (or a better position in your current field), now may be the right time to do it. Further tertiary education or specialised training can increase your potential earnings or give you a new set of job options. Keeping work related training and certifications current is important regardless of whether you’re currently employed.
If you can afford to delay your job search to attend an intensive course, then do it. If you’ve been working in a shrinking industry, you’re already facing stiff competition for open positions, so skill up for an industry that’s growing.
Even starting a course (and putting it on your CV as “in progress”) will help you stand out as a candidate who is striving to do better.
You may have already taught yourself to use a variety of software programs. For example, even if you’re already a black belt in Excel, a certification from a Microsoft-accredited organisation looks great on the CV and will help you market yourself better. If there’s software that you’ve tried to avoid because you should know it but don’t, all the more reason to take a course and get a certification.
If, like most people, you’re terrified of public speaking, get out of your comfort zone and take a course. Experienced public speakers generally excel at interviews and think better under pressure. At first you’ll feel like the worst speaker in the room — but rest assured everyone else feels the same way. From personal experience and from the speakers
It is fun once you get past the fear, and it’s a great confidence-booster. Other training options may or may not come with accreditation. Some world-renowned universities now offer free ‘open education’ where you can sit in (online) on their classes. Even if you don’t get a degree, higher education is available to help you broaden your skill-set.
Online freelancing
If you have a skill that allows for remote work, you may want to consider doing freelance work online. Online freelancing is today’s alternative to the old temp agency style of work.
Sites such as oDesk enable remote workers to freelance from anywhere on the planet. You can find project-based, part time, or even full-time jobs. This may sound appealing, but remember you’ll be competing with talented workers from all over the world, many of whom set extremely low hourly rates due to their cost of living and exchange rate. (Most sites are based in US Dollars, but some allow you to fix a rate in your local currency which varies against the USD.)
Don’t expect an instant stream of income if you’ve never freelanced online. Start with small project-based jobs and quote a low hourly rate, to build up your profile and experience. For your first few projects, you may wish to quote a fixed price and spend extra time ensuring the client is satisfied. Employers review your work when the project finishes, and good ratings improve your ranking within the system. After you’ve got good ratings, you may be able to increase your rates without pricing yourself out of jobs.
Job agencies and outplacement services
If you’re struggling with any of the suggestions in this chapter, look into local job agencies and outplacement services. If you’re eligible to collect government unemployment pay (Centrelink in Australia), the local office should have information on services to assist job seekers. Any services they offer or recommend are usually low-cost (or free) for job seekers.
Services may include counselling, business coaching, CV writing, and education to skill up for a new position or plan a new career. There may be courses on networking, interviewing, presenting yourself, and how to make the most of a redundancy package if you’ve received one.
If you have lots of personal and professional connections but have no idea how to approach them regarding your job search, consider a course on networking. If you struggle with how to present yourself, ask someone you admire to assess your personal style, and tell you whether you might benefit from a workshop in this area. If you’re feeling despondent or too traumatised to be productive, get counselling. Interview coaching can help you position yourself in the job market.
Don’t take a scattergun approach to courses and sign up for everything you find. Consider where you need training and what your career goals are, and target your efforts accordingly. Focus on the courses, training, or coaching that will shorten your job search and improve your career: anything else is a distraction.
Starting a business
You may have always wanted to run your own business. But if you haven’t done your homework, you could end up creating a money pit that never turns a profit. If you go down this path, don’t put your entire severance package (or savings) on the line.
As an example, starting a B&B (bed-and-breakfast accommodation) may sound easy and romantic, but less-so when you consider that the renovations, furnishings, landscaping, painting, cleaning, tax and insurance costs may tower over the room rates multiplied by your average occupancy rate each year.
A less risky way to have your own business can be to purchase a franchise, but again, there’s a sizeable upfront investment, and no guarantee of success. If you consider this option, ask the other franchise-owners about how long it took to recoup their initial investment, and get a feel for how happy they are about their income.
Whether in your own business or a franchise, make sure you weigh up your vision against the day-to-day realities. Your success is not guaranteed, so make sure you understand the most likely and worst-case scenarios before you do anything that requires a large upfront investment. Explore alternatives that require a smaller upfront investment, or minimise the risk some other way.
Things to avoid
It’s normal to feel anxious and temporarily depressed after losing a job, but don’t let panic take over, cloud your judgement, and impact your productivity. Breathe. Remind yourself what’s really important in your life. One trick I’ve learned is to imagine, step by step, my (imagined) worst-case scenario. When I break it down into smaller pieces, it’s far easier to see how manageable it would be.
Having some time to yourself is fine, but don’t start isolating from loved ones, friends, and colleagues. Let people who care about you provide support — because they want to and you can probably use it. If you isolate yourself completely, then you’re definitely not networking or interviewing. Needless to say, isolation doesn’t help you find employment.
We all have felt fear, anger, bitterness and sorrow after losing a job. That’s normal. If you’ve tried everything you can think of and can’t shake the feeling for more than a couple of weeks, consider getting professional help. Untreated circumstantial depression can lead to long-term depression. It’s no one’s business but your own, and chances are that many people you know have done the same. They just don’t bring it up at parties.
You may not think a temporary or lower-level job is worth applying for, but if money is critical, you’re better off with something than nothing. If you don’t think it reflects well on your CV, just leave it off. Temporary and contract opportunities often open doors to permanent positions, as most companies recognise the value of promoting from within.
Dwelling on the past (or fearing the future) doesn’t help you with the here-and-now. Focus on what you can do today, with your job search and with your personal life. Pay attention to family and relationships, skill-up for work, and have some plain old fun. Take some time to consider some life goals as well as career goals.
It’s easy to become inactive when you’re feeling depressed, and being inactive can cause further depression. Start or maintain an exercise program or physical activity. It’s now commonly accepted that physical activity improves brain function and general mental health.
Being let go is not about you, it’s about your company, your industry or maybe the entire global economy. If you were employed for more than 50 per cent of the time between 2008 and 2012, you were doing far better than a lot of highly-skilled people I know. So don’t take it personally, and ignore any stories your mind creates about your ‘failure’. You can choose not to believe them.
Things to be
Make a habit of finding out what other people’s business ‘headaches’ are, and then give them some aspirin. When you’re talking to anyone in a business context, try to find out what problems they’re trying to solve, and offer help if you can.
But don’t do so with an inbuilt expectation of compensation or reward for each small favour. If you generally make yourself useful, you’ll build a reputation of being a ‘go-to’ person and increase your chances of steady employment throughout your career.
Most people interview and network with a WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) attitude. You can stand out by doing the opposite — figuring out how you can help the other person.
Interviewers want to fill positions to get value for money. Consciously or subconsciously, they want an employee who will make them look good. If your goals (to give them value and make them look good) align with theirs (to get value and look good), you’ll stand out from the crowd and increase your chances of a job offer.
That said, don’t let ‘takers’ use you repeatedly for free favours. If someone starts asking too much of you, offer paid consulting services if you’re in a position to do so, or ask them to specify a date they intend to compensate you and to quantify the compensation on paper. If they’re truly a taker and have no intention of compensating you, the subject should be a good conversation stopper and make them go away.
Even in the best economic environment, most job seekers wait passively to hear about jobs they’ve applied or interviewed for. You should be proactive and follow up, but stay on this side of annoying. If you’re not sent some kind of confirmation (by the career site or by the employer) it’s not out of line to make a follow-up call to confirm they received your documents. Often ‘no news’ means the hiring manager is overloaded with work, which is why they’re hiring. Most companies have the courtesy to inform unsuccessful applicants promptly. But don’t send off a CV and do nothing — because another candidate will work a little harder and get your job.
The search isn’t over until you have a written offer. For each application, you should follow up. How and when you communicate depends on what the job description says. You did read each job description carefully, right? Unless you’ve received email or system confirmation and clear instructions not to call, it would be wise to confirm the employer received your documents. During the call (or message), it can’t hurt to ask when they expect to start the selection process. Keep it short. You’ll have to use your best judgement as to when to follow up next. In general, keep conversations (or messages) friendly, short, and to the point. Ask for only one piece of information each time. If there’s been no news for a while, ask them what the next step is in their process.
Each time you speak to a person, ask them how they are going, and really listen to their response. See if you can make them smile with a bit of levity, but steer clear of comedy. You may want to take notes, so you can refer to them next conversation. When you remember something about someone, you become more memorable to them.
Call just before or after normal business hours, to increase your chances of speaking to the hiring manager, and to avoid interrupting them in the middle of their workday. You have no idea how busy their day may be. Calling outside peak hours is considerate, and it shows you’re working when they’re working.
Don’t call or leave messages multiple times in a day: they’ll likely get annoyed that you’re wasting their time and resources, and quite possibly think you’re desperate or lacking social skills.
When you get through to someone (whether a receptionist or a hiring manager), try to connect on a personal level. If they say they’re busy, ask them how you can help. You probably can’t at that moment, but it’s the entire point of applying for that job. You are calling to help them. Avoid asking directly how you stand in the selection process (unless you’ve gotten to know them over several conversations) – because most candidates who make follow-up calls will be doing exactly that. Your job is to stand out by trying to help, and not ask what’s in it for you.
If you’ve received a severance payout or just pay in lieu of notice, don’t even start thinking of Things You Can Buy with that money. It is not a bonus. Any severance pay needs to cover your living expenses until you secure new employment. You’re reading this chapter, so I’m guessing you don’t know exactly how long you’ll be looking for work.
Stay away from large purchases that instantly depreciate, such as a new car. That 5-star overseas trip could be exciting, but how long can you pay your rent or mortgage after you get back? Has someone mentioned a ‘can’t lose’ investment with a super high return? If you can’t afford to lose it all, don’t gamble it (whether on shares or in the casino).
If you’ve got unsecured loans or high-interest debts such as credit cards, you may want to clear these up. If you don’t have debt, an interest-bearing savings account is usually one of the safest options. If you’ve received a significant sum, you may want to put some in a term deposit or CD, and designate the rest to cover expenses until the term deposit maturity date. If you can afford to lock away a portion for longer, talk to a financial adviser about conservative options that provide a decent return. It’s best to steer away from high-risk investments, at least until you secure a steady source of income.
If you’re burning through redundancy pay (of savings) and you’re offered a temp job or a contract, take it. Part-time, contract, or even voluntary work is a way to try out an employer before you commit. You learn new skills, you see whether the reality matches your expectations, and you connect with a new set of people. The most obvious benefit is that you get a foot in the door and a new position on your CV.
A temp or contracting job on a CV otherwise filled with permanent positions demonstrates that you’re flexible and ready to adapt, something employers love. Being flexible could enable you to stumble on a new occupation, or at least make ends meet rather than becoming despondent that you can’t find the exact job you want.
Depending on your circumstances, you might need to relocate to where the work is, or commute further. It’s also important to be flexible in your salary expectations – don’t let your pride keep you unemployed. Accepting lower pay is sometimes necessary to avoid long-term unemployment due to industry or economic slumps.
Summary
It happens to everyone.
Almost everyone gets laid off at some point during their career, and some of us go through a few retrenchments. If you’re the first among your peers to lose your job, rest assured that there will be plenty of opportunities to help other first-timers in the future. Once you walk the path, it’s not nearly as scary as it seems. It’s not about you. Being laid off doesn’t mean anything about you, the quality of your work, or your potential value to a company. Don’t let your mind, or your peers, tell you that you’ve somehow failed. They are just stories, and your mind is the author.
Give yourself some time.
Designate a day that you’ll start your job search. Depending on your financial situation, this could be a few days or a few weeks. Meanwhile…
Do something you’ve always wanted to.
Pick something from your ‘bucket list’ or your ‘not enough time’ list and do it. The goal is to switch gears, and to experience joy, accomplishment, or both.
Save the redundancy pay.
If you’re lucky enough to have received a severance package, put most or all of it aside for a rainy day — because guess what, it’s raining. Until you’ve settled into a new job, avoid retail therapy and risky investments. Don’t be tempted into a shiny new depreciating investment, such as a car. If you have enough to invest, it’s wise to talk to a financial adviser, who will probably recommend a conservative option.
Treat it like a job, and go to the office to work.
Dedicate your normal working hours to your new job, which is to find new employment. Sending off a CV or two between Breaking Bad episodes won’t help your career or your finances, nor your long-term mental health. It can be difficult to supply your own discipline, so create a dedicated office where you physically go to work (either at home or somewhere else). This keeps you in the work routine and minimises idle time for counterproductive behaviour such as retail therapy or ruminating over your unemployment.
Network and interview as much as you can.
Networking is part of your new job. Offer help instead of asking for it. You’re trying to make yourself useful to someone needs your skills, so practice being a giver.
And remember:
Redundancy may feel like the end of the world, but it’s not even the end of your career. Don’t let your mind trick you into despondency and inaction. Your new full-time job is to figure out what you want and go for it. In the process, you can reinvent yourself and become the person everyone wants to hire. Give yourself the best shot at the jobs you want, and communicate rather than wait passively. Make it clear how you can match your skills and goals to the company’s needs. And above all, be yourself. Remember, it’s not about what you do, it’s about what you can do for them.